Multi-operator Tool for Managing Demand Responsive Transport (MultiDEPART)

The MultiDEPART project aims to develop tools to plan, manage, and monitor Demand Responsive Transit (DRT) solutions, targeting Public Transport Authorities (PTAs), and facilitate the harmonization and scalability of DRT services across European cities.

DRT services are living a gathering momentum in Europe, especially in medium and small size cities and low-density suburbs surrounding large metropolitan areas. DRT, also known as Bus On Demand or Microtransit, allows the provision of public transport service through flexible routes and schedules, based on actual demand collected from users through digital or other communication tools. A concept widely known and exploited for many years in rural areas (mostly based on telephone calls and manual routing of the services), has a growing potential to solve accessibility to urban low-demand areas thanks to the digitalization of public transport and mass adoption of mobile phones by many segments of the population.

In this context is born the MultiDEPART project, aiming to develop tools to plan, manage, and monitor DRT solutions, targeting Public Transport Authorities (PTAs), and facilitate the harmonization and scalability of DRT services across European cities. The project will aim at solving these challenges through:

• Defining a common methodology and KPIs to plan, design and monitor a DRT service
• Develop the simulation and decision support tools required by PTAs to plan and manage DRT services
• To characterize the different operational models, public-private collaboration frameworks and economic models most suitable for different scenarios, synthetizing the best-practices in each type of area

This solution will be applied to Lisbon, Barcelona Metropolitan Area and Thessaloniki.

The project, financed by EIT Urban Mobility, is developed by a consortium of 12 partners from different European countries bringing universities, research centres, transport operators, public authorities, and industry players together: CARNET, FACTUAL, Capgemini Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Carris, Aimsun, Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH), Tusgsal, and Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona (AMB).