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Demand responsive transport
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Demand responsive transport or demand responsive transit (DRT) is "an advanced, user-oriented form of public transport characterised by flexible routing and scheduling of small/medium vehicles operating in shared-ride mode between pick-up and drop-off locations according to passengers needs"[1].
DRT systems provide a public transport service in rural areas or areas of low passenger demand[2][3], where a regular bus service may not be as viable. As such, DRT schemes for may be fully or partially funded by the local transit authority, as providers of socially necessary transport. As such, operators of DRT schemes may be selected by public tendering. Other schemes may be partially or fully self-funded as community centred not for profit social enterprises (such as a Community interest company in the UK).
DRT schemes may also be provided by private companies for commercial reasons, some conventional bus operating companies have set-up DRT style airport bus services, which compete with larger private hire airport shuttle companies.
Similarities to other modes of transport
- Regular transit bus routes: DRT employs flexible routes and schedules[4]
- Shuttle bus services: DRT departure and arrival points are not necessarily fixed[4]
- Paratransit: DRT is available to the general public, whereas paratransit is available to pre-qualified user bases
- share taxis: DRT is pre-booked in advance, whereas share taxis are operated on an ad-hoc basis
- Taxicabs: DRT generally carries more people, and passengers may have less control over their journey on the principle of DRT being a shared[2] system as opposed to an exclusive vehicle for hire. Additionally, journeys may divert en-route for new bookings[4].
Mode of operation
A DRT service will be restricted to a defined operating zone, within which journeys must start and finish. Journeys may be completely free form, or accommodated onto skeleton routes and schedules[3], varied as required. As such, users will be given a specified pick-up point and a time window for collection[3]. Some DRT systems may have defined termini, at one or both ends of a route, such as an urban centre, airport or transport interchange, for onward connections.
DRT systems require passengers to request a journey by booking with a central dispatcher[4][3] who determines the journey options available given the users dlocation and destination.
DRT systems take advantage of technology in the form of vehicle location systems, scheduling and dispatching software and hand-held/in vehicle computing[5][2][3].
Vehicles used for DRT services will generally be small minibuses, reflecting the low ridership, but also allowing the service to provided as near a door to door service as practical, by being able to use residential streets[3].
Licensing
DRT schemes may require new or ammended legislation, or special dispensation, to operate, as they do not meet the traditional licensing model of authorised bus transport providers or licensed taxicab operators. The status has caused controversy between bus and taxi operators when the DRT service picks up passengers without pre-booking, due to the licensing issues[6][7]. Issues may also arise surrounding tax and fuel subsidy for DRT services.
DRT by country
United Kingdom
Under the existing UK bus operating regulations of 1986, some DRT schemes were operating, allowed by the fact they had a core start and finish point, and a published schedule[8]. For England and Wales in 2004, the regulations concerning bus service registration and application of bus operating grants were ammended, to allow registration of fully flexible pre-booked DRT services[8]. Some services such as LinkUp only pick up passengers at 'meeting points', but can set down at the passengers destination.
United States
Italy
Following some pioneering DRT schemes implemented in the eighties, in Italy a new generation of applications have been launched and are operated starting approximately from mid nineties. Current schemes are provided in urban and peri-urban areas as well as in rural communities. Operated by different kind of organisations (Public Transport companies, private service providers) such schemes are offered either as intermediate collective transport services for generic users or as schemes for specific user groups. DRT schemes are operated in major cities like Rome, Milan, Genoa, Florence, as well as in several mid- to small-size towns such as Alessandria, Aosta, Cremona, Livorno, Mantova, Parma, Empoli, Siena, Sarzana.
- DrinBus, Demand Responsive Transport service in Genoa[10]
- PersonalBus, Demand Responsive Transport service in Florence
- ProntoBus, Demand Responsive Transport service in Livorno
- EccoBus, Demand Responsive Transport service in Alessandria
- StradiBus, Demand Responsive Transport service in Cremona
See also
References
External links
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