Bus travel benefits . . . and other stories

Travel is good for the mind

The UK introduced free bus travel for older people in 2006. Although the policy has proved expensive, costing more than a billion pounds annually, studies suggested that it led to greater use of public transport by people in the older age bracket, as well as raising their levels of physical activity and social engagement. Data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing now find evidence of a beneficial effect on cognitive function, particularly memory, perhaps because travel tends to promote a way of life that …