Time, stress, and control in paratransit services: older passengers’ experiences and strategies

Paratransit services support individuals with limited mobility by providing access to healthcare, errands, and social activities. While designed to be enabling, these services impose temporal demands that require the user’s active engagement, such as booking in time and coordinating with other support services. This study explores how older users experience and manage the temporal dimensions of Sweden’s paratransit services so they can live their daily lives. The analysis of interviews and participant observations is informed by theories of time, emphasising the interplay of structural constraints and individual agency. Two main themes are identified: (1) learning and strategising for smooth journeys – the individual user’s system understanding, risk management, and sequential planning; and (2) temporal constraints – the individual user being passively ‘delivered’, experiencing ‘worry time’, and adapting to the stress of community transport. The study concludes that while paratransit facilitates participation, it demands considerable temporal labour, often leading to stress and uncertainty.Points of interestParatransit services are a special transport service for people who need assistance when travelling and can not use ordinary public transports such as buses and trains. Paratransit services play a vital role in helping older adults with disabilities stay socially connected, but using it often requires significant planning and flexibility.Many users experience stress and uncertainty when booking journeys, waiting for pickups, or managing delays. Negative past experiences can even lead some to avoid travel altogether.To make journeys possible, users often adopt creative strategies such as carefully timing phone calls, coordinating with home care providers, and carefully planning every stage of their trip.Although paratransit is designed to promote independence, it can sometimes leave passengers feeling managed, rushed, passive, or anxious, especially when the system is unpredictable or not aligned with their needs.This study highlights the critical yet often invisible ‘time work’ done by paratransit users in order to navigate daily life. Recognising this labour is essential to improving the system and making it more responsive to users’ realities.