Promoting public transport use in rural areas
What is? An EU Intelligent Energy Europe project, with the aim of promoting the use of energy-efficient means of mobility in European rural and peri-urban regions.
Challenges Demographic dynamics of ageing and shrinking societies in rural areas Level of minimum service frequency vs. little demand and low cost coverage Density of public transport stops vs travel speed (dispersed settlements) Low awareness of the public transport system by potential users (subjective barriers against using it)
Overall aims Increase the number of public transport users Decrease the millage driven by motorized car traffic Efficient energy use, energy and cost savings Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
Specific aim #1: Show alternatives for private car use Public transport feeder networks
Specific aim #2: Where alternatives exist, promote them! Active mobility consultancy campaigns
Objectives Adaptation of existing active mobility consultancy extension to feeder systems, accompanying measures adaptation to other European regions Increase of awareness, knowledge and use information about public transport service, ticketing and timetables information about advantages of using public transport (PT) Identification of the user needs survey integrated in the AMC campaign suggestions to reorganize the PT system Transfer knowledge on active mobility consultancy training, take-up and dissemination activities for practitioners outside
Activities in eight European rural regions AMC campaign implementation areas Wittenberg Kreis Euskirchen Oberlausitz-Niederschlesien Krakow Waldviertel - Wachau Burgos Almada Langadas
Active mobility consultancy (AMC) campaigns to promote the use of public transport via a personalized travel marketing approach. Actively informing people about public transport on an individual basis Active collection of passenger feedback adjustment of public transport offer Active measures aiming to decrease subjective barriers (e.g. trainings, audits, events, guided tours)
Steps of AMC campaigns Contact phase Distributing an information letter explaining the objectives of the AMC campaign Contacting people by phone or home visit to get information about current travel behavior and needs Segmentation phase (1) Current public transport users (2) Potential public transport users Interested non-users invited to campaign Encouragement phase Regular passengers are encouraged in their behavior (e.g. small gift)
Steps of AMC campaigns (cont d) Motivation phase Sending a list of available individualized information materials to people who request further information They can indicate willingness for personal consultancy Information phase Handing over requested information Convincing phase If requested, a personal consultancy is conducted
Example: Europe s first rural AMC campaign (Waldviertel - Wachau, Austria) Conducted with ca. 500 participants in 2011 Additional active measures conducted with at least 200 participants such as promotion at local events traveler training (e.g. short walks to bus stops) citizen audits providing try-out-pedelecs Result: 19% increase in passenger numbers!
Promotion days and events, citizen audits, traveler training Promotion days and events, citizen audits Promotion days and events, providing tryout-pedelecs, guided bike tours, citizen audits AMC campaigns Promotion days and events, citizen audits Promotion days and events, citizen audits Traveler trainings (e.g. for elderly people, disabled people), citizen audits Promotion days and events for different users groups, citizen audits, use of social media
Public transport feeder networks Any type of motorised or non-motorised forms of mobility that help passengers to reach the nearest bus or train stop Examples: Buses and minibuses Bicycles Pedelecs Taxis Car pooling and car sharing Walking
Feeder network demonstration sites Waldviertel - Wachau, Austria Pedelecs and bicycles Wittenberg, Germany Citizens' buses, call buses and call taxis Burgos, Spain Langadas County, Greece Krakow, Poland Kreis Euskirchen, Germany Oberlausitz-Niederschlesien, Germany Almada, Spain Bicycles and small buses Small buses, shared taxis Small buses, bicycles Call buses, call taxis, walking, cycling Citizens' buses and call taxis Bicycles and small buses
Example: KalosTous A demand-driven taxi-sharing service in Kastoria, Greece To bridge the gap between private car use and the available limited public transport service Partnership between local taxi union, the Kastoria village municipality, and Aristotle University of Technology Service to be booked one day before Dispatch centre combines requests, and designs time & route Cost depends on number of passengers and ranges between regular taxi & bus ticket
internal training seminars for active mobility consultancy (AMC) 1 st seminar: Developing a common understanding of AMC (25 June, 2014) 2 nd seminar: Setting up an implementation plan (9 October, 2014) 3 rd Seminar: Moving from theory to practice (22 Jan, 2014) 4 th Seminar: Harvesting the fruits 5 th Seminar: Looking back
External take-up seminars partners share experience and first-hand information about AMC campaigning Region-specific adaptation for eastern, southwest and southeast Europe Three corresponding seminars: Krakow (PL), Burgos (ES), Thessaloniki (GR)
On-line training 1. Non-real time interaction with trainer Online-courses about active mobility consultancy For beginners In English 2. Real time interaction with trainer Webinar Four AMC-related live lectures All levels English and five other languages
Manuals, guidelines, training materials State-of-the-art report on AMC campaigns Fact sheets on rural public transport feeder schemes Fact sheets on active measures in AMC campaigns Guidelines on the AMC concept Brochure on the AMC concept
Regional analysis: determination of characteristics Adapting active mobility consultancy to European regions Focus group meetings Guidelines, fact sheets, implementation plans An improved AMC campaign is conducted in each implementing region
Activities in Almada, Portugal A study is carried out to identify the best bus connections to tram lines and the train station Propose improvements to the bus operator An AMC campaign is implemented, focusing on one feeder bus line
Activities in Burgos, Spain Implement AMC campaigns in selected areas Improve the bus service in rural areas (frequency, availability) Conduct marketing in those areas
Activities in Krakow, Poland Establish a feeder system (buses & bicycles) in a sparcely populated outskirt area Conduct an AMC campaign
Activities in Kreis Euskirchen, Germany AMC campaigns Passenger training events for elderly people Mobility checks to help reduce barriers to pedestrians Citizens audits Workshops to raise awareness of the problems faced by elderly and disabled people
Activities in Langadas, Greece Promotional days and events Citizens' audits Passenger training (e.g. for elderly people, young people) Public workshops and focus groups to identify transport-related problems Use of social media to promote public transport among the younger generation
Activities in Oberlausitz- Niederschlesien, Germany An AMC campaign Focus on a special bus line in the district
Activities in Waldviertel - Wachau, Austria AMC campaign to promote individual public transport feeder schemes using bicycles and pedelecs
Activities in Wittenberg, Germany Demonstration of feeder schemes with buses operating on demand (citizen's buses, call buses and call taxis)
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Title of slide Thank you for your attention Photo credits: AENEAS project, Budapest Transport Centre (BKK), Gábor Heves, Géza Hernád, Harald Neumann, istock, João Cleto, José María Diez, Kennett Krebs, PORTAL project, Roman Klementschitz, Salzburg AG, studio 43 - Nektarios Basdekis, Tomasz Zwolinski, VRS, ZGB, ZVON