Lisbon: Demand-responsive transport for persons with disabilities
The Challenge
A major city in need of more inclusive mobility: you’re waiting for your ride, the seconds ticking away before an important appointment on the other side of town. You call for an update. Again. Finally, it arrives and you board. And then sit there helpless while it detours all over town picking up other passengers before delivering you to your destination. Late.
This is an everyday occurrence for persons with reduced mobility (PRMs). With regular fixed appointments to keep—hospital, social services, work—they rely on transport for PRMs to be reliable. Unfortunately, however, scheduling complex PRM transport requests and respecting pick-up and drop-off times is extremely challenging for bus operators. And while most of us can fall back on alternative transit modes if our ride is late or doesn’t show, PRMs just don’t have that luxury.
This was the case when Shotl was called in to optimize PRM transport for Lisbon City Council bus operator Carris. And Lisbon isn’t alone: with global populations ageing, demand for PRM transport is only set to rise. And with it, the costs of providing the service.
Lisbon is one of many cities in urgent need of more efficient and affordable PRM transport solutions.