The rural transport experiments (Rutex) were set up to test ways of dealing with transport problems in rural areas where demand for public transport is too small to be served by conventional bus services. Before the experiments were introduced a comprehensive household and travel survey was made; this identified the nature and scale of the problem in each experimental area, provided information about the travel patterns of different groups in the community and made it possible properly to assess the effects of the experimental services on these rural communities. This paper provides background information to the experimental services. The nature of the experimental areas is described, the main findings of the survey are given and compared with similar statistics for the whole of the united kingdom reported in the national travel survey (nts), and the effect of age, social factors and car and licence ownership on trip making in the Rutex areas is examined. Finally the rural transport problem and the market for any additional public transport in the Rutex areas is considered. For the covering abstract of the symposium see IRRD no 248815.
Samenvatting