Inclusive mobility is about more than moving from one place to another. It is about making sure that people can take part in everyday community life, from sports and youth activities to cultural events, social gatherings and local opportunities. In Gjesdal, Norway, STORCITO partners are exploring how a new Leisure Bus service can help children, young people and older residents access the activities that matter to them.
For many communities, transport is closely connected to participation. When distances are long, public transport options are limited or families depend heavily on private cars, access to leisure activities can become unequal. This affects not only how people move, but also how they connect, socialise, learn and feel included in the places where they live.
Through its work on climate-neutral and inclusive mobility, STORCITO looks at how transport solutions can be adapted to the real needs of local communities. The Leisure Bus in Gjesdal provides a practical example of this approach, showing how mobility can support inclusion, reduce barriers to participation and strengthen community life.
Inclusive mobility starts with access to everyday life
When we think about mobility, we often focus on access to essential services such as healthcare, education or employment. These are fundamental. However, access to leisure activities is also an important part of wellbeing and social inclusion.
For children and young people, participating in sports, youth clubs, cultural activities or community events can support personal development, social connections and a stronger sense of belonging. For older residents, access to activity facilities and social spaces can help reduce isolation and support more active lifestyles.
This is why inclusive mobility must consider more than functional trips. It should also support the everyday experiences that help people participate fully in community life.
In Gjesdal, the Leisure Bus service is being tested with this broader understanding of mobility in mind. The aim is to make it easier for children, young people and older residents to take part in leisure activities by offering transport options adapted to local needs.
Why transport can become a barrier to participation
In many rural and dispersed areas, access to activities often depends on private cars. This can create barriers for people who cannot drive, do not have access to a car or depend on family members for transport.
For children and young people, participation in after-school activities may depend on whether parents or guardians are available to drive them. For older residents, limited transport options can make it harder to attend activities, meet others or access community spaces. For families, transport responsibilities can become time-consuming and difficult to manage, especially when activities are located across different parts of a municipality.
These challenges are not only logistical. They can affect inclusion, equity and quality of life. If transport is not available, affordable or accessible, some people may be left out of opportunities that others can take for granted.
This is where new approaches to shared and flexible transport can make a difference. By connecting local needs, digital tools and community services, mobility solutions can become a way to improve access, participation and social cohesion.
The Leisure Bus in Gjesdal: inclusive mobility in action
Gjesdal Municipality will test a new Leisure Bus service during autumn 2026. The goal is to make it easier for children, young people and older residents to participate in leisure activities.
During the test period, the municipality will try different route options. These include round trips within Ålgård, transport between the central sports facility and areas such as Bærland and Gamle Ålgård, Friday evening connections between Ålgård and communities such as Dirdal, Oltedal and Gjesdalbygda, and transport to activity facilities for older residents.
The test period begins with free transport to and from Dirdal, Oltedal and Gjesdalbygda in connection with the Blink festival in Ålgård on 6 August. After the school holidays, the service will continue with transport to leisure activities and youth clubs during the autumn, from the start of school until the Christmas holidays. An evaluation will then be carried out to assess whether the service could continue in 2027.
The service is managed by Gjesdal Municipality, using a Norwegian-developed system from Nimmo. The transport itself is operated by the local bus company Frafjord Bilrute.
More information about the service is available on the Leisure Bus page by Gjesdal Municipality. Gjesdal Municipality has also shared a short video that helps explain the local context and the purpose of the initiative. You can watch the video shared by Gjesdal Municipality.
Co-creating inclusive mobility with local communities
One of the key ideas behind STORCITO is that solutions for rural transformation should not be designed from a distance. They need to be developed with the people, organisations and authorities that understand local needs.
In Gjesdal, several participatory initiatives have been carried out with residents, local teams and associations. Sports clubs located in the central sports complex, the cultural school, the youth centre in Veveriet and Ålgård Church are among the important local partners during the test period.
This participatory approach is essential for inclusive mobility. A transport solution can only be useful if it reflects how people actually move, where they need to go, when they need to travel and what barriers they face. By involving local actors, the project can better understand real-life mobility needs and test solutions that are more likely to be used, accepted and maintained over time.
For STORCITO, this is also connected to social and organisational innovation. The challenge is not only to provide a technical tool, but also to understand how municipalities, service providers, local organisations and communities can work together to make inclusive transport possible.
How STORCITO connects technology, governance and inclusion
The Leisure Bus in Gjesdal is part of STORCITO’s work on climate-neutral and inclusive mobility solutions for rural communities. Within the project, this area focuses on understanding mobility needs, co-creating shared transport solutions and exploring how these services can be integrated into local governance and public transport systems.
Nimmo contributes with its digital system for organising shared transport. The company develops software that allows municipalities, organisations, sports clubs, companies and other actors to coordinate transport for their members, inhabitants, employees or participants.
contributes research expertise on sustainable mobility systems, social innovation and organisational strategies. Gjesdal Municipality provides the local testing environment, helping explore how new mobility services can respond to real needs and become part of public service delivery.
This combination is important because inclusive mobility depends on more than technology alone. Digital tools can help organise and manage transport, but successful implementation also requires trust, coordination, local knowledge, user feedback and clear governance.
From transport service to community participation
The Leisure Bus is not only a transport pilot. It is a practical example of how mobility can become a tool for participation.
By making it easier for children, young people and older residents to access leisure activities, Gjesdal is testing a service that connects transport with inclusion, wellbeing and community life. The pilot can also help identify what works, what needs to be improved and how similar services could be adapted in other contexts.
For STORCITO, this experience contributes to a broader question: how can communities develop mobility solutions that are more accessible, sustainable and fair?
The answer will not come from a single route, app or service. It will come from testing, listening, adapting and working with local stakeholders. In this sense, the Leisure Bus in Gjesdal represents an important step towards mobility systems that support not only movement, but also participation, connection and everyday inclusion.
As rural communities across Europe look for ways to become more resilient and climate-neutral, initiatives like this show why inclusive mobility matters. Transport can reduce distances, but it can also do something more powerful: it can help people take part in the life of their community.