Use Case: Small Towns

Vallirana: a small town with big mobility challenges

Life in Vallirana, a commuter town near Barcelona, comes with its own particular challenges. Infrequent public transport has left many of the town’s scattered population underserved and isolated. For some, a round trip to shops and essential services in the center can require military planning and half a day to complete. No wonder so many residents are dependent on their cars or others to get around.

Bus operator Soler i Sauret is battling on, doing their best to optimize services and cover as much ground as possible following funding cuts. But trying to keep everyone happy is pleasing no one, least of all the lone overworked bus driver. Patchy coverage and long wait times have led to a vicious circle of falling demand, revenue and supply that shows no sign of improving. Clearly, traditional transport planning isn’t working for Vallirana.

This was the situation when Shotl was called in to radically rethink suburban mobility for the town. The challenge was how to get Vallirana moving again without spending more.

Solution

Shotl switched Vallirana’s bus lines to a combination of fixed-route-and-schedule at peak times and flexible on-demand the rest of the time. During on-demand hours, users can request pick-up and drop-off at any of the new stops that now cover the entire residential area, so nobody gets left behind.

We provided Soler i Sauret with a Passenger App, Driver App, Dashboard, driver training, marketing materials and support. They provided the vehicle, driver and driver’s tablet and promoted services locally. Vallirana Town Council funded the service and provided a back-up phone line and staffed help points around town.

Outcome

With a widely distributed and underserved population, Vallirana was the perfect place to implement flexible, on-demand shuttles. We achieved a vastly improved service covering a wider area and got residents travelling faster, further and more frequently, at times that suit them. And all without raising costs.

Vallirana has made a fundamental shift away from traditional transport planning, choosing to focus instead on an active demand-led approach which allows for greater overall transparency and efficiency.

Key results

? The new on-demand service was well received, with user numbers growing rapidly to hit 190 after 6 weeks, by which point most bookings were being made via App.

? Increased passenger numbers meant increased operational costs, but rising revenue more than covered this. So we reduced public spending overall.

? Providing first-mile, last-mile connections to Vallirana-Barcelona transit means more commuters can now leave their cars at home.

? Analysis of user data revealed many residents walk downhill into town and take public transport back. So more people travelling means more people getting healthy exercise.

Beneficiaries

? Vallirana residents can now get around more quickly and conveniently without having to rely on private vehicles. Older and younger generations can also travel independently.

? Bus operator Soler i Sauret has grown its business volume, gained better data and insights into user behavior, and become a pioneering, innovative service provider.

? Vallirana Town Council has improved transit services and quality of life for its citizens, and made Vallirana a cleaner, greener, more attractive place to live, at no extra cost.

? The local community has successfully adopted smart city mobility and technology. Younger generations are learning that it’s possible to live in outlying towns without owning a car.

Video

Follow this link to watch a video about Shotl’s operation in the small town of Vallirana.