A shared on-demand responsive transport service was found to be an effective solution to the transportation needs of students at the University of Malta’s Msida campus, a project has found.

The project involved developing a smartphone app, in-vehicle terminal software and the backend system. The effectiveness of the system in terms of both technology and cost was subsequently tested in a series of trials.

The results were described as “very encouraging” and suggest a potential for these services to be feasible in situations where there are high demands for travel within a limited geographic space.

The University’s Msida campus was specifically chosen as a case study because it has one of the highest daytime population densities in the islands, with a high percentage of trips distributed around neighbouring towns and villages. If implemented, the project technology would encourage a shift from car use, provide better quality of life for the University population, reduce congestion and lead to the improvement of local air quality.

The project, entitled Shared Demand Responsive Transport System at the University of Malta, was undertaken by a team made up of Prof. Maria Attard, Prof. Adrian Muscat, Michael Camilleri and Nicolette Formosa from the University’s Institute for Climate Change and Sustainable Development. It was part-financed by the Vodafone Malta Foundation Connecting for Good Programme.

The project’s final report was presented to the Vodafone Malta Foundation. Its results were also submitted to the University rector and Transport Malta.

For more information about the project visit the website below.

http://www.um.edu.mt/iccsd/projects/demandresponsivetransport

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