RUMOBIL - Feasibility of New Public Transport Services in European Rural Areas

Abstract

Rural areas occupy substantial part of the entire EU's surface area and rural development is an important policy area, covering among others also economic diversification in rural communities. Rural areas are important to the European economy as they provide foodstuffs, raw materials, or places for a wide range of recreational activities. However, some parts of these regions suffer from an ongoing population decline and dynamic aging as well as services of public interest retreat from these areas. This, however, cause enormous challenges for the provision of public services, such as public transport. The high costs of a traditional transport network and low level of demand make investments more difficult and ineffective for stakeholders in the mobility sector. The paper brings information on RUMOBIL project outputs from pilots testing new public transport services in sparsely populated peripheral areas. Results of these pilots were used to prepare recommendations presented in the form of the RUMOBIL Strategy, which provides an insight into already proven good practices and novel solutions.