COMMUNITY TRANSPORT FOR RURAL AREAS: PANACEA OR PALLIATIVE

One of the significant changes that have taken place in rural areas has been the development of self-help community schemes covering many aspects of rural life including that of transport. The article assesses the progress made in this form of unconventional public transport in the UK. Comparisons are drawn with similar types of service in the Netherlands such as the buurtbus. Such community transport schemes are of two basic types - the small-scale voluntary car schemes (for example at Abergavenny) and the more organised bus schemes, are discussed in the article. Although the future of the conventional rural bus services can be questioned, their replacement by community services provides a locally-based service that is responsive to changes in the small but steady demand, and also provides limited transport in areas that would otherwise have no public transport.