Thousands of older people in Scotland feel socially excluded due to poor transport service, a report says.
It found that some 16,523 over 75-year-olds felt trapped in their own home due to a lack of suitable transport, with 3% getting out and about less as they have no way of getting around on their own.
The charity WRVS said the problem has been exacerbated by recent cuts, with around 20% of older people in Scotland hit by a cut in public transport services.
Although free travel is available for those aged over 60 in Scotland, the report found 13% of over-75s do not use public transport as it is not suitable for their disabilities.
The report comes as the Scottish Parliament is looking into Community Transport. WRVS is a major provider of community transport, but the service is not part of the Government's concessionary travel scheme.
Margaret Paterson, head of operations for WRVS in Scotland, said: "Getting out and about is a basic necessity many of us take for granted but this report shows it isn't so straightforward for older people."
Age Scotland spokesman Lindsay Scott said accessible transport was "crucial" for older people.
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