Many inhabitants of rural areas in developing countries lack adequate and affordable access to transport infrastructure services, and this lack of transport opportunities constrains economic and social development. This report looks at the role of rural transport in reducing poverty and considers a range of issues affecting rural mobility including costs, stakeholders involved, population densities and competing services. It examines policies for promoting rural mobility including financial and regulatory considerations.

Despite the fact that three quarters of the world's poor live in rural areas, the level of international development aid directed at rural areas has continued to decline over the last decade, particularly in terms of the agricultural sector. In 2001, lending for agricultural projects was the lowest in the World Bank's history. This publication presents the World Bank's new rural development strategy based upon a results oriented approach which stresses practice, implementation, monitoring and empowerment aspects. The strategy seeks to highlight rural development efforts, focusing on the needs of the rural poor, fostering a broad-based economic growth and addressing the impact of global developments on client countries.