The Bulletin of Demand Responsive Transport 1) Editorial

House Organ of the Twist Project (Transport With a Social Target) 6

In this issue 0 0 2 r

Editorial e b m e v o

Events & News N / 3 e

Experiments start u

with service s s I ” e

Different DRT n o i g e systems in Europe i R n i c e n h i c P r a o z M n “ e e R n r i z o 0 t a c 1 g e a r i e m D g Monitoring and e a g h n t p i f Evaluation g o a 5 t n 6 6 c a e 0 e e g M 0 j g 2 a – / o a p r 9 B - p p 8 C D e e e - u c e h i s t s p v i % r o f 0 o r e t o 7 s u t n n n E e o e i o t h i n m t p i t i e 3 l r a c p h s s u e t p l i b u s m g u a S s w e a v t l t – t p E a s 2 t r n y s o a d s e i o n s t g n p g s T e a w y a R s R e b e t p s g D g e t n N n n h t i e i l c r & p r n a m a p i o n e i i s r t r r t h i M o S e e n n e o t f i – p e h f o t i x v d V f I E E E D M C o X X n i X t e r l l a u e Y B

Twist / The Bulletin of Demand Responsive Transport 1) Editorial

At a distance of together with the coordination of a pro- more than two motional campaign through the crea- years from the tion of an integrated image for the pro- start-up of the motion of the TWIST service. Through TWIST Project our efforts, we have attempted to pre- (Transport With sent Demand Responsive Transport servi- a Social Target), ces in a clear, credible manner, so as to a summary of create a tool that proves useful not only the results achie- for the partners in the project, but also ved to date work for institutional bodies and other orga- can already be nisations interested in the results obtai- initiated, not only as regards fulfilment ned with the proposed models. And the of the objectives of the program, but as response was not long in coming, with concerns the level of cooperation rea- the expected lack of confidence in a new ched between the participating regions service operated in different territories as well. being more than compensated for by a convinced participation in the experien- Despite the initial difficulties, the pilot ce, as shown by the data collected in projects for experimentation with servi- recent months. Another contributing ces of Demand Responsive Transport factor was the network of contacts built were begun in all the partner regions up over the last two years, by now a con- (Abruzzo, the Marches, Apulia, Molise, solidated resource, and one which Berlin-Brandenburg, Ioannina and the allows us to refine various procedures TWIST no. 3 – November 2006 Province of Ascoli Piceno as an associate and paths of action, in this way arriving Bulletin of the Marches Region partner); the conferences organised by at a joint review of the successful practi- Supplement to issue number 8-9/2006 of the the promoting bodies to illustrate the ces of the project approved by the magazine start-up of local experimentation made European Union two years ago. “Marches Region” it possible to bring together the different realities involved (in particular the The final objective is the spread of the Managing Director: Renzo Pincini industry operators and the local popula- theoretical model for the design of tions involved), facilitating the surveying Demand Responsive Transport systems in Editorial Office: and interpretation of the actual needs of territories that constitute outlaying areas Via Gentile da Fabriano, 9 - Ancona the territories. and/or zones with low demand. This Tel. 071.8062103 model, which shall be drawn up at the In a complex project involving partner end of the project, allows us to arrive at Editorial staff: regions in different European countries, the best possible technical-economic Fabio Belfiori institutional communication is an indi- approach to a flexible supply of local Anna D’Ettorre spensable instrument for reducing public transportation, in the interests of Antonio Filippini Luca Guazzati distances between different social, cultu- reducing the time needed for the retoo- Stefania Gratti ral and organisational models. ling and reorganisation of the local tran- Serena Paolini The Marches Region, as the lead institu- sportation network. Promotion of this Sandro Premici tion for the Work Package “Networking model among political decision-makers, Emma Ratti & Diffusion of the Results” (WPS), has public authorities and operators in the been called on to draw up a joint com- transport industry could influence convic- Managing Committee: munications strategy aimed at integra- tions and political strategies, should the Gemma Marchegiani_Marches Region ting and optimising the various local rea- experience gained demonstrate that this Micaela Vitri_Netcompany Srl lities, though without depersonalising approach can be transferred to, and Alida Manocchio_Tecnovadata Srl Cecilia Rossini_Apulia Region them. In formulating a communications sustained in, different areas and contexts. Christoph Gipp_Technical University of Berlin plan that includes guidelines for the Kostas Petropoulous_KTEL SA coordination and management of all the In any event, taking an overview of the Varju Viktor_Transdanubian Research Institute communications activities, a number of initial results, it is already safe to say that Susy Di Petta_ATI Proger/Eurofocus different tools have been created, inclu- the proposed experimentation of a com- ding a website (www.twistproject.org) mon groundwork of technical solutions Coordinator of Page Setting: where supplementary, updated informa- for Demand Responsive Transport in dif- Luca Guazzati tion can be found on the project - and ferent situations has produced results which I recommend visiting – plus this that confirm the worth of the project, Printing: Melchiorri Pesaro AGP SRL Typography newsletter (this issue is the third, and a albeit with different technical and ope- fourth is planned for the early months of rating solutions in the various zones. Internet site: 2007), which provides constant updates www.twistproject.org on the initiatives underway, and, finally, Mr. Sergio Strali the coordination of national and inter- Head of the WP 5 Workgroup national seminars and conferences, “Networking & Diffusion of the results”

Twist / The Bulletin of Demand Responsive Transport 2) Events & News

CASTELNUOVO DELLA DUANIA, 4 September

“An Innovative Project in the Northern cial assistant to the Regional tion of the area involved. The service that Sub-Appenine Daunia Zone: DRT services Transportation Chief, Gian Luigi Rotunno, has been in operation since 11 September to the rhythm of the TWIST” was the title according to whom the key to the socio- in Apulia, illustrated, in terms of its distin- of the conference held on 4 September by economic revival of the mountain areas is guishing characteristics and operating pro- the Apulia Region, in the Town of an upgrading of infrastructures and servi- cedures by Francesco D’Argento, Head of Castelnuovo della Daunia, on the occasion ces. After the technical groundwork was implementation activities of the Apulia of the start of experimentation with laid by Ercole Cauti, Project Manager, and Region, is receiving an increasingly positive Demand Responsive Transport within 10 M. Antonietta Picardi, Chairman of the response from a dynamic, growing pool of municipalities selected in the Northern Steering Committee for the Twist Project, users sure to spell the success of the servi- Sub-Apennine Duania Zone. The event attention was shifted to the innovative ce, both during the period of experimenta- marked the start of a service already exten- nature of the project in Apulia, highlighted tion and in the future. sively showcased in the Preliminary in the words of the Manager of the Office Strategic Document of the Apulia Region for the Planning of Transportation and for 2007-2013, as well as in the recent Links for Travel and Shipping, Giuseppe Regional Transportation Plan. The interest D’Alessandro, as well as those of Giuseppe shown in the project, demonstrated by the Vinella, President of Cotrap mass transit. mayor of the town, Sebastiano Di Tella, The socio-economic analysis performed for among others, is unmistakable evidence of the entire Daunia area, summarised in the the area’s yearning for change and growth. talk given by Patrizia Giaquinto, leader of Development and new investments were the WP2 Workgroup, pointed to the need the central themes of the talks given by the for a transportation service responsive to Head of the Provincial Transportation the requests of a varied set of users, but Bureau, Antonello Summa, and by the spe- united by the geographic and social isola-

