Beijing Daily Client | Reporter Wei Jing
In cold weather, "going out" is a big challenge for many elderly people. In the past few days, the Beijing Daily client has paid attention to the problem of "difficulty in taking a taxi" for the elderly, and a survey of 10 major cities and 1,000 elderly people in the "Survey Report on the Travel Status of the Elderly" shows that 75% of the interviewed elderly people go out within 5 kilometers of the daily distance, and 21% of the elderly do not exceed 1 km of daily activities. The most popular destinations are wet markets, parks, supermarkets, hospitals and pharmacies, schools and kindergartens.
At such distances, "slow travel" is the preferred mode of travel for the elderly. Continuously smoothing and purifying the slow traffic environment is an effective measure to improve the sense of safety and happiness of pedestrians, especially the elderly. However, the "slow" path is not easy.
There are many "roadblocks", and the walking space is squeezed. In the city, we can see all kinds of electric cars and bicycles parked on the sidewalks, and even occupy the sidewalks that are not wide. The light poles on the side of the road, the no-parking triangular pyramid, the standing light poles, etc., also further compress the walking space. For the elderly with inconvenient legs, such an environment undoubtedly increases the difficulty and danger of travel.
"Stumbling blocks" are frequent, and small traps hide dangers. In addition to the above-mentioned "roadblocks", potholes on the road surface, warped and damaged bricks are also common safety hazards. These small traps can cause the elderly to fall, causing injury.
The climb is unassisted, and the hundred steps are daunting. Many elderly people need to use railings to get up and down the flyover, and some people are even unable to climb high steps because of their leg problems. This design undoubtedly increases the difficulty of travel for the elderly, and also worries some elderly people who are not in good health.
These questions remind us that cities need to be designed and built with more consideration for the mobility needs of the elderly. We need to provide a safer and more convenient environment for older people to move freely around the city.
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