Rural communities in the Baltics to benefit from Spare’s on-demand transport planning tools

Spare, the world’s leading on-demand mobility software provider, is teaming up with Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) to launch a forecasting tool that will allow rural communities in the Baltic Sea Region to compare the costs and benefits of different transport services. It is Spare’s first project in the area but builds on its existing expertise in Europe, namely in Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom and most recently, Germany.

The project is part of the RESPONSE initiative, which examines the untapped potential of demand-responsive transportation (DRT) mainly in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as well as in Norway and Sweden. SEI, a policy and research institute, is leading the initiative.

In phase one of the project, RESPONSE partners from across the region, will use the latest version of Spare’s powerful simulation tool Spare Realize, to iterate different DRT scenarios and their ensuing impact to make data-backed decisions about their service.

In phase two, the outcomes of previous iterations will be synthesized into a model specifically for the Baltic region and hosted directly on the SEI website to enable transport authorities in the Baltic Sea Area to plan high-level on-demand networks.

By using Spare Realize, transport planners in the region will also provide Spare with the necessary insight to create an open source model to forecast the demand and cost of DRT for different use cases. That model will be put to the test in the summer of 2021 in three sparsely populated areas of the Baltics where DRT is new.

“Accessibility and reliability of public transportation in rural Baltic communities can be quite limited. With Spare’s modeling capabilities, we will be able to find efficiencies and new service schemes that will allow public transport authorities to increase transport access to residents living in these areas,” says Kristel Nõges, SEI’s Climate and Energy program expert

“By using Spare Realize and working closely with us to refine our models and assumptions, transport authorities across the Baltics are helping to create a cutting-edge simulation tool that will become a public good for all. The authorities’ contributions will impact not just their own communities, but urban and rural municipalities across the region. This collaborative approach to planning is truly unique,” says Jerome Mayaud, Spare’s lead data scientist.

To find out more about Spare Realize and how it can help transport authorities in any kind of service area simulate on-demand transport networks, reach out to Spare at [email protected]