COLLETORTO those present were greeted by the Mayor experimentation of a new mode of tran- of Colletorto, Antonio Muccaccio, a talk sportation in internal zones with a plan of 15 September was given by Ercole Cauti, the Project action to be reprised in all the mountain Manager of TWIST, who illustrated the and internal areas of the Molise Region. A conference entitled “Demand Responsive strong points of the effort, meaning the Transport in the Cratere zone: the launch partners and the areas involved. The next of the Twist Project”, held by the Molise speaker was the Head of the Transportation Region on 15 September in the Town of Bureau of the Molise Region, Domenico NEWS Colletorto (Province of Campobasso), illu- Pollice, who explained why the “Cratere” THE SERVICE PLACED IN OPERATION strated the impact of the new service on zone, a mountain area with a low level of IN 10 TOWNS IN THE PROVINCE OF the local territory. The event was preceded transportation mobility, further weakened ASCOLI PICENO by a presentation of the project, together by the recent earthquake, was selected for On 18 September, a presentation was with the procedures for its experimenta- local experimentation. Ernesto Storto, the made, as part of the Mobility Week ini- tion, to a group of the elderly in the town Technical Manager in charge of Local tiative, of the experimental Demand of San Giuliano di Puglia, a site sadly sym- Implementation, then illustrated the strate- Responsive Transport service designed bolic of the 2002 earthquake, as well as cur- gies chosen for the experimentation of for the towns in the hinterland of the rent reconstruction. Noteworthy interest in Demand Responsive Transport in the Molise Province of Ascoli Piceno. The project the project was expressed not only by local Region: when they reserve a ride by was illustrated in the town of Santa government institutions, transportation telephone, calling up to roughly ten minu- Vittoria in Matenano by the sponsors operators and social partners involved in tes before departure time, the elderly citi- of the initiative in the Provincial different ways, but also by the elderly citi- zens of towns in the “Cratere” area can Government, in collaboration with the zens, who took part in both events, eager reach the Larino Medical Centre in mini- transportation enterprises that will to learn more about the initiative. After buses provided specifically for the service by offer the service. Speaking at the two local bus companies. The series of talks event were the Councilman in charge of Transportation for the Province of was concluded by Maria Antonietta Picardi, Ascoli Piceno, Ubaldo Maroni, the Chairman of the Steering Committee, Manager of the Transportation Service, whose detailed contribution focussed on Emidio de Angelis, the Head of the the key theme of social exclusion from tran- Transport Sector of the Marches sport. Closing the day was the Head of the Region, Sergio Strali, the Director of Regional Transportation bureau, Antonio the Steat, Giuseppe Rutolini, and the Chieffo, who emphasised that the TWIST Head of the Transport Movement project will make it possible to develop a Office of Start, Riccardo Sbraccia, plus new, flexible mode of transport able to sati- Mayors and Councilmen of the towns sfy the needs of users, in concrete terms, involved in the project. The TWIST ser- while respecting the parameters of opera- vice of the Province of Ascoli Piceno has been in operation since October ting efficiency and effectiveness. With this 16th, covering the territories of 10 in mind, Mr. Chieffo declared that his municipalities. Colletorto, 15 September bureau intends to follow up this initial

Twist / The Bulletin of Demand Responsive Transport 3) NEWS The “TELEBUS” program for managing calls

Following a technical evaluation of the Abruzzo Region (the Medio Sangro manages the telephone requests received general characteristics of the main Mountain Community, Zone “R”), the by the Call-Centre operator, who enters Demand Responsive Transport systems Marches Region (the Mountain the identifying data on the individual available on the Italian market, the resul- Communities of Camerino, San Severino requesting the service, the place of desti- ting findings led to selection of the and San Ginesio) and the Apulia Region nation and departure and the time when “Telebus” software by three regions imple- (the Northern Daunia Zone). The “Telebus” the caller wishes to use the service. The menting the TWIST DRT service: the program by PluService was created to system processes the requests and provides manage Demand Responsive the optimal solution. The routes of DRT Transport, offering users (meaning buses are automatically generated by the the Call-Centre operators, the program, based on the requests phoned in, managers of the system, the orga- and they are visually in the form of maps. nisations sponsoring the initiative, The route plan, together with a list of the the drivers of the vehicles and the users who must be picked up by the bus, is end users of the service) an easy- given to the driver before departure. to-use computerised tool that collects and processes requests; the program also provides a series of The potential highly innovative functional featu- options of the res that place it on the cutting program inclu- edge of technology. In fact, de the sending “Telebus” by PluService is perfectly of SMSs to integrated with the “Superdriver” users confir- platform by the same company, a ming the trip full-fledged ERP for the all-round and announ- management of passenger tran- cing that the bus is about to arrive, the sport concerns. This means that possibility of making reservations and the “Telebus” program can be monitoring them on a Web page and the used, especially during the phase setting of personalised pick-up points and of effective operation (the phase destinations, as well as times (useful, for that comes after the experimenta- example, to disabled riders); the mana- tion-implementation of the TWIST gers of the service benefit from the pro- program), in full integration and duction of the reports needed to evaluate coordination with the ordinary the use of the service; the driver of the Local Public Transport (TPL) servi- vehicle can receive instructions on the ce, in this way enriching the role route in real time: advances/delays on the and function of the calling service schedule, new requests to be met. as a booster and feeder of the TPL The procedure is supplemented by an services. The integration of onboard MDT system (onboard terminal) “Telebus” on “Superdriver” makes that tracks the location of the bus, being possible control and monitoring, connected with the central operations during both the planning phase facility in real-time; in this way the driver and the summaries of the results, can be supplied with updated information of the economic-operational effec- on requests received after departure, but tiveness efficiency of the services which can be met through minimal chan- integrated as above. An intelligent ges in the schedule. The MDT onboard Demand Responsive Transport system, an instrument constructed enti- system constitutes a valid opera- rely in Italy, serves as an onboard compu- ting alternative, making it possible ter and terminal for the driver. Its use is to offer a service with a satisfac- fully programmable, presenting highly tory level of quality, even when innovative features. the density of demand for the service is excessive low, on the condi- tion that there be support from For more information: high-level instruments (computeri- [email protected] sed and technological). “Telebus” www.pluservice.net

