This project is evaluating the impact of Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) on unlocking educational, employment, social and other opportunities for residents in low-density areas not served well by conventional buses. DRT is a flexible public transportation service that adjusts routes and schedules based on passenger demand rather than following fixed routes and timetables and has been introduced in several areas across the country. Thanks to funding by UK Research and Innovation, researchers at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) and the University of Leeds will be using an innovative participatory framework to measure the effects of DRT on economic, social, and health outcomes in three rural areas. Its objectives are to estimate the social value of DRT schemes, explore their role in reducing place-based inequalities, and provide policy recommendations for the future of public transport services in less densely populated areas.
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