ABSTRACT
Introduction Rural areas are at present facing a set of complex problems which have reinforced isolation. Migration from rural areas has led to economic and social decay over the past decades. This in turn has reduced provision of local services, facilities and job opportunities in the countryside, which has resulted in poor access for those without cars. Poor local access reinforces social exclusion of certain groups within the countryside and impairs their quality of life. In addition it promotes travel for those groups with access to cars, whilst deterring use of alternative modes, which increases both energy consumption and emissions. Thus the loss of local service centres in rural areas appears to be environmentally and socially unsustainable.
