Effects of demand-responsive transport on daily waking steps in Senboku New-Town: A cohort study using propensity score matching

Abstract

Introduction

First- and last-mile mobility is an urgent urban issue in urban residential areas with increasingly older populations. Demand-responsive transport (DRT) is gaining attention as a means to resolve the urban issue. This study aimed to clarify the effect of DRT on residents' average daily walking steps. This study analyzed the case using the DRT demonstration project in Senboku New Town.

Method

A cohort study design was employed, and participants were recruited from users of a local smartphone application called “Health-Smart-Senboku.” An online questionnaire was administered to the participants. Propensity score matching was used to estimate the effects of potential confounding factors. Subsequently, a difference-in-differences analysis was performed on the changes in daily walking steps of DRT user and non-user groups.

Result

The results indicated that DRT operation significantly increased the average daily walking steps by 628.16 [95%C.I. −231.37 to 1487.70, p = 0.009] steps/day. These results are interesting because people in the DRT user group walked fewer steps than people in the DRT non-user group before the DRT operation period but walked more steps during the DRT operation period, increasing to the same level as the DRT non-user group. Furthermore, the average EQ-5D-5L score, a widely accepted index to assess health-related quality of life, is significantly higher in DRT user group (0.88) than in DRT non-user group (0.93) at a 5% significant level (p = 0.033). The results also indicated that the DRT user group took a private car significantly less often than the DRT non-user group. However, there were no significant differences between driver’s license possession in the DRT user and non-user groups.

Conclusion

This study concluded that DRT operation promoted walking among those with health-related problems who could not use private cars. These findings are significant because they indicate the social impact of DRT on well-being by increasing daily step counts.