On-Demand Buses and Demand Responsive Transit (DRT)

Angelo MEULEMAN, Founder & Expert in Sustainable Mobility, To Zest

• What is a good transportation system?
• Why are we witnessing a major paradigm shift?
• How future transportation systems could be clean, efficient, and convenient.
• What does this mean for the future of transit authorities, planners and operators?
• What is DRT, history and business logic
• Public–private models, ticketing, digital integration, and why DRT fits once fixed route fails
• How DRT links to MaaS

Introduction to the workshop

Lidia SIGNOR, Head of Multimodal Mobility Unit, UITP, Belgium

Within urban mobility options, demand-responsive transport offers a space-efficient flexible service. Looking at it from public transport point of view, different applications can be envisioned:

• Complementing the public transport offer in time: During operational times where the demand is too low for higher capacity transport options; e.g. evening and night times, Saturdays and Sundays.
• Complementing the public transport offer in space: In certain low-density areas where demand is low; e.g. suburban or rural areas, industrial areas, etc.
• Offering additional services: Either as a premium service or for special needs.
• Replacement of inefficient public transport lines: Especially when low demand does not justify the use of large vehicles, neither from an economical nor from an ecological point of view and aim at providing better service for the customers.
• Peak Shaving: Providing an intermediate door-to-door service during peak periods that could ease the pressure on trunk services. This module will also compare the strategy taken by tech companies deploying on-demand services with the strategy followed by public transport authorities and operators.

Christian SCHWARZ, Transport planner, ÜSTRA, Hannover

• MaaS‑integration: Book via app or phone, integrated into fare zones and public‑transport tickets
• Public‑transport collaboration: ÜSTRA and Regiobus as operators, partnering with Via as tech provider—example of DRT embedded in public authority context.
• Business case & tendering: Via won the tender, ÜSTRA operates; launched with public backing, awarded German Mobility Prize 2023

Michael PELLOT, Director of International Affairs Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), Spain

Josep MENSION, Director Bus Central Services, TMB, Spain

What key elements need to be considered when designing a new system and service with demand-responsive vehicles? From the fleet to operational implications, infrastructure, and technology, the deployment of the vehicles also depends on the chosen scenario that fits best. The use of simulation tools will be assessed to demonstrate how on-demand services can support an existing public transport network. The following aspects will be presented and discussed through case studies:

• Fleet, from cars and large SUVs to vans, shuttles, and buses
• Organisational and operating framework
• Staffing
• Stopping locations
• Routing optimisation
• Technological infrastructure

Victoria MARKEWITZ, Director Business Development, INIT, Germany

Adam SANDSTRÖM, Account Executive for the Nordics, Spare, Sweden

Victoria MARKEWITZ, Director Business Development, INIT, Germany

Pricing and ticketing are key parameters in dictating the sustainability of demand-responsive transport services. Subsidies may or may not be provided depending on the objectives of the city and its circumstances. Also, demand-responsive transport is inherently a premium service where the cost of delivery would eventually be higher than regular public transport.

• How to measure demand for such services, people’s willingness to pay, and then reflect them into pricing and ticketing to offer a service that could become financially sustainable?
• Are there other opportunities to generate revenue beyond farebox revenues to offset the pressure on fares?
• How do ticketing and fares of demand-responsive transport services need to be integrated into a MaaS approach, especially when bundling transport services into a subscription scheme?

Angelo MEULEMAN, Founder & Expert in Sustainable Mobility, To Zest

The workshops will allow participants to work in small groups and discuss the suitability of a demand-responsive service in their cities.

Which service would be the most adapted? In which one would you invest? Short simulations will be run using simulation tools.

Venkatesh GOPAL, CEO, Movmi, Vancouver, Canada

Fundamentally, a modern DRT system operates on a digital backbone and relies heavily on IoT sensors, high-speed communication and super-fast processing of data. Unlike traditional public transport operations where decision making is largely manual, DRT operations run mostly on rule-based algorithms or on machine-learning tools. What are these tools and how could they be leveraged in creating an efficient DRT system? Analytics is also essential in reviewing, monitoring and regulatory controlling. The KPI frameworks and data repository management will be discussed.

Jonas WIGGER, Senior Public Affairs Manager, MOIA, Hamburg

• Fully electric ride‑pooling service by Volkswagen in Hamburg; integrated with local public transit and designed to reduce urban congestion.
• MaaS: Often bookable via public‑transport platforms, ticket bundles.
• Urban focus: Direct challenge to car reliance, EMISSION cut.
• Business model: Corporate‑led, large‑scale, charging infrastructure, public‑private dynamic.

Angelo MEULEMAN, Founder & Expert in Sustainable Mobility, To Zest

• Tailoring DRT for schools, elderly, disabled—accessibility, safety, social value
• User interfaces, booking simplicity, subsidy models
• DRT for low‑density zones, how it enhances accessibility and fills service gaps
• First/last‑mile and bridging infrastructure deserts
• Tendering, subsidies, operational sustainability

Maikel KEGELS, Operations Coordinator DRT, De Lijn, Belgium

• Rural/suburban focus: covers small towns and edge regions.
• First/last mile integration

Business & tendering

TBD

• Volunteer‑based door‑to‑door transport si, serving seniors and mobility‑challenged citizens. Volunteers use personal vehicles and are reimbursed for costs
• Target group: elderly / low‑mobility users.
• Business model: volunteer‑driven, cost‑efficient, publicly supported.

• Autonomous shuttles and semi on demand transit (SoD): blending fixed routes with dynamic routing
• Tech, regulation, cost, safety, and impact on MaaS and PT strategy

Lars Gunnar LUNDESTAD, Program manager, Autonomous vehicles, Ruter, Oslo

Oslo’s public transport authority piloting autonomous shuttles integrated into MaaS (Ruter app), aiming at safe and efficient last‑mile solutions.