The DRT Cost and Demand Prognostication Model will be developed by Spare Labs
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.
Spare Labs is a global technology company from
Vancouver, Canada, having also teams in Montreal, Quebec, Barcelona, Oslo and Tokyo.
The company is designed to help cities realize the future of transportation and
the potential of new modes of mobility. Spare Labs was voted the most
innovative transport agency in 2019 for their project with Dallas Area Rapid
Transit. They also have experience in Norway, with the public transport
companies Ruter and Kolumbus (and its HentMeg service) and
with AtB on a simulation project in Trøndelag.
SEI Tallinn finds that Spare Labs is the best partner to build the transport model and introduce their ICT solution to Estonia and Lithuania. Their ongoing collaboration with BSR countries and experience in the DRT field is a significant advantage and SEI Tallinn is looking forward to collaborating with public authorities to help improve the current transport system in Estonia and other Baltic Sea Region countries.
The aim of the model is to evaluate different DRT and public transport options to service citizen needs in rural and remote areas. The tool enables its users to compare the costs and benefits of different transport scenarios to service a given area.
Once ready, the model will be freely available for use by all interested parties, via a website download. Documentation on its use, and user cases, will also be provided.
The main target user groups are expected to be public transport authorities, local public transport service providers, public sector coordinators and private sector agents.
The model will be tested in at least three sparsely populated rural areas in RESPONSE project partner countries, likely Estonia and Lithuania, where DRT is a relatively new service or will soon be launched.
As a bonus, Spare Labs is also enabling RESPONSE partners, and associated organisations, to access to their standard simulation software “Spare Realize v2” to calibrate, adjust, and enhance the cost and demand prognostication model based on input and feedback from users in the Baltic Sea region countries.
The expected time to implement the DRT cost and demand prognostication model is 6 months and it should be available for
the users in the summer 2021.