The role of Demand Responsive Transport
Strengthening rural communities.
Project details
Full project title: The role of Demand Responsive Transport in strengthening rural communities
Sponsor: Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) on behalf of UKRI Creating Opportunities Evaluation Development Fund
Principal Investigator: Professor Kiron Chatterjee
CTS researchers:
Partners:
- University of Leeds
- CoMoUK
- Transport East
- Essex County Council
- Gloucestershire County Council
- Nottinghamshire County Council (succeeded by East Midlands Combined County Authority)
Start date: 1 November 2025
End date: 30 April 2027
Project summary
This project builds on previous research on the impacts of Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) in rural areas on the life opportunities of rural residents, particularly those facing the most significant barriers. In this follow-up project, the focus is on the impacts of DRT on businesses, public services and local organisations to understand the scope of DRT services in strengthening local economies in rural communities. Its objectives are to:
- Maximise learnings and impact from data collected in the original project.
- Obtain evidence on the impacts of DRT on local businesses and other organisations through surveys and interviews.
- Apply the evaluation methodology and data collection developed to evaluate innovative DRT schemes.
- Produce guidance and tools for policy makers and practitioners.
This follow-on work will enable the UK Department for Transport (DfT), local authorities, service providers and other interested parties to have a full appreciation of the contribution of DRT to their objectives and will enable them to make better informed funding decisions. It will also make a major methodological contribution to valuing the social impacts of public transport.