Travel Assist Pilot

Victorian Department of Transport - Travel Assist Pilot Process and Outcomes Evaluation

The Travel Assist Pilot project was a collaborative initiative, co-funded by the Department of Transport, Office of Senior Victorians (Department of Planning and Community Development), VicRoads, Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV). The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) provided in-kind support to the Project. Representatives of these agencies also formed the Steering Committee for the Pilot project.

Aim of the Pilot

The aim of the Travel Assist Pilot was to increase awareness amongst individuals of the mobility options available to them besides driving, and facilitate the use of these. This would occur through the provision of personalised mobility advice and support to individual retired or retiring drivers based on their specific location, abilities and needs. As a consequence, the Pilot project hoped to increase the well-being and quality of life of participants and mitigate the negative effect that driving cessation can have on retired (or retiring) drivers, their friends and families.

Overview of Pilot Program Delivery in Two Local Government Areas

Two metropolitan Local Government Areas were selected for the Pilot program by the Department of Transport:

Mornington Peninsula Shire - Mornington Peninsula Shire Council chose to work through their Home and Community Care (HACC) program and sought initially to recruit participants from its clients.
City of Monash - Monash Council linked the Pilot program with their positive ageing strategy and their older persons’ social networks.

Each Local Government Area was quite different in terms of the physical environment and availability of alternative transport and mobility options to the car, and this was an important consideration in the selection process. Each Council delivered the pilot program to just over 100 participants, and while there were some issues initially with recruitment, the majority in each municipality were recruited via invitations distributed via mail-outs or through agencies that worked with older people.

Evaluation Approach

The evaluation used an action research approach and included ongoing assessment and refinement of pilot activities. Dynamic Outcomes and LDC Group worked in partnership to evaluate the processes and outcomes of teh Pilot. The evaluation examined the achievement of project objectives, which were to test and contribute to the further development of the Travel Assist Advisor model by:

Developing and testing the Travel Assist Advisor methodology under differing settings (based on local government administrative arrangements, mobility options and land use patterns) and identifying the methodology’s strengths, limitations and where it could be strengthened and/or improved
Obtaining “proof of concept” evidence that demonstrates whether or not the core Pilot project concept is needed, workable and feasible (in order to establish viability, technical issues, overall direction, and future implementations)
Identifying the impact on participants as a result of participation in the Pilot (e.g. access to relevant (participant determined) services and social activities whether through: home delivered services, online services, travel or rescheduling appointments to better suit the participant’s travel options; as well as the impact on their perceived competency, confidence and willingness to use their relevant access options)
Identifying the impact on government (including benefits and costs) of the Travel Assist Pilot project

The key outcome questions that the evaluation focused on related to changes in Pilot participants’:

Travel behaviour
Awareness of transport options
Confidence in using public and other forms of transport as an alternative to driving