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A new initiative for Flexible Transport Services: the FLIPPER project

Posted: 30 March 2009 | John Nelson, Professor of Transport Studies and Director of Centre for Transport Research (CTR) and Brian Masson, Project Manager Centre for Transport Research (CTR), University of Aberdeen, UK | No comments yet

Throughout Europe, the challenge of providing an effective integrated public transport system is seen as an essential prerequisite to reducing pollution and congestion whilst encouraging sustainable economic growth especially in urban and metropolitan areas. What we often refer to as ‘conventional public transport’ (fixed time and route) is ideal for clustered travel demand areas, but the changing life styles and attitudes to travel have created different mobility needs to which conventional transport has become neither suited nor cost-effective. Demand Responsive and Flexible Transport Services have proved to be an advantageous solution integrating and complementing the provision of conventional public transport services.

Throughout Europe, the challenge of providing an effective integrated public transport system is seen as an essential prerequisite to reducing pollution and congestion whilst encouraging sustainable economic growth especially in urban and metropolitan areas. What we often refer to as ‘conventional public transport' (fixed time and route) is ideal for clustered travel demand areas, but the changing life styles and attitudes to travel have created different mobility needs to which conventional transport has become neither suited nor cost-effective. Demand Responsive and Flexible Transport Services have proved to be an advantageous solution integrating and complementing the provision of conventional public transport services.

Throughout Europe, the challenge of providing an effective integrated public transport system is seen as an essential prerequisite to reducing pollution and congestion whilst encouraging sustainable economic growth especially in urban and metropolitan areas. What we often refer to as ‘conventional public transport’ (fixed time and route) is ideal for clustered travel demand areas, but the changing life styles and attitudes to travel have created different mobility needs to which conventional transport has become neither suited nor cost-effective. Demand Responsive and Flexible Transport Services have proved to be an advantageous solution integrating and complementing the provision of conventional public transport services.

FLIPPER (Flexible Transport Services and ICT platform for Eco-Mobility in urban and rural European areas) is a regional initiative project aiming at the exchange and transfer of experiences on Flexible Transport Services (FTS) in relation to mobility in cities, rural areas and medium-sized towns. Developed with the contribution of the European Regional Co-operation Programme INTERREGIVC, the FLIPPER project addresses key factors of eco-sustainable and competitive development and the social cohesion of European areas and Regions as they relate to transport. FLIPPER will achieve this through investigation, exchange of experiences, transfer of good practice and demonstration of FTS in relation to mobility in cities, rural areas and medium size towns. The FLIPPER project is explained in more detail later in this article.

The evolution of Flexible Transport Services (FTS)

It would be ideal if public transport were as convenient as private transport, suggesting that ‘all public transport should be demand responsive.’ The term Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) has been increasingly applied in the last 10 years to a niche service that feeds or replaces conventional transport where demand is low and often spread over a large area. Historically, DRT evolved from door-to-door dial-a-ride services (sometimes referred to as Special Transport Services – STS) provided by statutory authorities and community groups for restricted usage (usually the disabled and elderly). Interested users would telephone in their requests some days before they intended to travel and the operator would plan the service manually the day before the trip. These traditional services have often been criticised because of their relatively high cost of provision, their lack of flexibility in route planning and their inability to manage high demand.

Many of the earlier limitations have subsequently been overcome through the introduction of transport telematics and the development of a much broader definition of Flexible Transport Services (FTS) which is discussed further on in this article. Telematics-based DRT services have the scope to bring public transport closer to the flexibility and convenience of private transport, whilst retaining the fare levels associated with fixed route registered services rather than the more flexible – but costly – private hire and taxis. It has an important role to improve social inclusion where the conventional public transport is limited (e.g. low demand areas) and for the population whose mobility is impaired.

Telematics-based DRT systems are based upon organisation via Travel Dispatch Centres (TDCs) using booking and reservation systems which have the capacity to dynamically assign passengers to vehicles and optimise the routes. Automated Vehicle Locationing (AVL) systems are used to provide real-time information on the status and location of the fleet for the route optimising software; it is not uncommon for one software supplier to have products for both the taxi and DRT markets. Today’s services provide the flexibility that allows collective transport to adapt to the actual need of the customers: the routes travelled, the stops reached and the timing of the service are based on passengers demand.

Flexible Transport Services (FTS) is an emerging term which covers services provided for passengers (and freight) that are flexible in terms of route, vehicle allocation, vehicle operator, type of payment and passenger category. The flexibility of each element can vary along a continuum of demand responsiveness from services where all variables are fixed a considerable time before operation (e.g. a conventional public transport bus route) to services whose constituent variables are determined close to the time of operation.

Current experience

Recently, Demand Responsive and Flexible Transport Services have shown important advantages and benefits in several European cities and regions as an innovative measure complementary to the conventional, scheduled passenger transport, serving dispersed mobility needs, either during hours of low demand, in areas of low population, or where the target users are dispersed among the general population such as disabled and elderly, students, tourists. High profile services operate, for example, in Gothenburg, Florence, Flanders and throughout Finland and the Netherlands.

