Korid is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Today's topic is on-demand transportation.

We have another installment for you that offers a glimpse into our work, this time on the topic of on-demand transportation.

We’ve been writing a lot lately about the new TvůjBus project. You can find it in the “TvůjBus” section of the timetables menu.

But did you know that on-demand transportation has been operating in the region since 2012 and that the Liberec Region was one of the pioneers in this area? The system is called “RADIOBUS” (link) and is based on the principle of a standard schedule, with the exception that a given stop (usually located off the direct route of the line) or part of the route is served by a bus only upon request. The rules are simple:

• If you are getting off at a stop, let the driver know.
• If you’re boarding at a stop, you must place a request by calling the Central Dispatch Office (704 702 000) no later than 30 minutes before the bus’s scheduled departure from that stop. In this case, you can place multiple orders, up to 7 days in advance. But be careful: if you book a service for the entire week and fail to use it on one occasion without canceling in advance, your entire booking will be canceled.

The Radiobus system is suitable for areas with irregular transportation demand, particularly for sparsely populated areas or for evening service.

A system known as “on-demand transportation” (“taxibus”) is currently being developed in the country, marketed here under the brand name TvůjBus.

Unlike Radiobus, the service is not tied to a specific time or route, but rather to a defined area and operating hours. We are testing a pilot operation between Nové Město and Jindřichovice pod Smrkem. We provide this service in cooperation with ČSAD Liberec and our project partner, CITYA mobility, using an eight-seat vehicle. Vehicles weighing up to 3.5 metric tons and carrying up to 8 passengers are exempt from certain regulations and may stop at so-called “stopping points” or “virtual stops.” For road safety reasons, larger vehicles must use only “traditional” bus stops. With these smaller vehicles, we can offer a “door-to-door” service. Transportation can be booked via the TvůjBus mobile app or on the CED IDOL platform. An exception is on-demand public transportation in Jablonec, which has its own system for booking and organizing transportation; a link to the Jablonec Transportation/On-Demand Transportation website can be found here.

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And what will the next steps be?

The introduction of on-demand transportation in the region requires the following conditions to be met:

1. An area with sufficient passenger potential. (May be combined with smaller settlements.)
2. Transportation needs that build upon or complement the basic system of regular service. Our goal is not to provide parallel service or “cannibalize” regular service routes.
3. Interest from municipalities in the area where the above conditions are met.

We are currently evaluating which other locations in the region might be suitable.

And other goals?

• We want to merge the Idolka and TvůjBus apps.
• We want to standardize the process for booking on-demand transportation (so that Radiobus can also be booked through the app). However, it will likely not be possible to standardize the advance booking period. If we are to keep on-demand transportation truly responsive, we cannot allow multiple bookings made too far in advance. (In such cases, we will instead consider partially fixing the departure times.)

So keep your fingers crossed for us. And we’re confident that you’ll come to see on-demand transportation as a regular part of our public transit services.