15 Jun 2026
Last week we brought members together for our latest RSN seminar, turning the spotlight on rural transport, a policy area that impacts so many others, from access to education, health and care services and the ability of residents to find training or employment opportunities.
The session opened with the RSN Chief Executive Kerry Booth, who set out the wider picture, drawing on our recent Delivering For All: Rural Realities research. Her message was clear: rural transport is fragmented and many rural residents have to rely on a car to access the services and employment that they need.
Rural residents want accessible, affordable and reliable transport that connects people to the places they need to be.
Launch of Rural Transport Group
Peter Ramsey from WSP, updated the delegates on the creation of the Rural Transport Group, an organisation led by Mayors with rural or coastal communities, to tackle the unique transport challenges facing England’s rural and coastal communities.
This initiative is at an early stage but will develop as more rural and coastal areas across the country progress on their devolution journey.
Digital Connectivity Tool
Rob Singleton, the Head of Planning at the Department for Transport presented on the Digital Connectivity Tool. This tool is designed to help built environment professionals to understand how sustainably located a place is and the transport interventions needed to support it.
The connectivity tool, which maps relative connectivity across England and Wales using transport networks and land use data, provides a heat map and connectivity score to help policymakers and planners make more informed decisions about development and infrastructure planning.
The tool is designed to be used by built environment professionals in the public or private sector, and there is also a limited version of the tool, (Connectivity Lite) that anyone can access.
Community Transport
Gill Cleave from VASA, a Community Transport Operator, that predominantly uses volunteer drivers to take passengers to a wide range of appointments, shared insights about the work that they do.
She highlighted that VASA delivered over 16,000 journeys last year, with 68% being healthcare-related, yet only 11% of community transport organisations receive healthcare funding despite their significant impact on health outcomes.
Gill also outlined key policy recommendations including recognising community transport as health infrastructure, securing sustainable multi-year funding, providing wheelchair-accessible vehicles across rural areas, and addressing passenger affordability concerns following the recent increase in mileage reimbursement rates.
Looking Ahead
Across the session, one message came through strongly: an effective transport system within our rural communities, helps residents access health care, education, banks, employment, public services, and more importantly, opportunity.
Without an effective transport system, rural communities will be left behind and won’t be able to fill their full potential and contribute to national prosperity.