Twist / The Bulletin of Demand Responsive Transport 4) Experimentation with the service > THE ABRUZZO REGION the Mountain Community. The drawing manager of the TPL “Autolinee Casciato of the graphic illustration for the TWIST S.r.l.”. The drivers of the vehicles, hired for The Medio Sangro Mountain Community transport network guarantees connec- the experimentation periods, have been presents the features typical of an area tions, both modal and inter-modal, trained in the use of the onboard termi- with a weak demand for public transpor- between the municipalities inside the nals, in order to guarantee continuous and tation. The demographic dimensions of Mountain Community, as well as between effective connection with the operations the area, which the later and the control centre. As a preliminary approach, holds fewer than major destinations the service follows a pre-set route along 6,000 inhabitants, that attract flows of which “latent stops” are made exclusively the extremely limi- transport. at the request of users. This means that ted population den- The graphic illustra- certain lines consisting only of stops made sity (36.38 residents tion was drawn up on upon request are operated only when per km2) and the the basis of the geo- there are requests for the service. high ageing index graphic characteristics Permanent service is provided on certain (equal to 282%) of the area of imple- days of the week along set lines that pre- mean that Demand mentation, facilitating sent a constant level of demand. The ser- Responsive the placement of pre- vice operates from 6:36 am to 5:00 pm on Transport service set stops (pick-up weekdays, and from 6:36 Am to 9:05 pm can be effectively points). The residen- on Saturdays and days preceding holidays. carried out by only tial patters of the local Extensive publicity has been given to the four vehicles, one of population, which program in schools and public offices which serves as tends to cluster (at a (posters and pocket-size schedules), while spare, each seating rate of nearly 90%) the reservation services in operation inclu- sixteen passengers around urban centres de the toll-free number 800-138-078, (or twelve, in the and inhabited areas, which is answered by an operator at the case of vehicles out- rather than living in Call Center of the Mountain Community. fitted for disabled homes spread throu- transport). The four vehicles, equipped ghout the territory, makes the placement For more information: with interactive onboard terminals, are of the pick-up points almost obligatory. Roberto D’Orazio managed by means of a continuous con- Within the group of pick-up points, a tel. (0039) 085 44411 nection with the operations control cen- distinction can be made between those [email protected] tre, located at the headquarters of the with set pick-up times and those where Mountain Community. The centre recei- pick-ups are made at the request of the ves requests for the service from the users users (variable scheduling). and confirms that the requests are com- patible with the scheduled service plan by The project is being enacted under a part- means of a dedicated software (Telebus). nership between the Mountain Information is exchanged using GSM or Community and the manager of the Local GPRS (General Racket Radio Service) Public Transportation Service: while the signals, while the location of the vehicle is proper operation of the Call Center is tracked with GPS. overseen by the Mountain Community, The service is provided on both sides of which has hired specially trained person- the Sangro Valley, the area holding the nel for the task, the transportation of the destinations of interest to the residents of users is the responsibility of the local

> THE BUS ON DEMAND PASSES THE TEST The experimentation of the TWIST vices and those provided upon request are sport on demand, the overall increase project in the towns of the Medio- decentralised healthcare structures, phar- registered in the month of October for Sangro Mountain Community moves macies, post offices, town halls, markets service during the period of experimen- ahead in successful fashion; in fact, and sports and recreation facilities, with tation was 48.6% in fixed transport and following the initial start-up phase, noteworthy development underway for 100.17% in transport on demand, with TWIST has met with increasing appro- the disabled as well. In percentage terms, totals of 7,235.80 km of fixed service and val. Its organisational structure, wide- use of the service has grown as follows 4,174.00 of DRT services as of 31 October spread and deeply rooted in the areas since the start of the experimentation: 2006. of the experimentation, would appear from the start-up in the month of July, to meet the true needs of the terri- when there was 4,877.10 km of transport Ms. Maria Antonietta Picardi tory: the destinations of the fixed ser- on fixed routes and 2,085.20 km of tran-

Twist / The Bulletin of Demand Responsive Transport 5) > THE MARCHES REGION

the Operations Centre in Castelraimondo, plus resources that work outside, such as plus devices onboard the buses, designed the drivers. Contram has installed the to dialogue with the Operations Centre Operations Centre in a branch office in through the “Telebus” system and its Castelraimondo, where the operators, GPRS/UMTS technology. during set hours, answer calls and handle These instruments track the bus using requests, reporting to the Transport satellite technology, transmitting the infor- Movement Office at the central headquar- mation directly to the Operations Centre: ters in Camerino at the end of the day. 1) The Operations Centre immediately The TWIST initiative has been publicised transfers the requests to the software; among families in the towns covered 2) The software processes all the requests through the sending of envelopes contai- received, setting the route to be fol- ning a letter from the Head of the lowed; Regional Transportation Bureau, a map of 3) The user is informed of the trip specifi- the service and a brochure on the opera- cations; ting procedures. The experimentation has 4) The software sends the data to the been further highlighted with posters, the interface installed on the buses used distribution of fliers and other informa- for the service; the interface registers tion materials on the vehicles and in the the data; towns involved, plus the publication of 5) The driver, based on the information press releases in local media. received, carries out the service. The following graphs illustrate the The TWIST service is offered from Monday growth in the number of users and the to Saturday between 7:30 am and 12:30 kilometres travelled during the first three pm, with 1 bus earmarked for the purpose, months of experimentation. Given the layout and the specific morpho- while, during the rest of the schedule, the 4 logy of the Macerata hinterland, an area other fixed-route vehicles service branches Aug Sep Oct total that includes the three Mountain of the fixed lines when necessary. Users total users (fixed Communities of Camerino, San Severino wishing to call in a reservation for a ride and call-in stops) 319 514 502 1335 and San Ginesio, it is not always possible can do so up 20 minutes before departure to provide TPL services that fully satisfy (in this last case, the user’s request is sati- the needs of local residents. With its scat- sfied if the scheduled service plan makes it tered habitation patterns and high rate of possible), procuring a ticket for a simple ageing, the territory presents the features ride, based on the regional fee for kilome- of an area with a weak demand for public tres travelled, by simply calling the toll-free transport, explaining why it was selected number 800-037737. What is more, during for the TWIST pilot project. other parts of the day, certain stops-upon- request can be reserved, assuming opera- The experimental TWIST Demand tions on the fixed-service lines permit it. Responsive Transport service was started up by the Marches Region on 1 August The area selected for the experimentation 2006, and it shall run to 31 March 2007; includes a number of towns in the three the experimentation is being carried out mountain communities of the upper Aug Sep Oct total with 4 vehicles that hold 19 passengers Macerata zone, with the primary objecti- fixed km 1.470 2.492 2.222 6.184 each, one of them outfitted for the tran- ve being to provide connections between call-in km 348 1.816 2.265 4.429 sport of disabled people. The vehicles are these zones and the towns which, becau- equipped with interactive onboard termi- se they offer various types of structures nals operated with software installed at (hospitals, sports facilities etc.) are destinations frequently requested by users. The following is a list of the service lines: Visso Camerino line, to the towns of Camerino – Visso – Pievetorina; Rasenna – Camerino line, to the towns of Camerino – Serravalle; Bolognola-Camerino line, to the towns of Camerino – Piastra; Nemi – Fiordimonte – Camerino line, to the towns of Camerino – Fiordimonte.

