SMACKER

SMACKER (Soft Measures & Actions for Behavioural Change and Knowledge to Embrace Peripheral and Rural Areas) is a project focused on mobility issues related to peripheral and rural areas. It aims to promote flexible public transport services capable of connecting local and regional systems to major transport corridors and hubs. The project involves 9 partners from 6 European countries and utilizes “soft” measures such as behavior change campaigns, while implementing 6 pilot actions to foster sustainable public transport solutions in low-density and peripheral areas.

Of the 6 pilots, developed in Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Hungary, and Austria, 4 also include investments in equipment. Additionally, the project foresees the following outputs:

• Publication of 6 Regional Action Plans to better integrate peripheral areas using Demand Responsive Transport (DRT)
• Implementation of 10 transnational training sessions for Central European authorities not directly involved as project partners
• Preparation of 4 Guidelines on planning and implementing DRT for policymakers, public transport service providers, users, and businesses
• Creation of the SMACKER Online Toolbox

SMACKER particularly helps local communities redesign transport services based on user needs through a co-design process coordinated among partners and local and regional stakeholders. Moreover, it promotes the use of new transport services through motivational and incentivizing campaigns. The direct beneficiaries of these actions are residents, commuters, and tourists. The project also introduces nudging and gamification actions and leverages innovative IT technologies.

In Emilia-Romagna, SMACKER is developing a pilot action in the mountain municipalities of Alto Reno. On the one hand, it implements a series of measures to promote sustainable mobility aimed at residents, tourists, and businesses; on the other, it plans and tests a demand-responsive transport service designed to enhance current offerings and ensure an optimized level of service throughout the day. ITL, in addition to supporting SRM in the implementation and management of the pilot, is also involved in coordinating the promotion and replicability of the technical content developed by the project at the European level.

Lead Partner:

Società Reti e Mobilità (SRM), IT

Partners: