Cross-border commuting in Central Europe: features, trends and policies

Cross-border commuting is a growing phenomenon both in metropolitan and peripheral areas. Its increase is mostly guaranteed by private vehicles, which cause several negative externalities. Among the European macro-areas of cross-border commuting, Central Europe is characterized by relevant flows, which are originated by EU-13 countries and are headed to EU-15 ones. This article first investigates the specificities of transboundary commuting in Central Europe. Thereafter, it analyzes its transport challenges and best practices. Central European specificities are detected through socio-economic, territorial and transport related indicators, which are compared with other commuting areas. A best practice analysis is performed for four thematic fields: connectivity, multimodality, info-mobility tariffs/ticketing, political cooperation. The followed process highlights the rural character of Central European bordering regions, as well as the necessity to address their cross-border challenges by integrating different mobility aspects. In this way, a proper improvement of the quality of cross-border public transport may be an occasion to enforce minor relationships across borders. Further, it may grant a balance with the numerous policies focused on the development of the main centers and corridors.