Oxford’s bus services are among the best in the country, but its eastern arc has traditionally seen a crippling lack of radial links. That was until the PickMeUp DRT began in the ancient university city
More signs that minibuses may form a part of future urban transport networks have been seen in the Thames Valley, where Oxford Bus Company (OBC) – part of the Go-Ahead Group – launched its demand-responsive, app-based PickMeUp pilot on 25 June.
Oxford’s conventional bus services have a fine reputation. But even in a city where patronage sees consistent year-on-year growth, there has long been room for a DRT addition to take up the slack in one area.
“Links to the city centre are excellent, but connectivity around the eastern ring road has traditionally been poor,” says OBC Managing Director Phil Southall.
Oxford’s eastern arc is home to many businesses, two hospitals, extensive housing and a pair of well-used park-and-ride sites.
Linking them by bus without requiring passengers to make a time-consuming double-back had become a major issue. A service with conventional buses was tried, but when its kick-start funding ended its commercial failure saw it withdrawn.
“But pressure was still being exerted by business in the eastern arc. There was a concern that a lack of radial public transport could deter inward investment. Oxford City Council is very pro-bus and new businesses have restricted car parking,” adds Phil.
For operators and local authorities alike, this had become a serious head-scratcher. But at the same time, Go-Ahead was investigating the future of transport and where DRT minibuses may play a role in it.
The PickMeUp pilot – heavily driven by technology – is already proving its worth as a possible solution to the problem. It is also set to provide important data for Go-Ahead as it investigates the concept’s suitability for other parts of its operation, both within the UK and further afield.
Waking up to DRT
OBC was one of two Go-Ahead subsidiaries to submit proposals for a DRT operation. “The east Oxford scenario was perfect for DRT minibuses. We had an untapped demand, but we did not want to cannibalise our existing network as part of satisfying it,” says Phil.
As an indication of the extent to which public transport was missing out, 90% of radial journeys in the eastern arc are undertaken by car. Of trips to the city centre, 55% are by bus.
OBC’s proposal was given the green light. An early step was to meet with Via, the ride-sharing company that is behind numerous DRT systems around the world.
“We were wowed by Via’s technology. It demonstrated the network that it has in New York, where 4,000 vehicles are in use. The level of detail was an inspiration. Then we started to think about how we could apply it to the Oxford landscape.”
PickMeUp uses Via’s technology to generate trips via app and to allocate them to vehicles. As with ArrivaClick, PickMeUp drivers have an iPad to guide them to pick-up and drop-off points as well as providing passenger data.
Then it was necessary to fix the area of PickMeUp’s operation. It is limited to the eastern arc of Oxford, including the city centre. Via’s knowledge said that six minibuses would be sufficient, although one of the easiest ways in which to service high demand is to expand that number.
Once a local project team was formed, it was time to register the service with the Traffic Commissioner. Thanks to a flexible bus registration, that was easy; all that must be defined on the form is the zone and hours of operation.
“Registering a DRT service is a simple process. A condition is applied that wait times cannot exceed 20 minutes, but there is no stipulation on vehicle numbers,” says Phil. Via created 2,241 virtual stops in the area served by PickMeUp. That number was then ‘cleansed’ to 1,906, but it still delivers extensive coverage
Fares and passes
Fares were also an area to be looked at early on. The introductory charge is £2.50 per ride, but that comes with a caveat; if the passenger uses PickMeUp for a journey that could be made by OBC’s conventional bus services, the charge doubles.
“That is so that we don’t detract from our established routes, although we have seen that some passengers will happily pay £5 because they value the convenience aspect of PickMeUp and also the fact that the driver knows their name, and vice-versa.”
As a registered service, one area that required though was how to deal with concessionary passes. The local authority agreed that it would reimburse OBC for their use on PickMeUp, but passes still needed to be made compatible with the app-based ride summoning concept
“Concessionary passholders register and download the app, and they create an account and register a credit or debit card. They then enter a code in the discount box.”
There are further layers of validation before concessionary users can travel for free. If they board before the time of pass acceptance, their payment card is charged, just as it is if they ‘no show’ when the minibus arrives regardless of time of day.
Additionally, the background colour on the driver’s iPad changes to indicate that a concessionary traveller is boarding. The pass must be displayed at that point. If it is not, arrangements are made for a charge to be made.
Corporate affairs
With Oxford’s eastern arc being rich in places of employment, OBC has put lots of effort into working with businesses there to promote PickMeUp. That involved shoe leather, with members of the team visiting those companies within the DRT zone.
A number of strategies have been adopted to drive patronage. They extend from displaying posters and leaflet dispensers to more imaginative ideas. Part of that is for employers to pledge a sum of money to support PickMeUp. It is not handed over to OBC in one payment; instead, it is used to allow fare discounts and is ‘drawn down’ as and when journeys are made.
A novel innovation is the use of a corporate dispatch mode. It allows receptionists to summon a minibus for an employee or a guest of the company as a gift. The company is invoiced at month end.
To further drive patronage, OBC is hopeful that is will be able to tap in to Section 106 money that will come available thanks to various housing developments within the eastern arc. If that is possible, the operator in return will commit to a service level agreement.
Success so far
By week five of the pilot, demand was proving to be much heavier than anticipated, despite Oxford’s student population being significantly lower than during university term time.
But building on that further is key to PickMeUp’s long-term success. As more passengers are carried, Via’s software learns travel habits. Its algorithms thus permit better aggregation of users, increasing minibuses’ load factors.
“I am very pleased with where we are already; the challenge now is to manage demand. But we want minibuses to run full. To do that we must generate more patronage, develop the aggregation process and ultimately establish the product as a commercially-viable one,” says Phil.
Other things are not yet decided upon. The introductory fare of £2.50 may be adjusted as part of the demand management strategy, and OBC is already looking at adding vehicles to PickMeUp; the short lead time for minibuses is beneficial in that regard.
OBC, and Go-Ahead in the larger sense, is not expecting PickMeUp to become a commercial standout overnight. But performance so far has exceeded expectations, and if user aggregation develops as planned, there is potential for a return in years two or three. “We are not playing at DRT just because we think we should. This is a major project; it was first given to a senior team at group level and we are very much planning to make a profit from it,” he adds.
PickMeUp’s mechanics are much different to those of other DRT schemes already established in the UK, and it represents a novel – and promising – solution to providing affordable public transport where other ideas have failed commercially
PickMeUp is not yet the finished article. But despite being in its infancy, it is already showing signs that it will get there sooner rather than later.
