Rural Transport and Social Inclusion: the DalesBus Initiative

The importance of rural transport in addressing social exclusion has been acknowledged for some time. We report and comment on one particular case in North Yorkshire, a predominantly rural county in England, of how state, non-state and third/societal sectors worked together to market and improve public transport links and reduce social exclusion. The article examines the outcomes of a SIS (Stimulating Innovation for Success) project: a leisure-based public transport network located in North Yorkshire. It comments on the efficacy of this relationship and in particular with one agency, the Dales and Bowland Community Interest Company.