Transnational cooperation and partnership for better public transport in peripheral and cross-border regions
Peripheral Access (PA) improves mobility in specifically peripheral areas such as rural, remotely located or border regions as well as in the hinterland of urban areas. This is crucial as 93% of the EU territories are peripheral areas (< 150 persons/km²); all facing similar but particular challenges:
- the basic service level of PT is often poor,
- the public budgets are tight,
- demographic change (fewer and older people) has negative impacts,
- high level of unsustainable, exclusive and costly private car use.
The WP involves all partners & will analyse this situation in detail at EU and partner level, derive concrete action plans and implement innovative pilot actions in 3 fields of action representing the key success factor for sustainable mobility:


1. Multimodality & integrated transport


2. Enhanced use of Intelligent Communication Technology (ICT) &Intelligent Technology System (ITS)


3. Better cooperation through transport associations and cross-border marketing.
Concrete results such as 10 strategies/action plans (thereof 7 regional, transnational), 3 tools, 5 pilot actions & 6 trainings will benefit public transport users, planners & decision makers & will stimulate current non-users to rethink their mobility behaviour.  The built-in evaluation cycle will lead to reliable outputs, making project outputs to become model solution for all peripheral areas across CE.
PA will rely on the knowledge and the professional capacity of its partners comprising public transport operators, local, regional and national institutions, as well as leading nation. transport research organisations and thereby guarantee the highest possible level of implementation and result orientation. Handpicked Associated Partners such as the Association of European border regions provide target expertise which will reduce the involvement of costly external experts to a minimum.