By Chiara Calastri,
Demand-responsive transport (DRT) offers shared journeys that passengers book when they need them. Unlike a conventional bus, a DRT vehicle can change its route to collect people from convenient pick-up points.
Recently DRT services have been tried in a few urban and suburban areas as a greener alternative to car use. But there is a recurring concern. Will DRT persuade people to leave their cars at home, or mainly take passengers away from buses?
In our recent paper, we look at people’s travel choices when DRT is part of the mix. Our research suggests that, rather than competing with each other, DRT and conventional public transport can work well together and support one another.
What makes people choose DRT?
We surveyed 1,490 people across Greater Leeds. We asked about their usual journeys and gave them realistic choices between cars, buses, trains, taxis and a possible DRT service.
Unsurprisingly, the basic features of the service matter. People are less likely to choose DRT when journeys take longer, fares are higher, or pick-up and drop-off become inconvenient. We found that DRT needs to feel easy, dependable and worth the fare. Passengers should not face a long walk, an unclear arrival time or a complicated booking process.
People also judge DRT as part of the wider transport system. Their views of existing public transport shape whether they are willing to use it. Better perceptions of safety and connectivity increase interest in both DRT and conventional public transport.
Better buses can also mean better DRT
We used policy evaluations to model the effects of different policy interventions on people’s travel choices. When we tested a 20% increase in local bus stops, bus use rose by nearly 6% and DRT use by 3.4%, while car use fell. Improving safety produced the same pattern: public transport and DRT both increased their ridership rather than taking passengers from one another.
DRT therefore works best as part of one joined-up system. It can connect people to bus and rail services, fill gaps in the network and serve journeys that fixed routes struggle to cover. Coordinated timetables, integrated tickets and clear passenger information would make that relationship stronger.
A mix of push and pull measures
Better services may not be quite enough to encourage people to choose DRT over diving. We also tested a 25% rise in parking costs. The model predicted a 5% reduction in car use, with journeys shifting towards buses, trains, DRT and taxis.
‘Pull’ measures, are strategies aimed at making shared transport more attractive. ‘Push’ measures, are policy interventions that make car use less convenient or more costly. Our research suggests that we need a mix of both. Safer stops, better connections and reliable services can pull people towards public transport. Higher parking charges or reduced parking supply can encourage people to reconsider driving.
The two need to work together. Raising the cost of driving without providing a strong alternative could make it more difficult for people to get around especially lower-income travellers. Policy should improve public transport and DRT while keeping fares affordable and offering phone booking for people who cannot use an app.
The main lesson is clear: Design DRT as part of the wider public transport network, supported by a balanced package of incentives and restrictions.