Overcoming challenges facing innovative, sustainable mobility services in rural areas

• Car reliance in rural areas drives emissions and deepens transport inequality. • Sustainable mobility services offer a way to tackle these twin challenges. • Key barriers to adopting mobility services in rural Styria, Austria are identified. • Barriers are mapped by affected actors and when they arise in the service process. • Key enablers are proposed to support successful and inclusive service adoption. The transportation sector remains a major source of greenhouse gas emissions in Europe, with rural areas being especially reliant on private cars. This dependence not only exacerbates environmental concerns but also reinforces transport poverty and limits quality of life for those without access to a private vehicle. Sustainable and innovative mobility services, such as shared mobility and demand-responsive transport, hold significant potential but face numerous barriers in rural contexts. This paper explores the barriers and enablers involved in implementing and successfully operating sustainable mobility services, building on findings from a rural region in Styria, Austria. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with local policy makers and mobility service providers, we propose a temporal typology of barriers – those occurring before, during and after service provision. This process-oriented classification reveals that barriers are often interlinked and dynamic, requiring adaptive strategies. The study further identifies key enablers, including strategic spatial planning, inclusive service design, and targeted communication. By highlighting when and how barriers arise, this research offers practical and theoretical insights to support the successful and equitable adoption of innovative mobility services in rural areas, paving the way for more sustainable and inclusive transport systems.