Ridango has successfully launched its new demand-responsive transport solution that will shape the future of public transport.
All across Europe, the need for cost-efficient social transport services and rural public transport is increasing. Northern European and Scandinavian countries, in particular, owing to low population density, are affected by a lack of efficient transport solutions. Demand-responsive transport offers technology-based relief for these problems by providing a service independent from fixed bus routes and schedules.
The solution allows for increased flexibility and accessibility, noticeably improving quality of life in rural areas and for people with mobility needs currently unmet by regular public transport, while empowering transport service providers to operate with maximum efficiency.
Demand-responsive transport solution is live in four Estonian counties
Today Ridango’s solution is live and operational in four Estonian counties – Pärnumaa, Tartumaa, Võrumaa, Põlvamaa – and used for social transport. The solution features new convenient customer interfaces – web portal and mobile app, multiple payment options, but also several solution-specific functionalities, like automatic route and task planning, reporting, etc. For the public transport operator, the on-demand service helps increasing efficiency by dispatching the vehicle with the right seating capacity. It also offers detailed monitoring capabilities for the authorities and makes the service provision more transparent.
“Ridangos’ new solution offers much greater opportunities. We are not only talking about the fact that the travel orders can now be submitted directly to the call center via application, but now we have a complete database – an overview of customers’ data, their travel preferences, routes, and discounts and schedules. But more importantly, we can now effectively combine different orders into one, which saves both time and money. Ridango’s technological solution is a highly anticipated step towards efficient and customer-friendly public transport,” says Andrus Kärpuk, director of Pärnu PTA.
In the future, it is envisaged that the DRT will spread across Estonia and will be fully integrated with fixed public transport routes.
An important step towards sustainable future
“It is an important step for us”, says Kadri Haufe, the Chief Commercial Officer at Ridango. The need for cost-efficient social transport services and rural public transport is increasing, and we are excited to add the new solution to our products portfolio. It is important to provide solutions that help PTA’s and PTO’s work more efficiently, but at the same time offer customers much-needed flexibility,“ she continues.
DRT is the very definition of a win-win. Communities underserved by paratransit and public transport benefit immensely from the agility and accessibility of demand-responsive solutions, while allowing transport service providers to operate with maximum efficiency—in a financially and environmentally sustainable way.