Researchers from the University of Aberdeen will be in Edinburgh next week for a two-day workshop where they will join leading figures from across Europe.
Eight parallel workshop sessions will be held on Monday, November 26 and Tuesday, November 27, and will be attended by 100+ delegates including policy makers, politicians, regional transport partnerships, local authorities, transport operators, voluntary organisations, community groups, academics and transport consultants.
Speaking at next week's event is one of the UK's leading transport experts, Derek Halden, Director of DHC and Honorary Research Fellow in the Centre for Transport Research at the University of Aberdeen, who will suggest that public confusion and inconsistent legislation when buying Demand Responsive Transport is leading to a growing number of problems. His workshop will explain how a consumer view is needed to tackle these issues through accessibility planning.
Next week's workshop will examine the practical transport concerns in depth and will be an opportunity for those involved in the delivery of Scottish Transport Services to meet representatives from organisations from other EU countries. The main purpose of the two-day Demand Responsive Transport workshop will be to promote existing best practice from within the UK and Europe, covering all aspects of Demand Responsive Transport operations.
To reflect consumer needs in transport Derek Halden will recommend that public authorities should audit access needs and implement the necessary legislative, funding, marketing and information measures to ensure that accessibility needs are met.
Taking about the process Mr Halden will explain: "People often see Demand Responsive Transport modes like taxi and community transport as fall back options when other modes do not meet their needs. A new approach could integrate Demand Responsive Transport into wider transport systems and ensure everyone's needs are met."
Leading transport research expert, John Nelson, from the University of Aberdeen is also presenting at next week's event, along with speakers from Finland, Belgium, Italy, Ireland and Scotland. He is Professor of Transport Studies and joined the University in July this year as part of a major investment in the field of transport research and heads up the new Centre for Transport Research. He will be discussing how to train the people delivering the service, particularly drivers and dispatchers. Professor Nelson [while at Newcastle University] led the team which produced the definitive good practice guide on Demand Responsive Transport which the Department for Transport has issued to every local authority in the UK complementing the policy and funding advice prepared by DHC and Aberdeen University and issued to all Scottish local authorities. For further details visit: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/05/22101418/0)
Ahead of the conference he said: "This event will be a whole new way of looking at public transport. It is an ideal chance for organisations to find out about the real opportunities for improving services and how Demand Responsive Transport can benefit communities throughout Scotland. It will give people involved in the delivery of Scottish Transport Services the opportunity to meet representatives from organisations from other EU countries."
Professor Nelson will be joined at his workshop by Brian Masson, Honorary Research Fellow for the Centre for Transport Research at the University, who has been instrumental in organising this week's conference. He said: "The main purpose of the two-day Demand Responsive Transport conference will be to promote existing best practice from within the UK and Europe, covering all aspects of DRT and TDC operations. It will also be an opportunity to highlight what has been achieved already in Europe and how these lessons could benefit Scotland."
The concept of Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) is becoming more widely recognised throughout Europe. Scottish Charity Angus Transport Forum supported by Newcastle and Aberdeen Universities has been involved in EU projects to test the concept of Demand Responsive Transport over the past 10 years. The importance of designing a transport system that reflects the needs of people in the 21st century requires a greater understanding of the needs of today's 24/7 society, says Brian Masson, Projects Manager for Angus Transport Forum. He said: "It is possible to design services that are more user receptive than those currently provided. However, this requires greater integration and coordination of services and the ability to identify demands both met and unmet. There has been great success in the introduction of DRT services in Finland, Belgium, Sweden, Italy, Netherlands."
Angus Transport Forum's participation in three EU funded projects DARTS, FAMS, CONNECT and MASCARA has allowed the Scottish Grant to gather information related to best practice in the design of DRT systems in Europe. The Edinburgh event to be held at Ingliston is part funded by INTERREG 111C West programme and the Scottish Government. The MASCARA project involved partners from Ireland, Finland, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Hungary and Scotland. Throughout Europe communities and individuals face similar problems with regard to public transport. European structural funds allow organisations to work together to get a greater understanding of what is possible if we can work together, sharing research and development costs.
This is an ideal opportunity for organisations to find out about the real opportunities for improving services and how Demand Responsive Transport can benefit communities throughout Scotland. Further details are available from: www.angustransportforum.org.
Next week's conference and workshops takes place on November 26 and 27 between 9.00am and 4.30pm at the Royal Highland Centre, Highland Hall, Ingliston, Edinburgh. Eight workshop sessions will be held to allow delegates to participate in the full programme. There will also be an opportunity for attendees to visit displays of accessible vehicles, communication and dispatching technologies.