The service is carried out by Contram SpA, For more information: a local public transportation operator in Franco Pongetti the Upper Macerata zone, employing tel. (0039) 0737 6340202 Contram vehicle used for the TWIST service human resources that work inside the [email protected] company, managing calls and software,

Twist / The Bulletin of Demand Responsive Transport 6) > THE MOLISE REGION

Local implementation of the DRT system the experimentation. with software, antenna and wiring. All in Molise was placed in operation from 18 The service was organised around 2 flexi- the computer equipment was prepared September in the territories of ten muni- ble, interchangeable routes that passed and supplied by the company MICRODA- cipalities of the “Cratere” area hit by the through the towns involved in the experi- TA s.r.l. of Campobasso. seismic events of 31 October and 1 mentation only when a call was received, It should be noted that a similar optimisa- November 2002. in this way ensuring that the entire area tion of the service makes it possible to was served while reduce the total kilometres travelled, as optimising the compared to the traditional approach, by route taken to and more than 50%, all the while guaran- from the medical teeing the necessary coverage. centre in Larino. In order to promote the service, and taking into consideration the limited The system for expense of the territory and the difficulty requesting the ser- involved in reaching the target, a very vice is activated by simple, direct communication was prepa- users through a Call red for all users (delivered through fliers Centre with an ope- and posters), together message, referred rator all its own, to as the “trust” communication, specifi- located at the office cally aimed at the elderly and featuring of the Silvestri com- figures with whom the elderly come into pany, which is contact, and who enjoy their trust: physi- found in one of the cians, pharmacists and parish priests. towns involved in An overview of the communications initia- the project, as is the tives carried out would include: the wide- telephone number spread distribution and posting of fliers and the company and posters, both on the buses of the tran- This area is especially well suited to the itself. By telephoning the Call Centre, up to sport companies involved and in all locales experimentation, and doubly qualified in roughly ten minutes before departure, the normally frequented by possible users of terms of the type of territories considered users can reserve a round-trip at the cost of the experimental service (parish halls, under the project, given that it is both a a normal ticket for the same route: the Call- hospitals, local healthcare agencies, family mountain zone with a low level of tran- Centre operator confirms that the request doctors’ offices, pharmacies, bus terminals, sport mobility and an area that was further is viable and enters it in the operating pro- intermediate stops, town halls, non-profit weakened by the recent earthquake. gram, “communicating” it to the driver the organisations, centres for the elderly and The intention of the Regional Bureau of minibus, which is connected to the for social activities on the part of the tar- Transportation is to makes the towns of Operations Centre by GPRS, in real time. get); encounters dedicated to the subject the “Cratere” area the first to participate at town halls and parishes, in the company in experimentation of a new mode of For the TWIST experimentation, it was of the “trusted figures”, in order to set off public transportation designed for the decided to use an online computerised word of mouth; assisted distribution of weaker segments of the population, with system under which calls are made to the communications materials on the bus lines. the creation of an operating model that Call Centre, which, in turn, communicates can be reprised in all the mountain and with the travelling vehicles in real time. For more information: hinterland areas of Molise. This explains why the call can be made up Ernesto Storto The towns involved in the project are: San to 10 minutes before the bus has the tel. (0039) 0875 704753 Giuliano di Puglia, Bonefro, Colletorto, option of passing through the town from [email protected] Santa Croce di Magliano, Rotello, which the call originates. Casacalenda, Montelongo, Montorio nei The service is managed by a Frentani, Provvidenti and Ururi. From MICROTPL/ROUTE type dedicated softwa- Monday to Saturday, mini-buses leave re that makes possible organisation of the these cities for the medical centre in Larino services, the vehicles, the stopping points during the visiting hours for relatives. and the routes, plus the off-line manage- Given the social characteristics of the terri- ment of reservations, with transmission of tories involved, the experimentation has the lists of stops and user reservations, been aimed at the socially weaker popula- display of maps providing the geo-positio- tion segments and those with a lower level ning of the vehicle for on-line requests for of mobility, such as women, very young stops and a variety of statistical output. children and the elderly, with a particular This service is supported by an advanced focus on the latter, who experience the onboard hardware, as each vehicle is greatest difficulty of movement. equipped with an onboard computer assi- The experimentation in the field was assisted by dedicated software, a system for gned to the CMM regional bus consor- tracking and communications with the tium, and specifically to the Silvestri and Operations Centre, plus display of off-line Calzolaro bus companies, which already and on-line information, together with a Vehicle used for TWIST service operate routes in the territory selected for two-way GSM/GPRS-GPS radio, complete

