The demand responsive transport services: Italian approach

The dial-services are an excellent connection between classical forms of collective and private transport; they are the answer to the development of transport demand from homogeneous travels (homeloffice, homelfactory, home/school in limited areas and periods) to not homogeneous travels (short continuous travels toward many different destinations); they are also the answer to the growing need of travels from specific consumers' classes such as disabled, elders and students. It is a new transport form more oriented to meet the consumers' requirements. It is possible to identify four operative levels of the DTRS (Demand Responsive Transport Services). Level one: fixed itineraries and fixed stops with possibility of access through booking. Level two: fixed itineraries with possibility of detours within specific boundaries and fixed optional stops. Level three: service with free routes between fixed points. Level four: service with free routes between free points. This paper aims at describing the above-mentioned transport systems and at analysing their efficacy, productivity and consumers' opinions, providing some examples experienced in Florence (PersonalBus) and in Genoa (DrinBus). 1 Definition and general features The concept of demand responsive transport was first formulated in the USA around 1990 as a solution to the rising disaffection of potential users, in particular during the night. Transactions on the Built Environment vol 64, © 2003 WIT Press, www.witpress.com, ISSN 1743-3509