Mobility providers are being urged not to forget rural populations as new digitally-enabled mobility services roll out in urban areas.

Rural passengers missing out on urban mobility innovations, finds TSC

A new report published by the Transport Systems Catapult (TSC) finds that while urban passengers are benefiting from new services such as smart ticketing and ride hailing services with the introduction of driverless cars on the cards, those living in rural areas are being left behind.

According to the report, providing transport to rural communities is often seen as a high-risk proposition for transport suppliers but it suggests there are significant market openings for innovative new business models and services which look beyond the current status quo.

The comments from the TSC follow a report earlier this year from the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), which examined a range of issues relating to transport over the next 25 years, including the widening gap between urban and rural transport provision.

The full TSC report can be downloaded at ts.catapult.org.uk/ReadyForInnovation.