Starting in September, taxi buses will run between Nové Město and Jindřichovice pod Smrkem
21. 8. 2024
Starting Monday, September 2, so-called “taxi buses” will begin operating between Nové Město pod Smrkem and Jindřichovice pod Smrkem. This is a type of on-demand transportation that allows for the flexible and responsive provision of transportation services in locations and at times where regular public transportation is not very effective. For now, this will be a pilot program, and the region will then evaluate it together with the transportation coordinator—the company KORID LK.
The taxibuses will be part of on-demand transportation systems, i.e., buses that can be called upon as needed. Unlike the currently operated “radiobuses,” which can only be booked at times specified in the schedule, the taxibus system will be available in so-called time slots.
The transportation coordinator KORID LK, in cooperation with CITYA, is preparing an analysis of the Liberec Region aimed at identifying suitable locations for the introduction of on-demand public transportation. Part of this process involves launching this type of service as a pilot program. “The area between Nové Město and Jindřichovice was selected primarily because its characteristics match those of a region where such a transportation system could be more appealing to residents than traditional scheduled public transportation,” says Jan Sviták, the statutory deputy governor in charge of the transportation department.
There was already significant interest from residents—especially families—during the initial presentation in Jindřichovice. The area also includes the village of Horní Řasnice and, partially, Dolní Řasnice, as well as local districts of the affected municipalities. This will ensure new public transportation service in the Dětřichovec district, which is part of Jindřichovice pod Smrkem.
“The system is simple and intuitive. In just a few steps, passengers enter their pickup and drop-off locations, and the app directs them to the spot where TvůjBus will pick them up along with other passengers. Thanks to smart algorithms, the route and operation of this service are then adjusted in real time during the trip. Thanks to the innovative approach of KORID, the public transportation coordinator for the Liberec Region, we’ve succeeded in turning on-demand transportation into a long-term project that, through gradual steps and a pilot operation, is turning our vision into reality. I am very pleased that we can bring this innovation in public transportation to passengers in the Liberec Region as well. The on-demand transportation system has been operating successfully in other regions for several months and years now. “I believe that the newly launched service in the Liberec region will take on-demand transportation in the Czech Republic another step forward,” says Dominik Janík, director of CITYA.
Transportation will be provided by the carrier ČSAD Liberec using an 8-passenger vehicle under the TvůjBus IDOL brand. The vehicle is already branded as such. “We want TvůjBus to complement local travel, not compete with trains and buses to Frýdlant and Liberec. At the same time, we need to define the size of the service area so that the carrier’s response time remains attractive to passengers,” explains Otto Pospíšil, managing director of KORID LK. “At the same time, we also want to gain experience with this type of transportation, which can then be applied to the development of this system in other parts of the region as well.” The Transport Coordinator plans to gradually introduce the service to other areas in 2025 and 2026 in line with newly drafted legislation on demand-responsive transportation.
In September, use of this system will be free of charge. “We will discuss pricing during September, but we do not expect the fare to exceed the rates currently listed in the IDOL price list for the same routes. We would like to integrate the Taxibuses into the IDOL system in the future,” concludes Sviták.
A similar system has been operating successfully for several months in the Pardubice Region, and similar projects are being prepared throughout the Czech Republic.
More information here.