Recurring questions from decision-makers on Demand-Responsive Transport: answers

The establishment of a Demand-Responsive Transport (DRT) service raises many questions among local authorities and transport operators. The field experience of several territories leads to the emergence of recurring questions, which need to be addressed precisely to guide technical and organizational choices.
This article proposes to provide structured answers to three common concerns, based on concrete examples from deployments carried out with the Padam Mobility platform.

1. What organizational models to structure a Demand-Responsive Transport service?

There is no single DRT model, but several architectures adapted to the challenges of the territories served:

• Door-to-door : the service takes care of the user at a personalized address and drops them off at the destination of their choice, with maximum flexibility. It is generally intended for rural areas, or for the Transport of Persons with Reduced Mobility (TPMR).
• Point-to-point : transport takes place between predefined stops, which makes it possible to better mesh certain areas while limiting travel times.
• Drawdown to a structuring network : ToD serves connection points (stations, major bus or tram stops), and thus completes a local mobility offer by strengthening services over the first and last kilometers.
• Virtual lines : line with predefined stops and itinerary. It can work with predefined schedules, triggered only upon reservation by users, or without predefined schedules.

The example of the HertsLynx service (Hertfordshire County, United Kingdom) illustrates this principle well. Operated since 2021 on a rural territory, it facilitates the transport of inhabitants to urban centers and main stations, thus offering a real alternative in a context of low density.

2. How to ensure complementarity with the existing transport network?

Ensuring the good coordination of DRT with the regular network is an essential challenge for local authorities:

• Design of schedules and routes : the service must be designed to facilitate connections (controlled waiting times, schedules adapted to the main flows).
• Technical interoperability : the integration of DRT reservation solutions with itinerary calculators or ticketing platforms facilitates the user journey and limits load breaks.
• Adaptation of the offer : sizing (schedules, fleet) must remain flexible to absorb variations in demand, especially during seasonal peaks or in addition to low hours.

In Amiens, the service Resago complements the regular lines of the Ametis network. It connects peripheral municipalities to the main urban centers, using a reservation center accessible online or by telephone. Local authorities can thus expand the catchment area of the regular network, while ensuring continuity of service for remote or non-motorized users.

3. How to manage the performance and impact of a DRT service?

The evaluation of Demand-Responsive Transport services is essential for decision-makers and operators. Several indicators must be monitored as a matter of priority:

• Number of trips made and monthly evolution : tool for measuring the relevance of the offer and the rate of penetration.
• Vehicle occupancy rate : to optimize the sharing of races and adjust the fleet accordingly.
• Punctuality and reliable service : monitoring compliance with the announced schedules and the waiting time experienced by users. Provides information on the reliability of the algorithmic tool used, as well as on the quality of the service design.
• Accessibility and satisfaction : reservation rate through digital and telephone channels, user feedback, consideration of the diversity of profiles (elderly audiences, disabled persons, etc.).

TO Orléans, the city relies on the Power BI reports offered by Padam Mobility to manage and optimize its Demand-Responsive Transport offer. This visualization tool allows the organizing authority to monitor key indicators in real time such as attendance, distribution by type of user, the most requested time slots or even the online reservation rate. This data-based approach requires the community to make well-founded and documented decisions to adapt the service to the real needs of the territory, while ensuring transparency among elected officials and citizens.

Conclusion

Implementing a Demand-Responsive Transport service involves a thorough reflection on its organization, coherence with the existing offer and the ability to objectify its results. The experience of territories such as Hertfordshire, Amiens and Orléans shows that, far from being reserved for rural areas, these solutions can be part of the collective mobility offer, provided they are designed as scalable, integrated and data-driven devices.