Door-to-door transport: Changed and choices

The potential for using information technology to support door-to-door demand-response transport provision has long been recognised. Applying the principles of Business Process Re-Engineering to the provision of public transport facilities suggests that with complete automation the possibility now exists to go into a high volume provision with a service which would offer an attractive alternative to both buses and taxis. Such a service could become cost-effective and the if response to the demand was of sufficient quality to lead to care drivers switching to this mode of transport. This level of utilisation could only occur if a dominant private enterprise organisation were willing to undertake a high risk, or if a regulatory authority imposed the solution.