Demand Responsive Transit (DRT Sample Clauses

Demand Responsive Transit (DRT. Although there does not appear to exist a generally accepted definition within the literature, some common elements are (Xxxxxxx et al. 2012):  DRT can be situated between regular public transport services (which are usually served by buses) and completely personalised services provided by taxis.  DRT services can be flexible on any of the following features (or combination of these features): route, origin–destination pattern and timetable. When routes are fixed, they fall in the category of jitneys (see further). When times are fixed but routes are variable, they fall under the denominator of vanpools. Some authors include pre-booking as an element of the definition (Xxxxxx 2013), which would then be the defining element compared to microtransit, which uses more technologically advanced booking options (see further). There are also ‘hybrid’ forms of DRT, combining a fixed route core allowing pre-booked deviations (up to a predefined maximum distance) and hail and ride on the fixed route section (Mulley et al. 2012). Potential target markets for DRT services are (Xxxxxxx et al. 2012, Xxxx et al. 2015; Xxxxx et al. 2015; Xxxxx et al. 2014):  Market segments where demand is too low for conventional buses (e.g. rural areas, night and weekends) or where greater flexibility is needed than what can be provided by 83 Personal e-mail correspondence between Xxxxxxx and the author. conventional buses. In these cases, DRT targets the general public, with schoolchildren as important subsegment.  The elderly and mobility impaired (including non-emergency patient transport services), and, more in general, those who can afford neither private cars nor taxis. In Europe, this would be the typical clientele of DRT in an urban context. It should be noted that some authors exclude services who limit themselves to particular groups of users from their definition of DRT – in other words, they require that the service be available for all (Xxxx et al. 2015; Xxxxxxx et al. 2014). DRT is close to, but distinct from, semi-flexible bus routes, which “include a reference (nominal) route that serves fixed regular bus stops; however, when there are requests from clients with limited mobility, one or more of the vehicles serving the route may diverge from this nominal path, pick up the clients from their origin and eventually drop them to a regular bus stop or to a special destination” (Dikas and Minis 2014). Note that, in this concept, the “regular” bus must be able to take on boa...