SEI Tallinn's mobility expert and RESPONSE Project Manager Merlin Rehema shares her opinions regarding the possibilities of demand-responsive transport being a good choice to complement public transport in rural areas.

Spare Realize is a planning tool that allows users to easily prototype on-demand transportation services in a simulation environment. Developed by the Canadian mobility company Spare Labs, Realize was introduced by their expert Jerome Mayaud on March 3^rd, 2021.

Take advantage of this great opportunity open for municipalities and transit agencies especially, but not limited to Denmark, Estonia, Norway, Lithuania and Sweden.

One of the critical tasks of the RESPONSE project which aim is to develop demand-responsive transport (DRT) in rural areas of the Baltic Sea region, is to create a Demand-Responsive Transport (DRT) cost and demand prognostication model. Recently SEI Tallinn conducted a public procurement to secure a service provider who would develop the model and related guidance material. The successful offer was submitted by Spare Labs.

Demand-responsive transport of DRT is a relatively new concept. Yet it has the potential to bring many benefits to the transport sector, especially to vulnerable customers. By accommodating the needs of travellers (letting them choose the time and route of their journey) and rethinking how public transport can be organised in especially sparsely populated rural regions, DRT has what it takes to ceate a win-win situation for all parties.