For a while now, the car has always been the first choice when it comes to designing individual mobility. Due to increasing ecological and economic challenges, however, new concepts are needed – namely those that are multimodal and intermodal, digitally integrated and, in the best case, without fossil fuel. In this context, local public transport as one of the key players in rural regions is particularly in demand, as efficient local mobility is a key factor for regions and has a direct effect on their attractiveness as a business location and quality of life for its citizens.
The further development of demand-oriented mobility is central to solving these challenges. In rural areas in particular, flexible app-based (“on-demand”) mobility services can close gaps in public transport, which is vital for maintaining services of general interest.
As part of the “OhneAutoMobil_OPR” project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), aconium has asked citizens in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district in two pilot areas – specifically, the district town Neuruppin and the very rural Horstdörfer, south of Neuruppin – directly on this topic. An online population-wide survey and direct citizen inquiries were used to identify the needs and expectations of the population for a demand-oriented, digitally bookable (“on-demand”) bus service.
Interviews with experts from politics, research and transport added valuable insights into challenges and possible solutions for sustainable mobility in a region with political tension concerning demography, economy and ecology.
The survey made clear that the vast majority of the population is generally open to flexible forms of public transport and that digital bookings would not be an obstacle. In very rural areas, however, giving up a second car is more realistic than completely renouncing the use of the car. For transport companies, it would also become more financially appealing as soon as such mobility services operate autonomously, as this would result in greater savings in personnel costs and solve the issue of low personnel capacities.
aconium prepared and summarised the results of the survey in a comprehensive study. Click here for the study:
https://www.mobil-opr.de/images/pdf/210526_Studie_OPR_final-neu.pdf
Background
The Ostprignitz-Ruppin district and a consortium consisting of seven partners have received funding as part of the “MobilitätsWerkStadt2025” federal competition sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The overriding goal of the “OhneAutoMobil_OPR” project is to enable local public transport in Ostprignitz-Ruppin to become more flexible and demand-oriented through digitisation.