Dynamic bus line
Keep the line. Change how it runs.
Fixed stops are always served; on-demand stops only when a rider asks. When nobody does, the bus takes the shorter way to its next fixed stop — fewer kilometres, and shorter trips for everyone on board.
Does this sound familiar?
Four problems line managers keep running into
A fixed line serves every stop on every run, whether anyone is there or not. These four come up in almost every first conversation, and each has the same answer.
- 01“The bus stops where nobody’s waiting”Every stop on every run costs kilometres and fuel, whether anyone boards or not.Skip unrequested stops: fewer kilometres, less fuel and emissions
- 02“The trip takes too long”Riders travelling through sit on board for every stop in between. For example, A to D can take 35 minutes on a fixed line — and about 15 when nobody books B or C.Shorter waits and shorter rides
- 03“We can’t reach further without slowing the line”Hamlets and industrial edges sit just off the line, and adding them as fixed stops would add minutes to every run.Grow the area without longer trips
- 04“Our riders don’t know on-demand yet”Switching a familiar line straight to full on-demand asks too much of riders at once.A soft launch for on-demand transport
The answer
Keep the line riders know, and let it reach further
Fixed stops are served on every run. On-demand stops are served only when a rider requests them — when nobody does, the bus goes straight to its next fixed stop. That is a dynamic bus line: the line stays recognisable, and the time and kilometres nobody needed go.
Set it up your way
- Keep the stops riders already knowLeave the published stops and times in place along the busy stretch, exactly as riders use them today.
- Reach the streets just off the lineAdd on-demand stops that the bus serves only when someone books a pickup there.
- Change the line by time of dayIf you want, run it fixed on weekdays and fully on demand at weekends or at night, on the same line.
- The driver sees only what’s requestedThe Driver App shows every fixed stop, and only the on-demand stops that have a request. Pickups and drop-offs work as usual.
How it works
How the service actually runs
One mechanism sits behind every service: a request comes in, the engine pools it, the driver is guided, the operator supervises.
FAQ
The questions we hear most
How is it different from a fully on-demand service?
A fully on-demand service has no timetable at all. A dynamic line keeps the predictability regular commuters depend on and applies flexibility only where the timetable was costing more than it earned.
Do riders have to book?
Only for the flexible stops and hours. The fixed spine works exactly as it does today — turn up at the stop at the published time. Flexible requests can be made by app, web or phone call.
Does the fare change?
It doesn’t have to. The fare is your decision, and the dynamic line can keep the fare of the line it replaces.
What happens if nobody requests an on-demand stop?
The bus skips it and takes the shorter route to its next fixed stop. That saves kilometres and fuel, and above all time for the riders already on board.
Will it compete with our other lines?
It shouldn’t. Existing scheduled-bus stops can be given priority, so the flexible part feeds the main network instead of duplicating it.
Can we convert one line first?
That is the usual starting point — typically the weakest line in the network. Simulation sizes the change first, and the same platform then runs it.
