Research on Demand Responsive Transport Service Area and Fare

To enhance the accessibility of urban peripheral rail transit and address the last-mile problem for passengers in low-demand areas, the study proposes implementing demand responsive feeder buses in areas without public transport coverage. The transit would connect to rail transit stations, aiming to reduce walking and waiting times. Adopting a distance-based fare strategy, a nonlinear programming model is constructed to determine the optimal service area and unit fare per trip, with the objective of minimizing passenger travel costs under the constraint of non-negative operator revenue. A case study of the Shahe Metro Station feeder bus system demonstrates that passenger flow density is the primary factor influencing the service range of demand responsive feeder buses, while the unit fare remains relatively stable across different passenger densities. Sensitivity analysis further reveals that the value of time significantly impacts both the unit fare and passenger travel costs.