A rural school with big mobility needs

On paper, fixed-route-and-schedule transit is perfect for schools. After all, timetables, routes and passengers are the same day in, day out. Easy to plan for, easy to program, right? Nevertheless, every year finds cash-strapped local authorities juggling increasingly tight budgets with the need to provide safe, reliable and efficient services. In rural areas, the problem is compounded by large catchment areas with scattered populations, making optimizing linear routes and sticking to strict timetables a challenge.

This was certainly the case for Ongar Academy in Essex, UK, which had to move some 130 students over an area of nearly 200 sq km with only a handful of minibuses. And when the school expanded in 2019, the pressure only increased. Having already exhausted all options to cut costs, Essex County Council reached out to Jacobs Consultancy. Jacobs then partnered with Shotl, challenging us to find an innovative solution to the school’s growing mobility needs while still keeping costs down.

Solution

Using the existing fleet of 7 minibuses, we adapted our algorithm and on-demand platform to meet the strict pick-up and drop-off-time requirements of home-to-school transit. Rides were pre-programed in bulk and students collected from virtual stops placed at the optimal distance between each home. Phase II of the pilot gave parents the flexibility to cancel unwanted rides via the Passenger App.

We provided the Passenger App, Driver App, Dashboard, driver and user training, marketing materials and support. Essex County Council funded the service and provided drivers and vehicles.

Outcome

With a widely distributed population and growing mobility needs, Ongar Academy was the perfect place to adapt our on-demand solution for home-to-school transit. Two successful pilots demonstrate the potential to optimize routes, improve efficiency and deliver a better service for less.

According to Essex County Council, static supply and demand-led transport planning is increasingly incompatible with new perceptions of mobility and public appetite for digital services. Therefore the dynamic nature of on-demand transportation offers an opportunity to enhance public transport and attract new users.

Key results

? Introducing a data-driven approach allowed us to optimize school bus routes, making home-to-school services more efficient.

? The two pilot phases demonstrated the technical feasibility of on-demand transit and that a similar service is theoretically achievable with fewer vehicles.

? The delivery of these two pilots established confidence in the technology and provided Essex County Council with valuable lessons on how to deploy on-demand services.

? The real-time ride tracking functionality was highly valued by service administrators, parents and students.

Beneficiaries

? The school, Ongar Academy, has a more convenient mobility solution saving the time and effort involved in programming repeat rides. It also benefits from improved data to offer a better mobility service to families.

? The bus operator has a more efficient, cost-effective digital solution, a direct communication channel with users and better data-based insights. Cancellations or changes are available via a single access point.

? The local council has successfully applied smart city technology to a rural area and fulfilled its mandate to provide improved home-to-school transport at no extra cost. It has made Ongar an easier, more attractive place to live.

? Parents get an instant communication channel with the bus operator, a more personalized service for their kids and the greater peace of mind that comes with real-time ride tracking.