Enhancing Safety and Security for Senior Citizens in Public Transport

1. Effective solutions for green urban transport – Learning from CIVITAS cities Geneva, 16 April 2013 Lidija Pavić-Rogošić ODRAZ-Sustainable Community Development

2. Background: before CIVITAS • City of Zagrebis faced with a continuous increase in the number of senior citizens • Mobility is highly important for the quality of their lives • Seniors were not in the focus of PT operator or City of Zagreb Transport office as a specific user group Learning fromCIVITAScitiesl16 April 2013lGenevalLidija Pavić-Rogošić

3. CIVITAS ELANMeasure:Safety and security for seniors • Objectives: • Improve safety of senior citizens in public transport • Raise reliability of public transport to senior citizens • Increase the understanding among public transport staff of senior citizen’s expectations and needs Partners: City of Zagreb, Office for Strategic Planning and Development ODRAZ ZET – PT operator • Plan for stakeholderengagementprepared Learning fromCIVITAScitiesl16 April 2013lGenevalLidija Pavić-Rogošić

4. Senior citizens and public transport? Happy together Safety and security for seniors improved • new low-floor vehicles allow safer and more comfortable acess • platforms adjusted to needs of physically challenged • 147 displays at PT stops across the city inform on arrival of trams and buses • CCTV cameras and surveillance system introduced • shelters to protect from precipitation on most PT stops Learning fromCIVITAScitiesl16 April 2013lGenevalLidija Pavić-Rogošić

5. Target group • Senior citizens - to encourage them to use more public transport • Recruited in cooperation with City Office for Social protection • Homes for elderly and seniors’ associations visited • CIVITAS ELAN joinedmarking of International Day of Older Personsand Healthy week– additional 2.000 beneficiaries • Public presentations Learning fromCIVITAScitiesl16 April 2013lGenevalLidija Pavić-Rogošić

6. Implementation – an overview • Workshopswith elderlycitizens • Workshopswithtramand bus drivers • Leafletwith practical advices for seniors • Short movie on seniors in PT „Alojz and Vlatka” • CIVITAS ELAN Info-pointpresentations • Visibilityindifferentmedia • InspiredbySalzburg PT provider! Learning fromCIVITAScitiesl16 April 2013lGenevalLidija Pavić-Rogošić

7. Senior citizens and public transport? Happy together Workshopswith senior citizens • 17workshopsindifferent homesfor elderlyheld • Participants: • almost500elderlypersons • project partners: ODRAZ, ZET project personnel, City of Zagreb • ZET drivers, traffic police, City department for traffic and City department forsocial welfare Learning fromCIVITAScitiesl16 April 2013lGenevalLidija Pavić-Rogošić

8. Senior citizens and public transport? Happy together What we do on workshops? • a conversation related to city mobilityfollows the presentation of brochure and promo film • ZET drivers give recommendation for safety in PT vehicles Learning fromCIVITAScitiesl16 April 2013lGenevalLidija Pavić-Rogošić

9. Senior citizens and public transport? Happy together Comments • We are very satisfied with new trams! • They make our life easier, it is safe to enter the tram. • The disadvantage is that the partofcorridorsare narrow • New buses are more comfortable • Displays - good for easier travel planning • Weappreciateraising awareness of PT drivers on needofelderly passengers • Leaflet with guidelines for safer use of PT for elderly people are useful • ZET Transit System radio in PT vehicles with important traffic information is very useful Learning fromCIVITAScitiesl16 April 2013lGenevalLidija Pavić-Rogošić

10. Senior citizens and public transport? Happy together Comments • A lackof culture amongst the cyclist; the City shouldlook for a solution to the problem of rushing bicyclists • A lack of traffic culture in general • among citizens • The lack of information about electronic PT ticketing system • Crowds in trams and busesduring rush hours • Bad maintenance of tram and bus • stops; vandalism • A short duration of green light for • pedestrians on traffic lights • A need for more traffic lights with sound notification Learning fromCIVITAScitiesl16 April 2013lGenevalLidija Pavić-Rogošić

