24. February 2021 In news

In Latvia in 2021, a draft law on passenger transport on demand will be developed

On December 17, 2020, the proposal initiated by Vidzeme Planning Region to provide passenger transportation based on their demand received the support of the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia (Saeima), and the Parliament instructed the Cabinet of Ministers to submit a draft law by November 30, 2021.

Guna Kalniņa-Priede, Head of administration of the Vidzeme Planning Region says: “We are pleased to have the unanimous decision of the Saeima deputies. We can therefore consider that the public transport sector in Latvia is becoming more open to new and innovative solutions. As the initiators of the idea, we will definitely follow the process of drafting the law. The experience of the pilot project carried out during MAMBA will be very useful for us.”

Despite the fact that the project has been completed, work is still ongoing to bring new mobility solutions to rural areas.

For further information, please email [email protected].

 

5. November 2018 In news

Mobility Innovations – Only for Cities? | First Rural Mobility Seminar (Riga, Latvia)

The first Rural Mobility Seminar organised by MAMBA on 27 September 2019 in Riga (Latvia), dealt with mobility innovations and whether these are specifically driven by large cities or large private companies. Naturally, such companies invest where they see the biggest market potential, which is usually in cities. Therefore, solutions for rural areas are often spin-offs of local, sometimes non-commercial initiatives and come to satisfy different demand patterns. They are indeed possible, yet they are hampered by various obstacles. Many of them are structural or legal constraints (just think of the legal barriers to non-commercial car-sharing or combining people-to-service and service-to-people). Another major issue is that too often, innovations tried and tested in the urban context are applied one-on-one to rural regions (where they do not reach their full potential) instead of developing genuine rural approaches. These and further issues, were discussed throughout the seminar.

The report of the seminar can be found here.

 

The Rural Mobility Seminar Series has been developed by MAMBA as an event series that reflects current trends and challenges of rural mobility. Each seminar is dedicated to one specific topic and is open for researchers, local decision makers, transport and mobility professionals interested in exchanging and networking around new perspectives on rural mobility.

 

 

18. September 2018 In events

27 September 2018: 1st MAMBA Rural Mobility Seminar (Riga, Latvia)

INNOVATION: Mobility innovations – only for cities?

Drivers of mobility innovations are often large private companies. Naturally, such companies invest where they see the biggest market potential, which is usually in cities. Rural mobility innovations, on the other hand, are rather an offspring of local, sometimes noncommercial initiatives and satisfy different demand patterns. Rural mobility innovations are possible, yet they are hampered by various obstacles. Many of them are structural or legal constraints (just think of the legal barriers to non-commercial car-sharing or combining people-to-service and service-to-people). Another major issue is that too often, innovations tried and tested in the urban context get applied one-on-one to rural regions (where they do not reach their full potential) instead of developing genuine rural approaches.

About the Rural Mobility Seminars

The Rural Mobility Seminar Series has been developed by MAMBA as an event series that reflects current trends and challenges of rural mobility. Each seminar is dedicated to one specific topic and is open for researchers, local decision makers, transport and mobility professionals interested in exchange, networking and new perspectives on rural mobility. With the seminar series, we aim at combining the broad knowledge and experience that exists within the MAMBA partnership with outside views and input. Rural Mobility Seminars are seminars in the best sense. They offer vast space for discussions among practitioners and professionals, framed by different keynote speakers who help to seize and understand mobility challenges and provide inspiration and potential solutions in the form of Good Practices.

The final programme can be found here (pdf): MAMBA_Agenda_Rural Mobility Seminar.