"Connecting Rural Ireland: Exploring Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) to improve accessibility and reduce social exclusion"

Abstract

Rural Ireland has notoriously been underserved in transport planning. Continued prioritisation of car-centric infrastructure has left many communities facing persistent constraints in accessing essential services and opportunities, often resulting in social exclusion. This study explores Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) as a means of reducing Transport-related social exclusion (TRSE) in rural Ireland. Using the TRSE framework, this research analyses how different accessibility barriers interact and how DRT influences mobility outcomes. A mixed method approach was adopted, combining surveys, interviews, and field observations within the rural area of Cappamore. The methods to gather results followed the conceptual model adopted, structuring survey and interview questions around the model. These findings reveal that social exclusion arises through a complex interaction of exclusionary barriers and systemic failures that individuals, communities and transport providers experience. This study finds that DRT can reduce rural social exclusion, but its effectiveness depends on several enabling factors from an individual level to broader governance structures. DRT is perceived as a service beneficial to rural individuals and understood as a complementary component within a wider transport network.