11. Senior citizens and public transport? Happy together Concreteresults Based on a discussionduring the workshop, togetherwith a traffic police ►a proposal for better solution at one crossroadto be more user friendlywassent to a City office for traffic Learning fromCIVITAScitiesl16 April 2013lGenevalLidija Pavić-Rogošić

12. Senior citizens and public transport? Happy together Workshops in ZET depot • Workshopin ZET depot on how to use PT safely • Workshops on safety ofelderly in PT with tram and bus drivers • 4 workshopswithmore then 160 drivers Learning fromCIVITAScitiesl16 April 2013lGenevalLidija Pavić-Rogošić

13. Senior citizens and public transport? Happy together Theleaflet • a leaflet with practical advices for seniors on how to use PT – distributed at events • thefirstofthekind

14. Senior citizens and public transport? Happy together CE joinedthe International Day of Older Persons • held on 29 September • opportunity to distribute practical guidelines for safer use of public transport for elderly people • wellacceptedbyseniors Mayorof Zagreb Learning fromCIVITAScitiesl16 April 2013lGenevalLidija Pavić-Rogošić

15. Senior citizens and public transport? Happy together • Promo film • A short movie (1,5 min) on seniors in PT „Alojz and Vlatka” prepared • Regularly shown during workshops with elderly • Promoted in Info-point, presented on national TV – HRT andZ1 TV • English subtitles prepared and posted on civitas.eu web page • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zoaGg4Zn9g Excellent feedback from elderly people during workshops Attractsthe interest of media

16. Senior citizens and public transport? Happy together CIVITAS ELAN Info-point • Wednesdays in tram: • Safetyofelderlyin PT • Presentation; short film andbrochurepromoted • Mediainterest Learning fromCIVITAScitiesl16 April 2013lGenevalLidija Pavić-Rogošić

17. Senior citizens and public transport? Happy together CIVITAS ELAN Info service • app 400 addresses, including 86 journalists Photo competition, EMW • Photos with elderly passengers

18. Senior citizens and public transport? Happy together CIVITAS ELAN Zagreb web site Learning fromCIVITAScitiesl16 April 2013lGenevalLidija Pavić-Rogošić

19. Senior citizens and public transport? Happy together MediaandSafetyofelderlyin PT • threeTV reportageson elderlyandsafetyin PT (includingshort film, interviewwith bus driver) • web articles • writtenarticles Learning fromCIVITAScitiesl16 April 2013lGenevalLidija Pavić-Rogošić

20. Results • Some 500 seniorsparticipatedin 17 workshops • Recommendationsfor mobilityimprovementscollected and referred to relevant authorities • Seniorsacquainted withinformation on how totravelsafein PT • Seniorsinformedon types of available e-tickets and their use • Four workshops with more than 160 PT drivers, drawing drivers' attention to seniors' needs in PT • Improvements in PT- lowfloor trams and buses co-funded through CIVITAS ELANcontributed to easier and safer use of PT by seniors Learning fromCIVITAScitiesl16 April 2013lGenevalLidija Pavić-Rogošić

21. Working with the target group • Seniorsshowed appreciation,in particular emphasising the attention given to them - not as a part of problem, but as a part of mobility solutions • Lessonslearned: • new angle to the issue is worth trying - sometimes small interventions could contribute to the quality of life for senior citizens • special attention should be put on growing stakeholder group of seniorsby ZET- theyrepresent an important public transport users Learning fromCIVITAScitiesl16 April 2013lGenevalLidija Pavić-Rogošić

22. Senior citizens and public transport? Happy together What we found out? • Elderly willing to participate in mobility dialoge - they know specific problems in their neighbourhood and think about possiblesolutions • Trust should be built - many citizens, including elderly, do not believe that they can influence decision-making • Those involved were satisfied for the opportunity of gathering together and discussing issues of common interest • Concreteinitiatives emerged Learning fromCIVITAScitiesl16 April 2013lGenevalLidija Pavić-Rogošić

23. Senior citizens and public transport? Happy together Regards from Zagreb! Lidija Pavic-Rogosic ODRAZ-Sustainable Community Development lidija@odraz.hr www.odraz.hr www.civitaszagreb.hr Learning fromCIVITAScitiesl16 April 2013lGenevalLidija Pavić-Rogošić