mobility
shape together.
The reference book *Differentiated Service in Public Transportation* has now been published by BEKA-Verlag and, in my opinion, provides an excellent overview of the current state of various public transportation service models. Since this book also discusses many new forms of mobility that we at geminiptc support, I’d like to make a few comments on the subject:
First of all: I highly recommend this book as a source of information for anyone who needs an up-to-date overview of the various forms of public transportation and is interested in practical examples of how they are implemented. It’s immediately clear how thoroughly the research was conducted and, above all, how much effort was put into providing as comprehensive an overview as possible. Therefore, I’ll just mention a few things here that are important to me or that have caught my attention:
This part was definitely the most important to me. Based on various new modes of transportation, such as ridepooling and ridesharing, binding definitions of these transportation modes have been established here, and I hope that these definitions will be used consistently in the future.
When it came to the topic of “fares for on-demand bus services,” I had hoped for a bit more substance, because key policy decisions need to be made here to ensure that these services are classified uniformly under the fare structure for customers as well. I’m looking forward to seeing another edition of that once it incorporates insights from current projects.
While the focus on traditional forms of public transportation in the descriptions is certainly appropriate, this results in alternative modes of transportation—such as the e-scooters currently being widely discussed—being given relatively little attention. I imagine that local governments, in particular, would like to have more practical information.
I highly recommend the “Intermodal-Multimodal” infographic to everyone! This classification can be particularly useful in the current discussion surrounding MaaS applications to define the scope of functionality that such software applications should have in the future.
Anyone who knows me will surely know that I was particularly interested in the section titled “3.5: Use of ICT in Flexible Service Models.” I was a little disappointed here. While it provides a very accurate overview of the current state of technology in traditional shared-ride taxi services, it unfortunately does not address recent developments in on-demand public transportation.
I thought Chapter 3.6.1, “Taxi and Rental Car Companies as Partners in Public Transportation,” was very well written. This is an absolute must-read for anyone working with taxi and rental car companies; based on my personal experience, I would also like to emphasize the interpersonal aspect.
I would also like to highlight the section titled “4.1 Tailoring Communication to Customer Needs.” Here you’ll find plenty of practical, hands-on tips. Based on my experience, I would also like to encourage readers to take a closer look at how to use digital channels. After all, even though people still prefer the feel of print, anyone who takes a look at how much time they spend on their smartphone can quickly see just how important digital communication has become. And yes, that goes for our target audience as well.
For me, Chapter 4.5, “The RSVG’s Rhesi Marketing Campaign,” is therefore a particularly good practical example. Here you can find a blueprint for how communication regarding modern on-demand public transportation can be organized.
Finally, it is worth noting the chapter titled “5 Differentiated Service Concepts,” which clearly demonstrates that there is no single “one-size-fits-all” solution for public transportation; rather, the local concept must always be tailored to the specific needs of each transportation area. There are many different real-world examples here, showcasing excellent applications.
In summary: The VDV has produced an excellent overview that still leaves room for further expansion.
https://www.beka-verlag.info/VDV-Blaue-Reihe/Differenzierte-Bedienung-im-OePNV-PDF::1219.html