Twist / The Bulletin of Demand Responsive Transport 7) > THE APULIA REGION

Daunia. It was thus decided to reduce the number of towns serviced by Twist to ten, though these municipalities were provided with a connection to the town of Lucera, which turns out to be the urban centre of greatest interest, as well as the one nearest the area of experimentation. In addition, it holds Local Healthcare Board FG/3 (covering all the towns in the experimental area), plus a hospital and the INPS pension institute office for the zone. At present, therefore, the experimentation is being carried out in the towns of: Carlantino, Celenza Valfortore, San Marco la Catola, Volturara Appula, Volturino, Motta Montecorvino, Pietramontecor- vino, Castelnuovo della Daunia, Cotrap vehicle used for the TWIST service Casalvecchio di Puglia and Casalnuovo Monterotaro. The transportation service will be run on a “call-in” basis, with flexi- Experimentation of the Twist project in the ble routes and schedules tailored to meet Apulia Region began in the Northern the needs of the users. A short model bus Daunia zone of the Apennines, one of the has been selected for the service, with region’s most disadvantaged areas in socio- seating room for nine and the features economic terms. Characterised by the pre- necessary for disabled passengers. The "TWIST advertising campaign" sence of primarily mountainous zones service is in operation from Monday to within a total surface area of approxima- Friday, during the hours of 9:09 am to 3:40 tely 676 km2, the area holds nothing but pm. Reservations can be made by calling adopted, meaning one under which reser- small-scale towns (from 1,000 to 3,000 inha- the toll-free number 800-904770, which is vations must be made no less than 12 bitants per municipality), in addition to answered by an operator who collects the hours in advance of the actual performan- which the ageing index is high, as the bulk requests, organises the route and commu- ce of the service. The reservations recei- of the population is over 65 years old. nicates confirmation of the service to the ved are processed by Pluservice’s The roadway infrastructures are extre- users who have made reservations. The “Telebus” software, a program capable of mely scarce, all consisting of a single road- Call Centre is in operation from 1:30 pm determining the optimal route on the bed, with one lane of travel in each direc- to 6:00 pm daily, with the exception of basis of input supplied by users and sup- tion. The highly twisting paths taken by Saturdays and Sundays. The distances plemented by subsequent input. All the the roads, as well as the sharp changes in between the different towns, together calls received and the routes drawn up on altitude, keep the average travelling with the low average travelling speed, a daily basis are registered and catalo- speed below 45 km/h. What is more, the made it impossible to implement a service gued, with the result that they shall serve area is currently serviced exclusively by that meets the requests received in real as a key source for analysing the service at buses providing connections between time. Instead, an off-line system was the end of the experimentation. On the only some of the towns and other hand, the vehicles were not outfit- the larger nearby urban cen- ted with onboard devices for communica- tres, with the bulk of the tion with the Operations Centre, a featu- runs occurring during the re held to be pointless, given that it is not day-parts in which commu- possible to vary the route during the run. ters travel to school or work. Promoted through the distribution of lea- The area originally selected flets and the display of posters in the for implementation of the towns involved, as well as television com- project held all thirteen of mercials broadcast by the local station the towns that make up the “Telenorba”, the service began operation Northern Daunia Mountain on 11 September 2006 and shall run Community, whose demand through March 2007. for internal transportation is low, on account of the For more information: absence of sites of attrac- Francesco D’Argento tion, apart from an advan- tel. (0039) 080 4951710 ced Spa centre found in the [email protected] town of Castelnuovo della

Twist / The Bulletin of Demand Responsive Transport 8) > GERMANY Region of Berlin-Brandeburg

Like many other European and German acceptance. regions the Oberhavel Implementation The strategies to guarantee mobility area has to solve serious problems of access for the users are the transforma- financing public transport services. This tion of line oriented services and the requires more flexible and cost efficient introduction of demand responsive opera- operation solutions intent on keeping and tion on fixed lines, an operation with vans extending the current service level with to reduce operational costs, the use of an explicit social target. TWIST prevents a subcontractors to reduce personnel costs shortening of the routes and a reduction and optimisation of the connections to of rides. TWIST activities in the Oberhavel regional and suburban trains to and from Area aim to guarantee mobility access to Berlin. The booking of rides has to be people without private car access, older made 90 min in advance. The operator people, commuters and minors in times offers a 24 hour Call Centre with common and regions of low demand. A passenger telephone access for DRT booking and census in three different periods enabled passenger information purposes. A pre- a specified analysis of transport demands booking is not required in the trips invol- and the identification of low demand ved in “Southern Oberhavel” and the areas. Only trips which were identified as “Hohen Neuendorf Area”. economically critical in a prior evaluation process were analysed. The demand struc- The service provision is supported by dif- ture analysis showed the usage of each ferent software systems or databases. trip within the existing public transport BUXI is a special solution for DRT manage- system. As a result it was possible to sepa- ment. All booking, routing and disposi- rate different implementation areas tion activities are based on the already within the Oberhavel area and to find existing software solution BUXI. To save adequate alternatives to the current ope- costs for additional technical services it ration models.The implemented forms to was useful to integrate the TWIST services reach higher flexibility and cost efficiency in the existing technical environment. As - especially in low demand areas - can be an additional benefit it is possible to use performed by operation with small vehi- BUXI for DRT controlling and evaluation cles, the introduction of line oriented or within the TWIST project. dispers DRT services and service provision by subcontractors. The interface between the Call Centre and the DRT management software BUXI All TWIST activities are fully integrated in and the passenger vehicle is performed by the Berlin-Brandenburg public transport the existing Computerized Operational service e.g. corporate design, route num- Control Centre of the operator. All large bers and integration in passenger infor- scale vehicles are equipped with GPS mation systems (printed and online time- based units for communication and locali- table information) to ensure a good user zation. The usage of small vehicles and the operation case “subcontractor” will be solved by the implementation of mobi- Route 812 in Germany le units. The unit “ATRON 120 MR Mobile” will guarantee localization and communication with the Operational Control Centre and the DRT booking system. Additional benefits of the mobile communication unit are ticketing, printing and penalty management functions.

For more information: Christoph Gipp tel. (0049) 30 31422710 [email protected]

Bus Logo on TWIST Services

Twist / The Bulletin of Demand Responsive Transport 9) > GREECE / Prefecture of Ioannina passenger request. number of areas included in the DRT ser- Until introduction of the service, passen- vice. These areas may vary along the route gers could only board at a KTEL stop fixed covered by the Ioannina-Arta, Ioannina- along the route. What has therefore been Preveza lines and those to other major introduced is the possibility for passen- cities in the Epiro region. gers to board within fixed localities, but according to their particular needs by Furthermore KTEL presented a proposal making a simple booking. The KTEL to the National Secretariat of Information Ioannina – Athens – Ioannina line, which Technology, for the purchase of hardware previously functioned in a standard mode, to increase the level of technology in the is now reserved for Demand Responsive company fleet in order to satisfy the Transport: the passenger who wishes to needs of Demand Responsive Transport. use the service needs to timeously inform This proposal was presented within a the local KTEL, at which of the predefined national competition for funding reflec- areas they shall be waiting so that a bus ting the increasing awareness of state on route is able to stop and fetch them. authorities to the DRT network. The sup- Currently no additional cost is imposed ply of the necessary technological equip- for the service. ment is programmed for the first quarter The service is activated on the E951 line of 2007. This will enable KTEL to comple- and includes all buses travelling Ioannina tely manage the DRT activities activated in – Athens – Ioannina. The line E951 passes the implementation area and supply servi- through Anatolia, Bizannzio, and the ces that are more appropriate and effecti- town of San Dimitri. vely respond to user needs.

