The overall aim of this project is to develop innovative and sustainable rural and coastal transport schemes and services reducing social exclusion and enhancing the vitality and sustainability of sparsely populated areas in Northern Periphery. The rationale of this project is also that community paid or subsidised public transports are a considerable financial burden for small and rural/costal municipalities. Furthermore long distances in rural and costal areas increase the need for cost-efficiency as well as minimizing the pollution from transports. Achievements: Survey and Description processes concerning public transport legislation, financing, existing services, peoples needs and best practices are underway in every project region. National/Regional transport system legislation and financing surveys are in production and will be completed early spring 2010. Survey of regions existing rural and coastal transport services have been started after Kick-Off meeting held October 2009 in North Karelia. Peoples needs mapping (expectations for transport services) is starting in all project regions Concept of Rural Transport Solutions project has gained positive interest in national media project regions. Development of Public Transport in rural and coastal areas has become increasingly topical subject amongst different policymakers, media and also with common citizens. Different groups have noticed that functional public transport services are gore infrastructure also in areas outside of major urban centres.Products and services:Title: Koli Shuttle Taxi An improved shuttle taxi service connecting the regional capital Joensuu to Koli National Park for tourists and Koli inhabitants by securing its continuation through a wider private-public partnership, introducing more visible signage and a new fare system, better linking it with other tourism services and providing the opportunity to book and payable through the internet.More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/, Title: Service Portal for Municipal DRT and School Transport An improved transport trip search engine by digitalising municipal public transport service lines and integrating the new transport data files in national travel and trip search engines.More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/, http://kutsujoukkoliikenne.matka.fiTitle: Pielinen Karelia Public Transport Coordinator A consultancy service for municipalities to improve the co-ordination of public transport by developing partnerships, developing more integrated transport with less duplication of services, improving the utilisation of resources, increasing transport options, improving people’s access to community activities, developing flexible services to meet people’s needs, and make this all happen with environmental benefits. More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/,Title: The Village Bus in Kölsillre A village bus in the village of Kölsillre which can be booked online and is driven by one of the passengers entitled to drive the bus. Today travelling with the village bus is free of charge as a change in legislation is necessary to be able to charge its passenger and, thus, make it more financially sustainable.More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/,Title: Hospital Line 190 An improved bus service between Ånge and the regional hospital in Sundsvall, primarily for people with disabilities and special needs, but which has opened up to all other passengers if seats are available. Booking is made on-line and the bus line has no fixed stops but picks up and drops off passengers along the route. More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/,Title: Rural Transport Solutions – Wigtownshire, Dumfries and Galloway A new model of co-operation between the local partners and community transport providers in the region that will allow the transport service to grow under a centralised transport provision system for increased co-ordination, sharing, integration and management and the users to access transport services through one point of contact.More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/,Title: Shetland’s Internal Public Transport Network – Redesign A consultancy service including research, assessing, planning, consulting and contracting using the innovative opportunity to package contracts together to ensure the contracting of equal levels of service across an entire region with a sparsely located population to meet the needs of that population.More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/,Title: Access to Knowledge Four touch screen information points installed at main transport hubs across Shetland (bus station, the airport, the ferry terminal and the tourist centre), new electronic, remotely managed service display boards installed in the Lerwick bus station and timetable cases with up to date timetable and service information installed in 150 bus shelters.More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/,Title: Public Transportation in Fjardabyggd Improved transport system in Fjar_abygg_ by enabling the use of School buses and sport buses for more than just intended purpose by synchronising all trips, introducing a new trip planner on the municipality’s homepage and developing new price models for different user groups in public transport (elderly, students, youngsters, commuter).More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/,Title: ICT Transportation Information, Trip Planner A new web page compiling information about public transportation for all available trips in Fjardabyggd, including car sharing and car pooling software and applicationMore information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/,Title: Bus Shelters in Fjardabyggd 10 new bus shelters in Fjar_abygg_ designed and manufactured by people from the area.More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/,Title: Marketing and Communication Strategy A marketing strategy for the public transport system in Fjar_abygg_ targeted to different market groups.More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/,Title: New (Rural) Transport Solutions Action Model A web based interactive toolkit on how to plan and develop public transport services in sparsely populated areas summarising the experiences and results of the RTS work.More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/, http://en.ntsam-rts.eu/