TheManOnThe172
Member
- Joined
- 1 Aug 2014
- Messages
- 380
Can people suggest DRT services that are delivering the dreamed-of combination of operational efficiency and quality of service to users? Or at least the best compromise?
DRT seems to be many councils' preferred approach to providing at least a fig-leaf of a rural service with dwindling funds. Here in Derbyshire, a trial is running, with the apparent intention to roll out more widely in place of service bus subsidies - despite massive public opposition in their 2016 consultation.
The big tradeoff seems to be simplicity of booking (and certainty of timing) vs vehicle utilisation.
At the "simple" end of the spectrum (which seems to match Derbyshire's published description), you start accepting bookings say 7 days ahead, and make firm promises to meet users' requests until you reach the point where your vehicle's day (allowing a little slack) is fully committed. From then on, that modest slack allows you to accept extra requests that don't involve substantial detours, but if a new request doesn't fit with the schedule, the passenger doesn't travel.
The upside is that lucky callers get instant confirmation of exactly the journey they want to make. The downside is that very few people enjoy such a luxury, as your vehicle darts around its service area, often running empty to get to the next pickup: the utilisation may be little better than that of a rural taxi. (Derbyshire's 2016 consultation estimated that their DRT service might replace just 5% of subsidised service bus journeys!)
At the "efficient" end of the spectrum, you can accept "requests" rather than "bookings", again at say 7 days ahead. You don't promise exactly to match users' ideal times, but ask them for the limits on the earliest and latest times when a ride would be useful. Then you add a cutoff (say the end of that 7-days-ahead day) at which point you look at all the requests, work out an itinerary that achieves the best utilisation, then call everyone back and tell them whether you have been able to accept them, and at what time. As before, a little slack allows you to maker later addition of users who can fit with the itinerary you've fixed.
The upside is a much better utilisation, but there's a lot more office work involved. And users don't get an instant answer on whether they can travel or not.
In the middle, there is space for various forms of hybrid. You can set a broad timetable (into the main town for 0900, 1300 and 1700) and then as calls come in you instantly accept a request, persuade the user to flex enough to fit, or reject the request. Or you can let the first few requests shape the overall itinerary, with successive callers getting less and less chance of finding that their needs can be accepted.
Of course, none of the above will help the user who needs to be able to make far-ahead commitments that require them to know what transport is available. If offered a choice of outpatient appointments 6 weeks ahead, how does the DRT-user know which one to choose? It's not hard to see them waiting months or years to make it to an appointment as they choose a hospital time at random, wait until DRT bookings open 5 weeks later, then find they can't get a slot that will get them to the appointment, so re-book with the hospital for another 6 weeks ahead ... and so on. Those wanting to combine DRT with advance-purchase rail or coach tickets face similar challenges.
Of the various rural DRT schemes running in the UK (or abroad), who has got the best design?
DRT seems to be many councils' preferred approach to providing at least a fig-leaf of a rural service with dwindling funds. Here in Derbyshire, a trial is running, with the apparent intention to roll out more widely in place of service bus subsidies - despite massive public opposition in their 2016 consultation.
The big tradeoff seems to be simplicity of booking (and certainty of timing) vs vehicle utilisation.
At the "simple" end of the spectrum (which seems to match Derbyshire's published description), you start accepting bookings say 7 days ahead, and make firm promises to meet users' requests until you reach the point where your vehicle's day (allowing a little slack) is fully committed. From then on, that modest slack allows you to accept extra requests that don't involve substantial detours, but if a new request doesn't fit with the schedule, the passenger doesn't travel.
The upside is that lucky callers get instant confirmation of exactly the journey they want to make. The downside is that very few people enjoy such a luxury, as your vehicle darts around its service area, often running empty to get to the next pickup: the utilisation may be little better than that of a rural taxi. (Derbyshire's 2016 consultation estimated that their DRT service might replace just 5% of subsidised service bus journeys!)
At the "efficient" end of the spectrum, you can accept "requests" rather than "bookings", again at say 7 days ahead. You don't promise exactly to match users' ideal times, but ask them for the limits on the earliest and latest times when a ride would be useful. Then you add a cutoff (say the end of that 7-days-ahead day) at which point you look at all the requests, work out an itinerary that achieves the best utilisation, then call everyone back and tell them whether you have been able to accept them, and at what time. As before, a little slack allows you to maker later addition of users who can fit with the itinerary you've fixed.
The upside is a much better utilisation, but there's a lot more office work involved. And users don't get an instant answer on whether they can travel or not.
In the middle, there is space for various forms of hybrid. You can set a broad timetable (into the main town for 0900, 1300 and 1700) and then as calls come in you instantly accept a request, persuade the user to flex enough to fit, or reject the request. Or you can let the first few requests shape the overall itinerary, with successive callers getting less and less chance of finding that their needs can be accepted.
Of course, none of the above will help the user who needs to be able to make far-ahead commitments that require them to know what transport is available. If offered a choice of outpatient appointments 6 weeks ahead, how does the DRT-user know which one to choose? It's not hard to see them waiting months or years to make it to an appointment as they choose a hospital time at random, wait until DRT bookings open 5 weeks later, then find they can't get a slot that will get them to the appointment, so re-book with the hospital for another 6 weeks ahead ... and so on. Those wanting to combine DRT with advance-purchase rail or coach tickets face similar challenges.
Of the various rural DRT schemes running in the UK (or abroad), who has got the best design?