In its Ten Year Plan for transport the UK Government pledged to remove or (at least) relax constraints on the development of flexibly-routed bus services, e.g. route registration, and to promote a greater role for community-based services. Subsequently, the publication of the Department for Transport Consultation Paper entitled "The Flexible Future" has put forward new proposals for the registration of flexible transport services. Research findings suggesting a link between flexible public transport services and reduced social exclusion and the widespread successes of local authorities in winning substantial funding under the Rural and Urban Bus Challenge programmes for the implementation of demand responsive transport (DRT) have resulted in widespread interest in flexible forms of transport. This paper concentrates on recent British experience in urban and peri-urban environments and draws on the findings of a major study into the development of DRT services. In each situation the study team have followed the development of the DRT installations in operating environments with diverse administrative and political objectives and user needs. Particular reference has been given to software and telecommunications, the Travel Dispatch Centre, vehicles and drivers, and the definition of the service offered. The paper describes the evaluation methodology employed in this study and considers some key issues for policy-makers concerned with the future implementation of DRT. For the covering abstract see ITRD E126595.
Abstract