Here I describe a proposition to develop non-routed bus service as a kind of public (or commercial) transport. The service would be targeting specifically frequent car users, by offering them a comfortable travel alternative, so to lure them out of their cars at least once a week. Reduction of individual car use by 20% daily would immediately have big impact on traffic intensity and CO2 emissions. Once started, the service might grow with ever greater effects.
The idea itself is simple: travellers let the bus company know their intended trip route and time interval, and then they get their bus. It is a kind of mixture of taxi service and the usual bus service. Non-routed service was undoubtedly considered before in various forms. (Read, for example, around the mark "Col 1721" in this link). However, implementation may predictably look very messy at first tries.
There are two most predictable problems of non-routed bus (or mini-bus) services:
- Communication between custommers (i.e., travellers) and the bus service providers.
- Logistic problem of satisfying travel requests.
Regarding the first problem, the recently developed communication technologies (like the internet and cell phones) may help enormously. A customer may communicate his travel request easily via a www-form, or, if he is already on the street, via a cell phone. Similarly, the bus company may inform a traveller about the exact (or expected) arrival time of the bus via SMS or email messages, perhaps 2-3 times prior to the arrival. Now is the right time to try the non-routed bus service once more, just because of the recently developed new communication technologies!
Regarding the second problem, it can be noted that commercial logistics recently increased in its complexity as well, thanks to more liberal post service and the same mobile communication technologies. In particular, the bus logistics problem might be positively challenging to many enterprisers.
One trick that would help to reduce logistics problems is to concentrate on frequent customers. The buisiness model would not be a transport service for everyone at any time, but rather the buisiness model of cell-phone service providers: the bus company would make long-term contracts with individual customers and their families. Each customer would have his frequent travel times and routes, deviating only occasionally, and that would help the bus company enormously in organising its service.
In particular, there is a gradual growth strategy for a start-up company for non-routed bus service. At the beginning, the service would be provided not to individuals, but rather to customer companies: the service obligation would be to transport workers to work, from work, or during work, and transport clients as well. The second growth stage would be to allow individual frequent customers. And only lastly, the company may take isolated travel requests.
Although many may imagine here a cheap (or even free) service as soon as possible, a commercially viable service can have a big environmental effect as well. After all, the immediate need is to reduce individual car use rather than provide a transport service to anyone willing. Hence, the focus must be on providing a comfortable enough service, so to have custommers regurlarly choosing to use the bus service over their own car(s). It is beside the point whether all people already using conventional public transportation could afford the non-routed bus service. It is also not necessary to request people and companies to abandom their cars immediately. If most people would use start using their cars 20% less frequently, and most companies would need to own 20% less cars, the effect on congestion and CO2 emissions would already be great (and easily growing with a friendly service oriented campaign).
The price of frequently using a non-routed bus service could be comparable to the cost of maintaining a car, or to cell-phone bills. One may also realize that service of a single trip may vary greatly, hence the price may vary as well. A customer may not only travel less or more frequently, but he may be billed differently for the most frequent trips (to work or school, and from there) and occasional "unusual" trips. He may request a trip immediately or at very specific time, or (less costly) 30 min, 1 hour or more in advance, and with 15 min or 30 min, etc window. He may get a discount if he does not object to change busses while travelling. A companion of a frequent traveller may get a discount as well. On the other hand, a costumer might request to arrive a bus (or rather a minibus) close to his door, but then the price would be comparable to taxi's price. Additionally, the buses (or mini-buses) may have comfortable seats, TV screens, and even internet connection. "Buisiness class" cabins might be possible as well. Competition would certainly force the service to improve constantly!
I truely believe that there is a hiden demand for this kind of service. People are fed up with congestion, but they find the usual public transport too uncomfortable, unreliable, even despicable. An alternative transport service bringing people from a point A close to where they are, to a point B close to where they want to be, in approximately desired time, in a comfortable small bus, with not too many stangers, could be very welcome.
My concrete proposal is to generate private initiative for non-routed bus services in a few most suitable cities, and then spread the method around the world! I could go further with other anticipated details, but I hope that some people will get interested, will contact me for more tips (and will be grateful for that, ha ha).
{There is a preliminary description of this proposition, as a comment at the European Tribune blog. This diary originated from my attempt to write a comment to Sen. Barbara Boxer's diary (in this thread), but the comment got too long, obviously. }
