SUNRISE - Cohésion sociale dans les zones urbaines/rurales basée sur services collectifs de mobilité innovateurs et durables.
Changes in lifestyle and mobility service needs, when compared to the current facilities provided in towns and cities, show that there are different mobility demands that conventional public transport, with its rigid routes and timetables, does not satisfy. The introduction of complementary services, like Demand Responsive Transport (DRT), may provide a response to these new needs. In recent years, DRT’s collective services have brought significant advantages to many groups of citizens in different European towns, regions and rural areas. At this point it is necessary to use the accumulated results, experiences and practices in order to implement and test the DRT concept in many European regions, to estimate its effects in terms of mobility, social cohesion, environmental protection, and to assemble the good practices and results it will provide. Thanks to the experience acquired by certain project partners in this type of services, SUNRISE will ensure that DRT frameworks are established in many localities and promoted at European level. Overall objective / Objectif général SUNRISE aims to provide different European areas with the assembled technological, operational and organizational experience about DRT services in order to develop transport at regional level. The project will enable the organisation and implementation of feasibility studies, the testing of DRT services within the SUNRISE environment, and to evaluate the impact on organisation, mobility, viability and social cohesion. In addition, the transport authorities and operators will be assisted in evaluating the opportunity to use DRT solutions, and in consolidating the good practices provided. Expected results / Résultats attendus The expected results of the SUNRISE project are as follows: • Transfer of experiences to all partners from those who are most advanced in the area of DRT, for new projects (as in the case of the Serres prefecture, which will implement the first DRT system in Macedonia), or for improving existing systems as in the cases of CAT and RAL. • A dynamic internet site which shows the project’s progress according to the planned programme, together with the most important project documents and reports. • A discussion forum on the project website that can be accessed by public authorities, users and operators. • An internal quality organisation plan. • Two brochures, an e-newsletters and posters to present the project. • A handbook describing the guidelines for the establishment and management of DRT services in Europe. • Creation of links with other important European and national programmes, associations and projects. • A specific workshop for politicians and local authorities, public transport companies and public organisations. • Participation in the most important conferences and press releases.