Public transport-disadvantaged rural areas in relation to daily accessibility of regional centre: Case study from Slovakia

The numerous studies demonstrated the close relation between unfavourable access to “goods and services” by public transport (service of general interest) and social exclusion of affected (especially elder, poor, and disabled) people. The problem of “transport-related social exclusion” is closely related to the problem of “transport-disadvantaged areas,” which concerns the spatial organisation of society in terms of transport accessibility and the transport policies of the state, regions, and localities and the range of services provided by transport operators. Rural areas, which inhabitants are isolated or only poorly accessible from the employment possibilities, healthcare, education and cultural facilities in the regional centre, represent serious problems of the balanced and sustainable spatial development of Slovakia. Therefore, the basic aim of the present study is to contribute to an understanding of the extent and geographical distribution of transport disadvantaged areas in economically underdeveloped region of Slovakia - the Banská Bystrica self-governing region - by identification of rural municipalities and areas whose inhabitants are marginalised or excluded from using of the public transport services when travelling to/from regional centre Banská Bystrica. For the identification of negatively perceived “public transport-disadvantaged areas” we use the concept of “daily accessibility” as a decisive criterion for delimitation of territories which suffer from long distances and travel time to the regional centre, and/or insufficient organisation of public transport. •Analysis of the extent and spatial distribution of transport disadvantaged areas in underdeveloped region of Slovakia.•Rural areas marginalised or excluded from public transport services in relation to daily accesibility of regional centre.•Unsufficient accessibility of the regional centre points to poor, socially and economically marginalised rural areas.•Poor public transport accessibility contributes to permanent spatial depression and the general exclusion of populations.