Moving Together: Equitable Access to Mobility Infrastructures for Older Adults in Bengaluru, India

This PhD thesis explores later-age physical mobility-related needs, barriers and coping mechanisms of older adults in Bengaluru, India. It helps understand the ways in which urban transport systems in the context of the Global South impact ageing experiences. Later-age mobilities are crucial for ‘ageing in place’. In the context of developing countries, such as India, later-age care is mostly situated in their homes and is the responsibility of children and immediate family members. Hence, mobilities in and around these urban neighbourhoods become crucial to accessing later-age care, work opportunities and social activities. Later-age mobilities need to be studied within this context of rapid urbanisation and its expanding transport systems. This study used qualitative methods supplemented with spatial tools for understanding later-age mobilities. This thesis has attempted to bridge a significant knowledge gap in the existing literature, that lies at the intersection of geographical gerontology, transport geography and urban studies. Using the example of Bengaluru, we have examined how transport and social inequalities shape ageing experiences in the Global South. Considering the rapid ageing of populations across cities of the Global South, such as Bengaluru and the consequent increase in investments in transport infrastructure, it is crucial to develop a clear understanding of the inclusive nature of these transport imaginaries, particularly in terms of accommodating the needs of older individuals. The analysis of Bengaluru's transport policies reveals limited engagement with transport equity, with little emphasis on creating systems that cater to the needs of older individuals. Further, the analysis of transport advisories during COVID-19 reveals paternalistic and ageist perspectives of transport policymakers. Having mapped the trajectory of transport policies for later-age mobilities in Bengaluru using the critical urban lens, the thesis ethnographically captures the mobility experiences, barriers, coping mechanisms and negotiations of socio-economically marginalised older adults and their access to work and leisure. The study points to the need for situating later-age mobilities amidst the dynamics of urbanisation, transport infrastructure and socio-economic geography as primary tenets. The study has woven evidence from user experiences, policy analysis and stakeholder insights and has provided a more holistic conceptualisation of inclusive mobility for ageing actively in the Global South.