As an extension to the DRT destined The area selected for the implementation zones, KTEL has introduced a stop on the For more information: of the TWIST project is the Prefecture of Rio-Antirio bridge notwithstanding the Kostas Petropoulos Ioannina, which covers over 50% of Epiro fact that this area is outside the imple- tel. (0030) 210 6084485 and is the third largest Prefecture in mentation area of the project. This choice [email protected] Greece. Its territory, among the most was based on the importance of serving disadvantaged in Europe, fully meets the an ample fascia of passengers. principal objectives of the project at which KTEL is participating with the aim The lines chosen for DRT implementation of promoting public transport and increa- were based on a transport study under- sing the social target on the entire area. taken by KTEL in 2005. A collection of requests made by frequent passengers KTEL has initiated implementation adap- also provided important data for defining ting its transport system directly within the service timetable. the catchment area. In September 2006 The service is active three times a day on new pick-up points were introduced and the lines to and from Athens: during the presented to the public to satisfy the need morning, at midday and for access to other means of long distance in the evening. transport. New routes have been activa- With the aim of sprea- ted and, although only available during ding the service, a publi- specific hours, they cover an area that city campaign utilizing until now was rarely served. hoardings and leaflets describing the service, The beneficiaries are mainly inhabitants was initially under- who utilize the bus to and from the taken. The hoardings Prefecture of Ioannina. Before implemen- were put up at the KTEL tation of the new transport service, pas- pick-up points, while sengers headed for Ioannina had to orga- the leaflets were distri- nise themselves beforehand in order to buted directly among reach the nearest KTEL stop along the the passengers. busiest Ioannina – Athens – Ioannina line. To date the service has enriched the The first phases to fol- line offering pick-up points in predefined low, without doubt, will localities at which the bus only passes on be an increase in the

Twist / The Bulletin of Demand Responsive Transport 10) > HUNGARY South Transdanubian Region

sport service providers into the market tion of the GPRS interactive and perma- but it is not operational. The major pro- nent vehicle tracking system would impo- blem here is that Hungarian laws have se high costs on the company, the interac- maximised the servicing rate for private tive passenger information system on the coach transport services to 35%. This is Internet is not available to the greater not an attractive perspective for the public yet. The present communication market players as it offers no opportuni- system maintains contact between bus ties for gaining profits and in line with this concept coach services fall in the regulated market rather than free market category. Today the number of coach services in Hungary is decreasing. A plan was developed for the ‘pri- Baranya County and the micro-regions vatisation’ of coach services in an attempt to reform the present anomalies of coach transport. The South Transdanubian region is not an Accordingly operation (and implementing region in the TWIST ownership) of the Baranya County project, however we have discussed the coach company should have been usage of the DRT system in our region transferred to the county seat with interested parties (transportation (Pècs) local government free of companies, micro regions). While interest charge, but this experiment failed. exists, there are a lot of obstacles and dif- The Volán coach transport com- ficulties which have not permitted us to pany monopoly in county coach The Lake Balaton implement the system. Some of our services prevents extension of the bus servi- research experiences are listed below in ces of the Pecs public transport company order to reveal possibilities in the field. into the agglomeration zone. drivers and the Call Centre within a 30 Although the county branches of Volán The importance of railway services in the kilometre radius. Using this method, the coach transport company are planning to Szentlörinc micro region (a potential Public Transport Company of Pècs had decrease the frequency and density of implementing microregion in the future) coach services in the hinterland they are which should maintain its leading role in plans to extend its bus service area into not interested in introducing an invest- the system must be underlined. One of the suburban zones of Pécs but the above ment intensive alternative transport deve- the critical problems in the current tran- mentioned laws prohibit this until the lopment model. Their fares and state sub- sport system is that it does nothing to year 2013. sidies are almost fully covering their improve the employment situation in the The recent political and budget situation expenses. Big bus transport companies area. The micro-region’s active popula- in Hungary is another difficult obstacle for have monopoly rights for servicing their tion cannot get jobs because they cannot these micro-regions. Lack of investments area until the year 2013. There is an alter- commute to centres of attraction nor and development in the area cannot help native plan for the entry of private tran- work in shifts due to the inadequate tran- solve the problems. Hopefully, the succes- sport services. For these reasons the utili- ses of TWIST project implementations in sation of the TWIST Programme would be partner countries and regions will reveal Tettye and view to the Southern Baranya Hilly of extreme importance for the an appropriate model as a kind of solu- Szentlörinc micro-region. tion for transport development. The micro-region has prepared a plan for the implementation of a networked transport system that, adapting to the micro- For more information: region’s special features, could significan- Zoltán Gál tly improve the efficiency of intraregional tel. (0036) 72 523 825/801 transport services. [email protected] There is a potential technical method, which could be applied in this area - especially in the south and south-west areas - due to the the lack of high mountains. This method is used by the Local Transport Company of Pècs. All company buses have an onboard GPS device and a duplex USW radio communication system to maintain contacts with the Call Centre. As opera-

