Integrating dial-a-ride services and public transport

Abstract

Dial-a-ride systems provide demand-responsive, collective transport to people with reduced mobility, such as elderly or disabled. Modern mobility policies also rely on these services to replace traditional public transport in rural areas, such that a user’s trip may involve a combination of both systems. This research develops a routing algorithm that allows dial-a-ride providers to determine itineraries and transfer locations such that operational costs are minimized, given the user requests and the timetables of the public transport.