Progetto Flipper
Flipper project
Throughout Europe the challenge of
providing a cost effective integrated public transport
system is seen as an essential prerequisite to reducing
pollution and congestion whilst encouraging sustainable
economic growth. The traditional fixed route services is
ideal for clustered travel demand areas but the changing of
habitation patterns and nature of work activities in today’s
society have created different mobility needs to which the
conventional transport has become neither suited nor
cost-effective.
In the last few years Flexible Transport Services (FTS) have
proved to be an advantageous solution to the provision of
public transport services. FTS are complementary to the
conventional passenger transport and usually serve no
scheduled mobility needs, either in low demand time periods
and in weak demand areas. Given this flexibility, FTS are
suitable to serve niche market customers and different
citizens' groups (e.g. people with disabilities & elderly,
students, tourists, etc.). FTS usually operate with small
size buses on flexible routes and scheduling, based on the
citizens needs and requests (off-peak hours, low demand
zones, disadvantaged citizens like elderly & people with
disabilities, etc.) and include a range of different
transport services:
- Local
buses on routes with some flexibility (routes, time,
meeting points, etc);
- Real
Demand Responsive Transport Services;
- Special
customers transport;
-
Community Transport;
- Shared
taxis and car pooling, etc..
It is important to note that Flexible
Services aim at reaching:
- An
increase of the mobility and of new trips;
- A
decrease in the use and necessity of a private car;
- The
provision of a local feeder/distributor to conventional
transport;
- an
effective and cost effective mobility commuting
possibilities both for established workers and for
job-seekers.
Such a variety of flexible services and
provision schemes for citizens and the different needs
and/or characteristics of the urban/metropolitan areas also
require a high-level co-ordination and flexibility which can
be guaranteed only by the use of suitable Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) solutions. These different
services can be managed by a unique co-ordination centre ( “Agency”)
which can ensure both the needed flexibility in the
planning, operation and management of the concerned services
and the supply of the requested, necessary information to
the users. FLIPPER stems from the need of some partners who
do not have experience in running FTS to assess their
potential and how to integrate them in the overall Mobility
and Transport policy. The project also takes into account
the need of other partners, who already run FTServices but
lack a co-ordination centre (ICT platform) able to provide a
more complete information to the citizens (unique number,
information centre, web interface, etc.) and networking the
different transport operators.
The partnership, starting from the service experience and
ICT tools development gathered by some partners, will
guarantee the transfer of know-how about FTS schemes and the
“ICT platform” concept in different EU areas, and their
strong promotion at European level. One of the project main
aim is the identification of good practices in the
implementation of these types of services and systems and
their dissemination amongst governmental bodies, research
organisations, transport operators and private companies.
Partners:
|
Partner n. |
Organizzazione |
Paese |
|
1 |
SRM – Reti e Mobilità Bologna |
Italia |
|
2 |
ATAF – Firenze |
Italia |
|
3 |
AUTh – Università
di Salonicco |
Grecia |
|
4 |
BOKU - University |
Austria |
|
5 |
Municipalità di Purbach |
Austria |
|
6 |
UNIABDN –
Università di Aberdeen |
UK |
|
7 |
Municipalità di
Volos |
Grecia |
|
8 |
ATL- Livorno Public
Transport Company |
Italia |
|
Memex |
|
9 |
S.F.M. Serveis
Ferroviaris de Mallorca |
Spain |
|
10 |
Municplaità di
Almada |
Portogallo |
|
11 |
RAL – Ring a Link |
Irlanda |