Twist / Il Notiziario del trasporto a chiamata 11) >THE PROVINCE of vel during the same hours as schoolchil- sible, to facilitate the travel of users. ASCOLI PICENO dren; with this goal, the Polyclinic of Ponte Ten towns and villages are covered by the (Associated partner) Maglio was identified as the key point of project (Comunanza, Force, Montedinove, attraction, being strategically located with Montalto Marche, Montefalcone respect to the towns covered by the project. Apennino, Monteleone di Fermo, Montelparo, Rotella, Smerillo and Santa The DRT service was placed in operation Vittoria in Mantenano); the towns covered on October 16th last, following a campai- by the service carried out by the Tras.Fer. gn of promotion and information invol- Company, manager of local public transpor- ving the placement of posters on the tation services in the AP1 transport basin, municipal publicity boards, plus the lie north of the Aso River (Comunanza, posting of notices in commercial establi- Smerillo, Montefalcone Apennino, Santa shments and the distribution of fliers. The Vittoria in Matenano, Motelparo and mayors of the towns covered were also Monteleone di Fermo), while the towns ser- involved, sending, together with the vices by SAP, manager of local transporta- President of the Provincial Government, tion in the AP2 transport basin, are those an informative letter to all the families south of the Aso River (Rotella, Montalto residing in the territories serviced. Marche, Montedinove and Force). The service is offered from 8.00 am to Structured in this way, the DRT service also 12:30 pm on weekdays, meaning that it guarantees connections among the towns supplements the existing transportation serviced and, thanks to the exchange node system, so as to compensate for the short- at Ponte Maglio, between these towns comings in transportation service during and the Polyclinic Centre in Comunanza. the slow hours in the morning. The actual service is provided by two Reservations for the service can be made buses holding 19 passengers each and tra- by calling the toll-free number of the velling along the provincial roadways, Reservation Centre - 800-630715 – with passengers able to get on or get off between 8:30 am and 12:00 noon and at the stops already in place for the exi- 3:30 pm and 5:00 pm of the preceding day sting TPL services. The user-basin plan approved by the (reservations for Monday are taken up to Provincial Council under Resolution no. 95 12:00 noon on Saturday). The Reservation For more information: of 29 July 2003 identified those areas of the Centre arranges the requested connec- Francesco Palestini provincial territory where demand for tran- tions, making minor modifications in the (0039) 0736 277913 sportation was weak, making them suitable transport schedules, when pos- [email protected] for start-up of experimentation of a Demand Responsive Transport service, with Vehicle used a particular focus on the mountainous zone for the TWIST service surrounding the town of Ponte Maglio (in the Municipality of Santa Vittoria in Matenano), site of the polyclinic used by patients from all the surrounding towns and villages. The primary objective of the Province of Ascoli Piceno in participating in the TWIST was to experiment a DRT system for the area referred to above, so as to facilitate access to healthcare facilities on the part of the residents, and in particular of the elderly, who currently find themselves obliged to use private means of transportation or to tra-

Twist / The Bulletin of Demand Responsive Transport 12) WP 6 Monitoring and Evaluation

The Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) phases of the project include collection and analysis of notable data and are necessary for determining both the ele- Overall M&E M&E Overall ments that work within the project as Colclusions and Purpose Objectives Recommendation well as those that are less effective. lessons laarned These phases are essential if the objectives of the project are to be reached. With regards to the TWIST project, care- Analysis Synthesis ful monitoring allows the planning part- Interpretation ners to make appropriate decisions on a Assessment day-to-day basis and ensures that the project is carried out as agreed with Detailed Detailed modifications as and when necessary. Questions Evaluation enables the coordinators to Conclusion Recommendation understand and demonstrate the results of their work, to determine the best Analysis strategies for achieving the three main Synthesis project goals, and to document lessons Interpretation learned from the other partners espe- Assessment cially in the six implementing areas. These pilot areas share a common pro- Data Specific blem in that since deregulation of the Collection Findings Decision public transport system, low income Methods communities outside the main public transport corridors have experienced difficulties in guaranteeing the levels of public transport and avoiding social exclusion.

The project goals were formulated on the • WHO: who is to undertake the M&E: responsibilities as well as any links to cor- basis of identification of the socially exclu- what expertise is required? To what responding workgroups is the main M&E ded and the transport factors influencing extent should there be stakeholder tool and a useful instrument for repor- the degree exclusion in the pilot areas. In involvement? ting. After a laboured beginning the part- planning the M&E activities for TWIST, the ners are now on time with the develop- project manager together with key mana- • WHEN: the timing of each evaluation ment of an optimal transport system mee- gers of the six workgroups agreed on the so that the results in each case or in ting the demands of the project goals as following: combination can be used to make well as the objectives of the European important project related decisions; Commission which proclaim transport as a • WHY: the purpose of M&E, including basic right as well as an indicator of the who will use the evaluation findings • RESOURCES: the budget required to quality of life of all inhabitants indepen- and how; implement the evaluation plan. dent of whether they are children, elderly, disabled, unemployed, retired, etc.. • WHAT: the main objectives of M&E and The M&E analytical process of the TWIST the questions it should address; project is expressed in the following dia- gram. Birgit Maschke • HOW: the data sources and collection A breakdown of each workgroup with a Leader of Workgroup 6 methods to be used in M&E; detailed description of their tasks and

