Transport for the North’s (TfN) policy position for Rural Mobility outlines the place-based and targeted approach for transport connectivity to support more than 2.1 million people in the North who live in rural areas, as well as the millions of tourists each year who visit the region’s rural beauty spots.
Rural areas are extremely diverse across the North, with challenges including poor access to education and employment, health inequalities, high per capita carbon emissions, shortage of affordable homes, older population profiles, and social isolation.
There are also areas which are significantly more affluent, with higher than-average levels of car ownership and distance travelled. However, zero emission vehicle infrastructure is limited in rural areas, making it more difficult for private car users to shift towards more sustainable fuel sources.
Rural residents, reflecting their location and existing transport infrastructure, make approximately 88% more longer-distance trips (trips over 50 miles) than the Northern average. Providing real alternatives to private car travel through integrated public transport networks, community car clubs and greater digital connectivity are key to TfN realising the vision for rural mobility across the North.
Many of the issues faced by rural communities are further highlighted in our recently published research on Transport-Related Social Exclusion. Limited rural public transport connectivity reduces accessibility to employment, exacerbating labour shortages in key rural sectors, such as hospitality and the visitor economy, and harming rural economies.
Our policy position sets out how we can support local partners to address issues rural communities face and increase accessibility to key services and opportunities.
We recognise there are different rural typologies across the North ranging from hamlets and isolated dwellings to villages and towns in more fringe areas. Therefore, for rural mobility, this means there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution, and instead our thinking in this space must adopt a place-based approach for individual rural communities.
To achieve our vision for the North, TfN will work with our local partners to develop the evidence base for rural mobility and work collaboratively to share best practice, theoretical evidence and innovative solutions.
We will also collaborate with UK Government and wider stakeholders such as other Subnational Transport Bodies (STBs) on common issues relating to rural mobility.
We will support the innovative work our partners are undertaking in this space on a local and influence national policy direction for rural mobility, raising the profile of the solutions our partners are developing for their own rural communities.
This includes the uptake of demand-responsive transport, bus service improvements, mobility hubs, zero emission car shares, and use of electric bicycles. Our evidence base will be essential as we work collaboratively with other STBs nationally to develop a rural mobility workplan and engage with UK Government on the forthcoming Future of Transport: Rural Strategy.
Through developing the evidence base within rural mobility and collaborating with local partners, STB partners and UK Government, we will ensure rural proposals are aligned with the wider policy aspirations for the North, in the context of the Strategic Transport Plan and core TfN workstreams.
We will deliver our place-based, targeted approach to rural mobility in the North, overcoming existing challenges rural areas face and connecting rural communities to a broad range of services and opportunities across the North.
Click the cover to read the full policy position:
