Flexible integration of Demand Responsive Transport

Expansion of trip planning including first and last mile options
Demand Responsive Transport, DRT in short, could become a game changer for public transport. Operators are complementing their services with demand-responsive offers that help passengers to cover, for example, the first and last mile of their trips. They are an important link within intermodal transport chains which build the core of Mobility as a Service and provide more alternatives to the private car.

Driving success in MaaS: Identifying success factors and creating value
Mobility as a Service (MaaS) has made it past the hype and the public transport community has learned from first installations – both, in terms of what should be avoided, and which critical success factors can be followed. Listen to our experts sharing experience and insights on MaaS apps implemented in Europe and beyond with focus on predominant factors that makes them valuable for both users and operators.
Bridge the gap between public and private transport
Together with Hacon and Padam Mobility, we offer operators and authorities a comprehensive operating system with DRT as an integral part of our Mobility as a Service solution. Passengers benefit from a comfortable mobility app that makes all transportation options easy to book, use and pay for. This is a great opportunity for public transport providers to save costs, expand their service areas, and ultimately enhance the passenger experience – in the true sense of the MaaS approach.Use cases of Demand Responsive Transport
Fixed lines with high frequency are fed by flexible, demand-responsive lines to better and more efficiently reach new and existing areas. It primarily improves access for passengers from rural areas and people with limited mobility or special needs.
Easy access to DRT services
Traditional public transport models must develop in order to meet the growing demand for seamless, flexible and sustainable mobility. Demand-based transport is the key to reduce dependency on private vehicles.
The booking and usage of DRT services is comfortable, easy and changes the way passengers commute. Passengers have the possibility to choose from a variety of flexible means of transport and an efficient connectivity even for rural populations. In addition, it reduces travel and booking times and improves the estimated arrival times while contributing to a more sustainable transport by reducing emissions.
Developing sustainable mobility and transport solutions at Aviapolis
The city of Vantaa, with more than thirty partners, deploys innovative future traffic services in the Aviapolis Traffic Lab with the aim of making it easier and more environmentally friendly for people to move around.
A testbed is built in Aviapolis where solutions are developed for reducing the need of private cars and parking spaces. For this purpose a ridesharing service and the use of drones in package logistics is implemented. In addition to transport, mobility and logistics services, an operating model is developed to be used by cities for testing new transport models. New technologies enable the development of more sustainable mobility solutions, the Traffic Lab project seeks options where public and private transport could be combined most efficiently.
Award for autonomous DRT service “Hubi”
Hacon is happy to announce that Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economics has honored the mobility research project HubChain with its innovation award for reality labs. Coordinated by the municipal services of Osnabrück in north-western Germany, the project partners tested the autonomously driving mini bus “Hubi”.Booking app powered by Hacon
Involved in the project from its very start, Hacon developed the app as well as the back-office system that enabled passengers to book their trip with “HUBI” during the testing phase.
The app displays the actual location of the autonomously driving bus. Additionally, it enables passengers to book their seats for their trip with “HUBI”. The operator can manage reservations via the component “SeatBlocker” of the HAFAS Smart VMS, Hacon’s smart vehicle management system. It transfers the reservation information to the so called “steward” who currently still needs to be on board the vehicle.
HubChain shows how digital platforms can enable the smart combination of traditional public transport with on-demand feeder and fetcher busses. The innovative approach of integrating an autonomously driving vehicle in the testing convinced the experts in the jury to select the project as award winner.

Mobility as a Service – Empowering Intermodal Travel
New Mobility offerings such as sharing-services, on-demand transport or carpooling are on the rise. Used smartly they can make mobility more efficient and eco-friendly. However, they bring about complexity for all stakeholders, including riders, transit operators and municipalities. Passengers travel through a maze of transportation modes and service providers when planning, booking and paying for their trip. This is where Mobility as a Service (MaaS) comes into play: Smart applications can make it easy and convenient for all stakeholders to find their individual way through the mobility jungle. Intelligent algorithms, seamless ticketing and big data analytics make it possible.
Microtransit is an ideal addition to public transit: it carries more passengers in a sustainable and climate friendly way, in use-cases where traditional modes of transport sometimes lack efficiency.Interview with Grégoire Bonnat, CEO Padam Mobility