Fortis Project, from 10 October to the free bus service Trieste-Capodistria

A concrete action to overcome the infrastructural gap in the Alpe Adria area and improve the quality of service and transport in this strategic area. These are some of the objectives of the free bus service between Koper and Trieste, active from 10 October 2021 until July 2022 and which provides for three trips a day in each direction. The service was created as part of the Fortis project financed under the Interreg VA Italy Slovenia 2014-2020 Cooperation Program, by the European regional development fund and by national funds. The Fortis project aims to make Alps-Adriatic a macro-region with its own EU funding program, thus overcoming the current logic of bilateral agreements. In recent months, a substantial study and analysis activity has been carried out from which it emerged the need to intervene as a priority, after a careful study of the strengths and weaknesses of the existing network, on the lack of connection infrastructure networks supported by innovative logistics systems, designed and managed within the framework of the development of the European Ten T network. The improvement of the quality of transport services in the cross-border area, in addition to creating better living conditions for the citizens who reside there, can contribute to reversing the propensity to depopulate these areas, increasing their attractiveness, also in terms of tourism. The service activated by the Municipality of Koper responds to these needs which were also highlighted in the meeting of last October 30th during which the analysis of transport needs carried out by the project partner Ljubljana Regional Development Agency was presented. one of the solutions was identified precisely that of enhancing cross-border public transport between Italy and Slovenia.