FlexiRide Demand Responsive Transport: Victoria’s New Approach to Mobility

Category

Intelligent Mobility Award

Submitting Organisation

Moovit

Collaborating Partners

Ventura Bus Lines

Department of Transport Victoria

In December 2020, Ventura Bus Lines and the Department of Transport Victoria launched FlexiRide Rowville, Melbourne’s first on demand transport service. Within 14 months, the service was recognised by the UITP and awarded their highest honour in the design category.

FlexiRide, powered by Moovit Transit On Demand, has no fixed route or timetable. Instead, it dynamically responds to trip requests, offering better public transport connections with decreased wait times. Using a demandresponsive transport service that can be ordered through a smartphone app has encouraged more people to use public and shared transport and decrease their reliance on private cars, ultimately reducing carbon emissions. The service is not only sustainable, but is also adaptable to fastchanging needs and durable: operators can quickly adjust the number of deployed vehicles, the number of patrons allowed on board, and provide door-to-door service for patrons that require it.

The service addresses the inconvenience of the previous Dial-a-Ride approach which was in operation for over 30 years. Within a few months patronage grew five fold, wait times dropped by 80% and travel times were more than halved.

Since the launch of FlexiRide Rowville, four additional FlexiRide DRT services have been launched, each with their own unique characteristics and challenges. Over nine telebus services and three bus routes have been successfully converted to full on demand services. FlexiRide is here to stay in Victoria and beyond.

Future Mobility has become one of the fastest growing sectors in the ITS industry and is a key contributor to smart transport and the liveability of our cities, suburbs and regional communities. It coincides with other customer centric, demand responsive transport initiatives to mark a global trend towards sustainable and accessible urban mobility.

TOPICS: PROGRAM TOPICS

• Government Updates and Key Focus Areas

• Project Updates from Australia and Overseas

• Smart Infrastructure

• Data Ecosystems

• Mobility on Demand

• Mobility as a Service

• Active Transport

• Micro Mobility

• Rural and Regional

• Accessible and Equitable Mobility

• Sustainable Transport