Equitable access: remote and rural communities "transport needs" : [this document was produced as background for the 2011 International Transport Forum, on 25-27 May in Leipzig, Germany, on Transport for Society]

Transport in rural and remote regions receives considerable attention in research, but this is often focussed on specific means of resolving problems in those regions - for example, the role of demand-responsive bus services, or scope for attracting users to rail services. The aim of this paper is to take a broader view, firstly in defining what constitute "rural and remote regions", and secondly in considering a wide range of public transport options available. Experience in Britain will be taken as a starting point, since extensive research has been conducted here, and rural issues are also a focus of much public debate at present. Findings from other European countries will also be examined.