RFP: Integrated public passenger transportation
In the Netherlands, the accessibility of facilities in rural areas is increasingly under pressure in many places. Over fifty percent (50%) of the Dutch population cannot reach a hospital within thirty (30) minutes using public transport, and forty-two percent (42%) of the students lack access to a university or college campus within sixty (60) minutes. Industrial areas, healthcare, and educational centers suffer from poor accessibility (hardly any difference between rural and urban areas).
This lack of accessibility affects the availability of internships, job vacancies, and the overall attractiveness of the Netherlands in achieving sustainable economic growth.
Furthermore, the livability of cities and neighborhoods is also under strain due to the ever increasing urban density, which leads to a scarcity of space. To address this, cities need more green spaces and significantly more housing within urban areas to create healthier, more livable, eco-friendly, and resilient environments.
The financial impact of regional public passenger transport is increasingly challenging. Due to rising costs of regional public passenger transportation combined with declining revenues as a consequence of the (COVID) pandemic, public passenger transport services have been reduced by about fifteen percent (15%) over the past years (more reductions are anticipated).
In addition to the financial constraints, it is has become clear that there is a combination of (1) system failure, (2) government failure and (3) market failure. The current system operates inefficiently, with separate governance, contracts, and financing for each service, leading to inefficiency and increasing costs.
The national and regional government(s) spend together approximately six (6) billion euros annually on public transportation services nationwide, which include various forms of transport like school buses, regional buses, flexible buses, taxis, and specialized services for the elderly and disabled.
A promising solution to address the system, government and market failure is the concept of “Publiek Vervoer” (hereinafter: integrated public transportation). This concept aims to improve the accessibility of facilities for all citizens at manageable costs. This concept utilizes various forms of transportation, including fixed schedules and fixed routes (Public Transport), on-demand (shuttle) services and shared mobility. All of these supported by one (1) basic digital solution. The mission is to provide a seamless mobility experience for all users, both in rural and urban areas.
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management is taking the procurement lead in the development and implementation of the digital infrastructure for integrated public passenger transportation. It does so in close collaboration with the Province of Zeeland where the procured solution will be tested (as a pilot). If the testing process proves to be successful, a contract will also be rewarded for full service delivery in the province of Zeeland of the developed solution for the coming years.
The following description is used as the conceptual definition of integrated public passenger transport:
An integrated passenger transport system that is accessible and available to everyone, consisting of various forms of passenger transport, including all supporting services, functions, and the combined utilization of all necessary (digital) infrastructure.
Scope
The anticipated scope of the research and development assignment is to develop, realize, implement and to service a continuous improving digital solution for the on-demand shuttle service(s) as part of the integrated public passenger transport system for the province of Zeeland. To be clear; this request for proposal aims to contract a digital planning and dispatching solution of passengers and does not include any mobility services (‘wheels’) to support the integrated passenger transport system.