Suburban residents often face challenges receiving reliable and accessible bus transit — riders often complain about infrequent schedules and long waiting times. Often, transit agencies are unable to provide additional buses because population density in such areas is usually low.

On-demand transit (ODT) is an innovative transportation approach that enhances the accessibility and quality of service while reducing operating costs.

Despite the rapid growth of ODT services in various cities across Canada and the United States, the mechanism of placing ride-requests with many ODT service providers remains reliant on mobile applications, telephone calls or websites.

But privacy concerns may lead passengers to be reluctant to use mobile applications for booking a ride. And individuals without access to phones face barriers in accessing these services.

Our research investigates the potential of ODT by simulating a novel configuration that uses smart devices installed at bus stops.........

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