The SMARTA project in a nutshell
Rural public transport services in Europe are under stress, due to a combination of factors including austerity measures, demographic change and poor connectivity in terms of transport and telecommunications infrastructure. The absence of a range of services, including mobility, has resulted in rural areas that have become highly auto dependent. The inevitable outcome is that those without cars are dependent on others for lifts, often meaning they have reduced possibilities to participate in society.
SMARTA is a two-year project that focuses on how to exploit existing mobility policies and solutions in European rural areas and explore ways to support sustainable shared mobility interconnected with public transport.
Our mission
The SMARTA project is an exciting opportunity to conceptualise, identify and pilot “smart transport services” in rural areas. We aim to understand the market and framework in every European Country and to assess how sustainable, on-demand mobility solutions can help enhance the travel experience of diverse rural populations.
The SMARTA Consortium aims to :
- Analyze the challenges of mobility in rural areas and the market and the policy context in each of the 28 EU countries (including selected EEA states, North America and Australia).
- Identify current and emerging good practice across all the EU Member States (and third countries) and the different level of innovation.
- Work with pilot sites who will demonstrate real-life services where innovative digital solutions and shared mobility services will be tested.
- Monitor the pilot aspects of operation and performance on a continuous basis and evaluate the pilot results.
- Position the knowledge acquired within the broader framework, policy and practice of rural mobility in Europe.
- Share and discuss the acquired knowledge, results, and recommendations with identified stakeholders.
- Devise, plan and implement an awareness-raising campaign about sustainable shared mobility interconnected with Public Transport in European rural areas.
Project Consortium
The SMARTA project is carried out by 5 European consultants and research institutes from four different Member States having years of experience in the transport sector and mobility policy. The Project leader is MemEx, an independent engineering consultancy company.
