The Alentejo region is located in the south of Portugal, bordering the Centre of Portugal and the Algarve, as well as the Spanish regions of Extremadura and Andalusia, with around 170 km of Atlantic Ocean coastline. The region is divided into four sub-regions (NUT III): Alentejo Central, Alentejo Litoral, Alto Alentejo, and Baixo Alentejo, covering a total of 47 municipalities.
Alentejo features a predominantly rural and sparsely populated landscape, shaped by vast plains, rolling hills, and extensive cork oak forests. The population density is low (around 17 inhabitants per square kilometer), with many small villages and towns scattered across a large area. The region is facing a trend of increasing depopulation and the ageing of its population, along with a low level of business creation, limited access to essential public services, and constraints in certain service areas. These factors result in limited access to services and infrastructure, creating challenges for mobility and connectivity.
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In the Alentejo region, several communication challenges have been identified, including the lack of a tool for planning public transport schedules and providing easily accessible and understandable information. Public transport is primarily planned around the school calendar, with little or no provision outside this period. Information about available services is not communicated to the general public, and timetables are not posted at bus stops, leaving only a few regular users aware of the schedules.
There is also a communication gap between urban and rural areas, with information still being shared mainly through “word of mouth” rather than digital media. Another significant challenge is the shortage of drivers, prompting efforts to attract and train drivers from other countries, such as Brazil and Cape Verde.
Most of the vehicle fleets in the region are aging and in poor condition, making travel uncomfortable and time-consuming, with frequent stops in towns along the route before reaching their destinations. Due to its low population density, vast area, and limited user base, Alentejo is not an attractive region for transport operators, which may affect the availability and quality of services. In response, the four sub-regions are working to assess the situation and develop new strategies to better meet the mobility needs of the population.
Mobility is an essential service for the resident population who need to travel either to work, school or to access other services. The distance between places in the region is considerable and the number of inhabitants is decreasing, with some exceptions where the number of migrants has increased due mainly to seasonal agricultural work. There is no effective public service provision network or more flexible transport solutions adapted to the territory.
Some municipalities together with intermunicipal communities, and other entities in the region, are working to find viable solutions to improve people’s lives and allow them to travel without restrictions.
The solution may involve the articulation of various services, between flexible and existing services, public transport, municipal transport and private transport companies, in a complementary approach, which allows conditions for the population to move according to their needs.
Therefore, in order to ensure the mobility of the population in rural areas and promote social inclusion, a new type of transport offer is needed that allows for wider territorial coverage, with adequate levels of service and controlled costs. It is in this context that CCDR Alentejo, in partnership with the municipalities of Reguengos de Monsaraz, Moura, Beja, Mértola, Odemira and Vendas Novas, has developed a pilot and experimental project called Transport on Demand.
The Grande “Rota do Montado”, the responsibility of CIMAC – Intermunicipal Community of Central Alentejo, which will include almost 184.805 km of disused railway channels (Reguengos Branch, Vila Viçosa Branch, Montemor Branch, Mora Branch and Évora Line) in the “Rota do Montado”, in a process that includes 9 of the 14 municipalities of Central Alentejo (Arraiolos, Borba, Estremoz, Évora, Montemor-o-Novo, Mora, Redondo, Reguengos de Monsaraz and Vila Viçosa), which, through the “Rota do Montado”, will make possible to establish a series of pedestrian and cycling routes spread over more than 1,100 km throughout the region. One of the objectives is to promote mobility and connectivity between the towns of Central Alentejo and neighbouring territories. It will be useful for residents and tourists.
Carmen Caetano: carmen.caetano@adral.pt
Diretor Geral: direcao@adral.pt