LinkUp

LinkUp in Tyne and Wear, UK is a typical open access FTS. Services operate a fully flexible route in a predefined area with fixed timing points to provide journeys at times when regular services are not operating or where direct services are not available. Passengers are picked up and set down at the meeting points which are all existing bus stops and pre-defined places such as shopping centres, doctors’ surgeries and leisure facilities. The service also picks up and drops off passengers at any doorstep with a small additional fare, if requested and possible. It is necessary to pre-book the service at least 45 minutes before travelling2. An interesting recent development which has been enabled by the application of telematics is the move to integrate STS with other forms of FTS in a joint operation under a single brand.

Florence

Florence has a long tradition of experimenting with non-conventional, flexible transport solutions from the end of the eighties. Following some major initiatives from the mid-90s (such as the EC-funded SAMPO and SAMPLUS projects) DRT services proved to be a viable and successful scheme to address personalised mobility needs in several areas of Florence and for different user categories. Since then, several new DRT services have been implemented and this led the local mobility authorities to think about further ways to co-ordinate the provision of different schemes within the metropolitan area and to improve the service offer and accessibility to the different user categories. In Florence, the concept of the ‘flexible mobility agency’ for co-ordination of all intermediate transport services in Florence Region (developed initially in the EC FAMS project) has been built upon and around the existing DRT services. Through the FAMS organisational and business model, the Agency has been established as the unique reference interface and as a service centre for the users of intermediate transport in Florence, providing services for booking and reservation, user information and feedback. The extremely successful Personalbus (whose visual identity is evocative of the service) is also a prime example of a highly promoted service.

The FLIPPER initiative

FLIPPER – Flexible Transport Services and ICT platform for Eco-Mobility in urban and rural European areas – is a new initiative funded via the EU INTERREG IVC programme. FLIPPER will focus on the capturing of best practice for a wide range of flexible transport options which are better tailored towards the needs of individual communities in cities, small towns and rural areas. The potential for services such as door-to-door bus travel, shared taxis and car clubs will be examined in the project which brings together 11 local authorities, transport operators and universities from nine EU regions.

The overall objective of FLIPPER is the transfer of experiences, knowledge and good practice on Flexible Transport Services through different European Regions in order to increase the social inclusion of disadvantaged citizens groups and/or areas, to reduce energy consumption and environmental impacts, thus encouraging sustainable social / economic growth. In summary, the project focuses on:

  • The exchange of good practice in the field of FTS for enhancing the efficiency of public transport services and the overall sustainability of urban and rural areas
  • The understanding of the passengers’ point of view and investigation of the socio- economic effects of FTS
  • The transfer of well consolidated experiences and best practice among the local authorities and other actors involved to provide the most appropriate transport services to disadvantaged citizens and areas
  • Knowledge raising both through analytical studies of the local needs and of the possible solutions in order to allow the different partners to identify the most appropriate telematics tools and solutions and their optimal roll-out and operation
  • The increase at local level of the knowledge of new collective transport services
  • The elaboration of guidelines for an effective European policy for collective transport services for cities and rural areas in order to reduce energy impacts and increase social cohesion
  • The promotion at local, regional and European level of the concept, approach and results of FTS as an integral component of the overall area / region transport chain in order to reduce environmental impacts and increase the sustainability and social inclusion of the different areas / regions

It is hoped the three year project (which runs until August 2011) will result in a greater understanding of the technological, organisational and operational requirements for the introduction of alternative flexible transport options at both regional and international levels. By drawing on high level expertise from across the EU, the intention of the project is to share knowledge between the regions about the kind of results, research and experiences which has already been gathered. The consortium will use this information to build a clear picture about the kind of eco-sustainable and socially beneficial transport which could considerably enhance the status of public transport as a viable alternative to the private car.

The FLIPPER initiative is led by the public transport company of Bologna. The Centre for Transport Research at the University of Aberdeen will act as the research partner providing expert advice to a variety of operators and authorities in Ireland, Italy, Greece and Portugal who will develop a series of feasibility studies and pilot projects during the course of the project.

The FLIPPER website can be found at: www.interreg4cflipper.eu

About the Centre for Transport Research

The Centre for Transport Research (CTR), launched in 2008, acts as the focus for transport research at the University of Aberdeen and has been established following significant investment by the University and a major funding partnership with FirstGroup – the UK’s largest transport provider.

Transport research includes a wide range of themes from public (road and rail), social and private transport to aviation, from policy to technology, from regional economics to the low carbon economy. CTR aims to distinguish itself through excellent research of international standing and the strength of its links and expertise. The Centre is initially focusing on two broad themes Transport, Energy and Environment and Transport and Society.

Please see our research pages for further details: www.abdn.ac.uk/ctr

References

  1. Brake, J.F., Mulley, C and Nelson, J.D. (2006) Good Practice Guide for Demand Responsive Transport Services using Telematics. Newcastle upon Tyne, University of Newcastle upon Tyne.
  2. More information is provided in the LinkUp leaflet available at <http://www.nexus.org.uk/wps/wcm/ connect/Nexus/Bus/LinkUp/>