Rural

There are obstacles to mobility in sparsely populated areas, even in the most innocuous forms of daily life. In these territories, 62% of the inhabitants mention the lack of an adequate solution as the main reason for not using public transport.

Rural areas, which are difficult to serve by public transport, pose a major challenge for communities organizing mobility. They must offer a relevant transport service, meeting daily mobility needs, while covering extended territories.

Demand-Responsive Transport (DRT) makes it possible to meet this challenge thanks to to the flexibility of operation and the speed of implementation of this solution.

By replacing fixed bus lines, the TAD increases the number of trips in rural areas. Inhabitants who move little, quickly change their habits with the arrival of a DRT on their territory.

In France, the Pays de la Loire region is composed of 5 departments and extends over an area of 32,082 km2. Outside the city of Nantes, the population density of the regional territory is around 118 inhabitants/km² (vs 5,000 inhabitants/km² in Nantes).

In 2020, the existing interurban transport network was supplemented by numerous local DRT services in low demand areas. Designed as real local services, they allow passengers, mainly older or non-motorized ones, to more easily get to main service centers as well as at the stops of regular transport networks.

In large and sparsely populated rural regions, DRT is a relevant solution because it is easily integrated into an existing mobility offer, by focusing on the most complicated part: the fine service of the inhabitants who are farthest from the main roads.