Twist / The Bulletin of Demand Responsive Transport 13) DRT systems in Europe

Various rural areas across Europe are cha- nating the risk of dry runs. Several DRT demand responsive bus systems. racterised by a lack of public transport ser- services operate without any predefi- 2. Many-to-many: No door-to-door rela- vices due to declining population num- ned timetable. tions are offered, but there are a lot of bers, structural changes and the increa- 2. Modal flexibility can be defined as the possible stops. Often utilised in sing use of private cars. In this context, possibility of using different vehicle demand responsive bus systems. different innovative solutions are needed sizes (standard buses, mini-buses, vans, 3. Many-to-few: Connecting a centre or to address rural public transport pro- taxi). connection point with an area. blems. The key word in this sense is 3. The route and the stops on a DRT servi- 4. Route-deviation-systems: There are Demand Responsive Transport (DRT). ce can be fixed in which case they will fixed routes, but no fixed stops. The The first examples of DRT date back to be served under any circumstances. route can be deviated for limited stret- the eighties (in Germany), with a type of Spatial flexibility refers to the substitu- ches if necessary. dial-a-bus service. In the majority of tion of predefined routes in favour of a 5. Point-deviation-systems: Demand cases these projects did not have much corridor or an area around a basic responsive transport operating with success and the services were closed route. Both bus stops as well as points fixed stops, but a flexible route choice. after a few years. The reasons for this within the area, indicated by an 6. Fixed route with stop on demand: failure are many: a lack of flexibility, address, can represent either the Conventional scheduled service with profitability concerns on the part of the departure or arrival point of a trip. inclusion of stops fixed on demand. operators, difficulties caused by insuffi- 4. Temporal, modal and area flexibility 7. Fixed routes with fixed stops: cient norms, incalculable costs, lack of can be integrated. Conventional scheduled services with agreement between the local players, Within the public transport network, the no spatial flexibility. competition from taxi services, difficul- DRT services can have different tasks. ties with telephonic booking, etc. Temporal flexibility is also categorised by Furthermore many demand responsive Autonomous DRT services (stand-alone different levels: transport services, dial-a-bus, were envi- services) are operated without any rela- 1. Immediate-request: Dynamic schedu- sioned as a taxi service for the elderly tion to other public transport services. The ling allows a constant service based on and less well off, this resulted in scarce local spatial-temporal requirements, such user needs. user reception. The trials however provi- as opening hours or the location of the 2. Advanced-request: In this form a ded valuable experience. community or the health services, deter- booking with fixed time limit is neces- In the decade the DRT system has gained mines the organisational aspect of the sary. popularity. Technological innovation has service. 3. Advanced-standing-request: A return enabled the implementation of systems Contrary to the stand-alone DRT service, trip is booked. based on new telematic technology, these almost all the clients of DRT feeder servi- 4. Temporal discrete service at fixed improvements, amongst others, have led ces utilise the latter to gain access to a times: Service based on a conventional to a new fleet dispatching possibilities. regularly scheduled service. The connec- schedule. Commitment to improving collaboration ting stop generally determines operation between the transport companies and of the feeder service as it has a predefined [Kirchhoff, 1987 and 2004] describes three taxis should be the principle scope of any passing time and is always served. This operational concepts, which are differen- new DRT projects. In this sense the mana- kind of service is often installed to save tiated by their spatiotemporal structure: gement of the services would be under- time on regularly scheduled service by 1. Conventional service on fixed lines taken by the transport companies, while avoiding deviations. “one to one”. supply could be carried out by both the Both the above-mentioned models illu- 2. Flexible service within a corridor inclu- transport companies and taxis. Currently strate extreme situations. In most cases ding route deviations and route expan- in Germany both taxi and rental car com- DRT services offer the possibility of rea- sions “few to one”. panies can operate as sub-contractors. ching the local centre, with its facilities 3. Sector operation “many to one”. It is important that the residents are made and connection points to other public 4. Area-wide service “many to many”. aware that the service is available to transport services. everyone. The type of service is differentiated on the For further descriptions of DRT operatio- Demand responsive transport services can basis of spatial-temporal flexibility. In this nal concepts see [Engels and Ambrosino, be arranged in various operating modes. regard, [Heinze, 1982] describes the diffe- 2004], [Mehlert, 2001] and [Wilhelm, 1. Temporal flexibility results in the servi- rent levels of flexibility of the so called 2002]. Conventional scheduled service ce being activated only in the event “Para transit” which also includes our describes an inflexible service topology that a booking is made 30 to 90 minu- common DRT systems: with a fixed timetable along fixed routes. tes in advance. Even in the event that a 1. Door-to-door: The area covered is only This leads to a high temporal and spatial fixed timetable is defined, the vehicles restricted by the existing road network. aggregation of users and the single trip is only operate on request, thereby elimi- Examples are taxi or agreed forms of undertaken irrespective of the actual

Twist / The Bulletin of Demand Responsive Transport 14) demand. Single lines are often linked to synchronised timetables. The advantages of this system are reflected in high transport volumes per vehicle and driver, low operational requirements and good passenger accessibility [see Wilhelm, 2002]. In contrast to the fixed services, DRT services like route deviations, sector operation and area-wide operation serve all or a part of the stops only if and when passengers want to enter or exit the vehicle. This requires the passenger to pre-book their trip based on a predefined route. Wilhelm stresses the importance of a relatively limited demand and accordingly a limited number of stops, which have to be served. If the number of stops becomes too high, long travelling times will reduce the Flexible Concepts in Public Transport Operation, Source: Kirchhoff 2004 attractiveness for the passenger. In the flexible service based on a corridor there are fixed, highly frequented stops at central places and demand responsive flexible transport services in a corridor, [4] Kirchhoff, Peter (2004): Innovative Ansätze für stops served in smaller villages. The timing the trips are orientated to define time fra- die Verbesserung der Schülerbeförderung im of the trips is based on a fixed schedule, mes and are aligned to fixed points. ländlichen Raum. Unveröffentlichter Vortrag im but the exact route will be determined by In respect to the levels of flexibility, the Rahmen der DVWG-Fachtagung ÖPNV in the passengers’ trip bookings, which may area-wide service has to be seen in the Deutschland, 5.11.2004, Dresden result in changes to the journey times. A field of door-to-door and many-to-many. [5] Mehlert, Christian (2001): Die Einführung des minimal route between the fixed stops The routes and service times are determi- AnrufBus im ÖPNV: Praxiserfahrungen und will always be served. ned by the passenger trip bookings. Handlungsempfehlungen. Erich Schmidt Verlag, The line expansion includes a conventio- Demand responsive regular scheduled ser- Bielefeld 2001. nal scheduled line, which is supplemented vice means a service along fixed routes [6] Wilhelm, Stefanie (2002): Planungsinstrumente by demand responsive served stops. The according to fixed times, which only ope- für flexible Betriebsweisen im ÖPNV des ländli- DRT-section of the line could take the rates if a booking is made. Departure and chen Raumes. Schriftenreihe des Lehrstuhls für form of a demand responsive scheduled arrival stop need to be known, allowing Verkehrs- und Stadtplanung der Technischen service or an area-wide service. partial line operation. Universität München, München 2002. The route deviation is characterised by a There are however a lot of hybrids of regular scheduled service on a fixed line these four DRT models; e.g. the flexible Christoph Gipp supplemented by demand responsive ser- service in a corridor could include a door- University of Technology of Berlin ved stops along the main route. to-door service. Institute of Land and Sea Transport For the flexible service in a corridor there Systems, Department of Track and are one or more fixed stops with fixed Railway Operations passing times. Demand responsive served References: stops are installed between these. The [1] Ambrosino, G.; Nelson, J.D.; Romanazzo, M. route used between the fixed stops is (Editors) (2004): Demand Responsive Transport determined by the passenger trip Services: Towards the Flexible Mobility Agency. bookings. To improve the structure defini- Italian National Agency for New Technologies, tion of the passing times for single DRT- Energy and the Environment, Rom 2004. stops could be useful. [2] Heinze, G. Wolfgang (1982): Verkehr im ländli- The operating sector does not have fixed chen Raum. Akademie für Raumforschung und routes either. Generally there is one fixed Landesplanung. Curt R. Vincentz Verlag, stop with a fixed passing time. The remai- Hannover 1982 ning stops are demand responsive. The [3] Kirchhoff, Peter (1987): Verbesserung des ÖPNV routes are defined by the passenger trip im ländlichen Raum durch planerische und tech- bookings. This could lead to highly varia- nische Maßnahmen. In: Der Nahverkehr, Heft ble passing times. Like other forms of 4/96, S. 19-25.

Twist / The Bulletin of Demand Responsive Transport 15) FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE NEWSLETTER Regione Marche - P. F. Trasporto Pubblico Locale Ms Gemma Marchegiani via Tiziano, 44 - 60100 Ancona Tel.: +39.071.8063226 Fax: +39.071.8063013 [email protected] www.twistproject.org

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