Innovations for Better Rural Mobility

Abstract

In the context of the rural mobility landscape in 2021, this report by the ITF is a landmark document that demands a strong legacy.It has involved 12 primary and 20 secondary contributors, covering all global regions.The work of the group has revealed over 80 case studies of rural mobility innovation across the globe covering the whole spectrum of mobility systems implemented or in pilot phases, from national or regional authority initiatives to projects by individual transport operators and local community groups.Why is this report so important now?While the economic and social divides between urban and rural areas continue to grow in all countries, it is essential to introduce pro-active policies to stimulate the economies of rural areas in the post-Covid age.Rural societies are undergoing dynamic change -a new mix of locals, incomers, homecomers and visitors (be they tourists or seasonal workers), many have traditional roots in the rural area, whilst others bring with them urban values and mind-sets.There is a mix of those rural areas in decline due to outmigration, economies kept alive by money arriving from the growing diaspora working in other countries, and of those witnessing growth on their urban fringes as families move out of suburban areas in search of a more rural locations.Mobility is the glue that binds together rural communities and helps rural economies survive and grow, and yet this report has found that when other sectors develop strategies for growth that could boost rural economies, mobility is the very area that is often forgotten.Urban-based planners generally consider rural mobility as an afterthought and this report shows that few countries have strategic policies for rural mobility.Indeed, in the rush to achieve a low carbon society, a new strong urban-based myopia is emerging, where there is a real danger that rural accessibility and mobility issues may be an even larger afterthought.Ludwig Wittgenstein famously states that: "the limits of my language are the limits of my world".The words used to describe rural areas -peripheral, outlying, marginal, etc. -are urban words.Rural areas may be "peripheral" to city dwellers, but to rural communities, these areas are the centre of their worlds.This report importantly underlines that we need rural-centric mobility policies, not adaptations of urban ideas.This report provides intelligence on a whole range of rural mobility initiatives that can be adopted and finetuned to local circumstances.However, perhaps the strongest message from this report is more political.We need rural mobility planning that stems from people who live the rural experience and governance structures that can accommodate and support innovative mobility planning.There should be flexible forms of micro-finance from which rural communities can develop their own mobility initiatives, supported by specialist advisory bodies with initiatives feeding from core transport networks that are properly funded by governments -Sustainable Regional Mobility Plans (SRMP) -not an annex or afterthought to a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP).If there is political will to do this, then the 2020s may see the negative trends in rural accessibility and mobility reversed, but now is the time to act.

Topics & Concepts