3 regions leading the way with on-demand transit

At Shotl, our experience shows demand-responsive transit (DRT) works best in suburban or rural areas that are underserved by traditional fixed-route/schedule transit. With this in mind, we take a look at three European regions that are leading the way with DRT deployments.

1. Northern Italy

Milan is one of Italy’s most cosmopolitan and forward-looking cities, so it’s no surprise to find the area around it bristling with DRT deployments. Shotl currently operates several DRT services between Monza (suburban transit) in the north and Varzi (rural area) in the south. Among them, our highly successful night bus service in the university town of Pavia, and shuttles serving the rural areas of Stradella and Vimercate. To the southeast of the city, our Crema deployment provides urban and suburban residents with a flexible, affordable alternative to private vehicles.

Travel south to the Adriatic coast near Bologna and you’ll also find Shotl serving rural residents in the small town of Ravena. And, in the summer months, our Rimini service cuts congestion and pollution by transporting locals and tourists between the town and the beach every day.

And that’s not it for Italy: 2022 will see the launch of new deployments serving Italian municipalities.

2. Catalonia

Barcelona has a well-deserved reputation as one of Spain’s most innovative cities and is a leader when it comes to sustainable transport. Since 2017, Shotl has launched 6 DRT services in and around the Catalan capital. Three in our home town of Sant Cugat and two in Barcelona, including the underserved, outlying Barcelona neighborhood of Torre Baró. Move outside the city, and you’ll also find us connecting residents in the hilly municipality of Vallirana with shops, services, and transport links into Barcelona.

Catalonia’s DRT growth is set to continue in 2022 with the launch of a new Barcelona urban service in the Montbau-Vall d’Hebron area. As well as connecting residents with transport links into the city center, we’re hopeful it will help reduce congestion around one of Barcelona’s busiest hospitals.

A commitment to finding innovative, sustainable answers to the transit needs of one of Europe’s most densely populated cities puts Barcelona ahead of the Spanish pack when it comes to DRT.

3. Switzerland

Places with challenging geography and/or large distances are difficult to serve with traditional fixed-route/schedule transit but ideal for DRT, and Switzerland is no exception. Since 2019, Shotl has launched 3 DRT services in the country and has more on the way.

Swiss deployments to date focus on the suburban area around Bern; the rural area of Emmental to the northeast of the city; and the nearby rural village of Herzogenbuchsee. 2022 will also see the launch of a new service in the Bern suburb of Belp, with plans to expand to other nearby municipalities in the future.

Further south, in the Alps, our 2021 launch in the ski station of Andermatt is going from strength to strength as winter visitors pour into the town en route to the slopes.

All our Swiss operations are run in collaboration with one client, Mybuxi. Their high standards in terms of quality and consistency have allowed us to make continuous improvements to our service, and improve the experience for users. This, combined with our client’s commitment to DRT and the availability of government funding, puts Switzerland firmly on the DRT map.