Decreasing rural population and ageing society has made it is increasingly difficult for many countries to provide access to adequate transport services for citizens in rural areas without significant cost increases.
However, the development of open data and mobile information platforms are changing the way consumers perceive public transport.
Car-sharing and ride-sharing are real options for public transport provision. New actors and services are leading to innovative mobility solutions, including through the coordinating of postal, freight and passenger transport. Hence, current legislation and public transport policies need to be reconsidered to allow for such innovation while ensuring privacy and safety.
A new ITF report summarises experiences in public transport provision for rural areas for the United Kingdom, Norway, France, Japan and Finland. It provides key policy insights for efficient solutions and new ways of organising public transport services.
Go to the report “International Experiences on Public Transport Provision in Rural Areas” (pdf)
Original source: International Transport Forum
Image source: Jens Schott Knudsen (Flickr)
