SMOOTY – Exploring Innovative Transport Solutions

Transport exclusion, improved mobility and low population density areas are the main issues addressed by the international SMOOTY project, implemented under the Interreg Europe programme. The Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region hosted a delegation representing ten project partners from Italy, Hungary, Portugal, Ireland, Finland, Serbia and Ukraine.

As part of the SMOOTY project (Sustainable Mobility Strategies in Low-Density Areas), participants have explored good practices in sustainable transport in sparsely populated areas in Hungary and Finland. These include smart sensors monitoring vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian traffic, as well as demand-responsive transport services, where routes and timetables are adjusted to passengers’ needs. Solutions that help rural residents commute to work, reach schools and access essential services are particularly important.

A three-day study visit for the project’s international partners has just concluded. We presented solutions implemented in our region to improve access to public transport in rural and peripheral areas. The visit also provided an opportunity to exchange experiences and discuss how good practices from other countries could contribute to the development of regional transport.

During their stay, the guests used public transport, travelling with rail operators Arriva and Polregio, as well as buses operated by the regional government’s transport company, Kujawsko-Pomorski Transport Samochodowy (KPTS). The operators shared their experience in organising transport connections in peripheral areas. The delegation also visited the PESA Bydgoszcz manufacturing facilities, where participants learned about the production of modern rolling stock used on railway routes across Poland and Europe. They also travelled to the spa town of Ciechocinek via a railway line whose services were restored by the regional government.

The delegation visited the headquarters of KPTS in Włocławek, which has been modernised with European funding. The guests learned about solutions implemented in regional bus transport.

Participants were also introduced to the regional government’s naszelokalne.pl initiative – a platform that enables customers to purchase products from several local producers and demonstrates how mobile food deliveries can be organised.

SMOOTY project partners: