Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) are flexible services increasingly regarded as an adequate and modern response to meet changing demand of mobility in both urban and rural environments. The viability of DRT, and of a number of ITS technologies enabling implementation and operation of such services, have been successfully demonstrated within the 4th Framework Programme of the EU by pilot and demonstration projects in several countries. This paper aims at providing an overview of main conclusions about this valuable experience with implementation of DRT in Europe, highlighting the demonstrated benefits of DRT service schemes, the key technological solutions emerged as well as the recommended route for implementation of such systems. The main obstacles in the current phase of evolution from demonstration to deployment are discussed, together with the needs for tight co-operation between operators, IT suppliers and Authorities in order to facilitate the take up and large scale adoption of DRT in Europe.
Abstract