THE PARTICULAR NEEDS OF RURAL AREAS

The involvement of the Countryside Agency (United Kingdom) in the role of the bus in meeting the needs of rural areas is reviewed. The growth of motorised transport in the countryside has an adverse impact on walkers and cyclists, and has encouraged the centralisation of services. A regular bus service is considered essential if car dependency and social exclusion in the countryside are to be reduced. The Rural Bus Subsidy Grant, Bus Challenge and other sources of funding for rural bus/taxi services are outlined and examples of the services provided are given. It is suggested that rural bus services need to be seen to be reliable before passenger numbers may increase. The viability of services could be improved by combining school and non-school services and by encouraging the use of buses as a way of accessing the countryside from urban areas. Better understanding of rural travel needs is considered necessary. For the covering abstract see ITRD E109852.