FLIPPER/Flexible Transport Services and ICT platform for Eco-Mobility in urban and rural European areas

DESCRIPTION:

Throughout Europe the challenge of providing a cost effective integrated public transport system is seen as an essential prerequisite to reducing pollution and congestion whilst encouraging sustainable economic growth.The traditional fixed route services is ideal for clustered travel demand areas but the changing of habitation patterns and nature of work activities in today’s society have created different mobility needs to which the conventional transport has become neither suited nor cost-effective.In the last few years Flexible Transport Services (FTS) have proved to be an advantageous solution to the provision of public transport services.By providing various forms of intermediate services,FTS are complementary to the conventional passenger transport and usually serve no scheduled mobility needs,either in low demand time periods and in weak demand areas.Given this flexibility FTS are suitable to serve niche market customers and different citizens' groups (e.g. disabled).

OBJECTIVES: 

The overall objective of FLIPPER is the transfer of experiences, knowledge and good practices on Flexible Transport Services through different European Regions in order to increase the social inclusion of disadvantaged citizens groups and/or areas, to reduce energy consumptions and environmental impacts thus encouraging sustainable social/economic growth.

Moreover the project focuses on: 

• the exchange of good practices in the field of FTS for enhancing the efficiency of public transport services and the overall sustainability of urban and rural areas by reducing the energy consumption and environmental impacts and for increasing the social cohesion of different disadvantaged areas and /or citizens; 

• the understanding of the passengers´ point of view and learning about the socio economic effects of FTServices in the served areas; 

• the transfer of well consolidated experiences and best practices among the involved local authorities and the others entities with difficulties in providing the most appropriate transport services to disadvantaged citizens and areas; 

• knowledge raising both through analytical studies of the local needs and of the possible solutions in order to allow the different partners to identify the most appropriate ICT tools and solutions and their optimal roll-out and operation; 

• the increase at local level of the knowledge of new collective transport services; 

• the elaboration of guidelines for an effective European policy and normative for collective transport services for cities and rural areas in order to reduce the energy impacts and increase the social cohesion; 

• the promotion at local, regional and European level of the concept, approach and results of FTServices as real component of the overall area/region transport chain in order to reduce environmental impacts and increase the sustainability and social inclusion of the different areas/regions.

These objectives will be reached by FLIPPER Consortium following a well defined and structured workplan, with an efficient technical approach and a set of clear responsibilities for each partner, as described in the next section

TIME: 01-09-2008 - 30-11-2011 

LEAD PARTNER :

SRM – Networs and Mobility (Public Transport Authority Bologna)

Via A. Magenta, 16

40128, Bologna

ITALIA

Contact Leadpartner:

Dora Ramazzotti

Phone : 0039 051 361328

Fax : 0039 051 361260

PARTNERS:

SRM – Networs and Mobility (Public Transport Authority Bologna), Bologna

ATAF, Firenze

AUTh – University of Thessaloniki, Transport Systems Research Group, Thessaloniki

BOKU - Institute for Transport Studies. Department of Landscape, Spatial and Infrastructure Sciences. University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, 

Municipality of Purbach, Purbach

University of Aberdeen – Centre for Transport Research,School of Geosciences, Aberdeen

Municipality of Volos, Volos

ATL - Livorno Transport Operator, Livorno

Maillorca Train Services S.F.M., Palma de Mallorca

Almada City Council, Almada

Ring a Link (Carlow Kilkenny

Insular Council of Formentera, Sant Francesc de Formentera

Municipal Organization for Health and Social Affairs - Social Welfare Organization of Volos Municipality, VOLOS

Total budget: EUR 2 696 700

ERDF contribution: EUR 2 088 025