If there was a poster for the industry’s long-term view for future mobility, it would focus on shared, autonomous shuttles zipping silently around a city. Robotaxis have taken much of the spotlight, but microtransit could also bring that vision to reality.
Microtransit is essentially a more flexible bus service with fewer seats. This is enabled by using smaller vehicles that can be summoned via a smartphone app and running routes that might otherwise be underserved. Services are already in operation today with human drivers, providing a useful extra layer to public transportation where coverage is lacking. At the same time, other microtransit ventures have fallen flat by piggybacking routes for which buses, trains and trams already cater.
Automotive World sat down with Alyssa Altman, Head of Transportation and Mobility at Publicis Sapient, to discuss where microtransit is headed, and how budding shuttle operators can make the trend a success story.
Is microtransit its own segment, or does it fall within the wider field of demand-responsive transportation (DRT)?
Microtransit sits somewhere between
