ZONAL TAXI SYSTEMS: AN IMPROVEMENT IN LOCAL MOBILITY

Details are given of a zonal taxi service, the aim of which is to improve the local mobility of low-income groups, and old and handicapped people, especially those without telephones. The scheme proposed is as follows: taxis would be allocated to a residential area, operating from a local centre, and travelling according to predetermined routes and schedules. The passengers would board or alight on a hail-stop basis, sharing a taxi as necessary. For the old and disabled particularly, route diversion could selectively be allowed so as to enable them to be picked up or set down as close to their homes as possible. Based on Greater London transportation survey data for the London borough of Camden, an investigation is made into the possible number and costs of journeys; a flat rate fare of 5p per person in a high-density area and 21p in a low-density area would make the scheme attractive to both taxi drivers and passengers. This scheme has many similarities to dial-a-ride systems, but, by eliminating the need for a high proportion of telephone ownership, it is especially suitable for less affluent zones. It is suggested that such a scheme, offering an inexpensive pleasant method of making short local journeys and operating in areas currently without public transport, would generate new public transport demand, which, rather than divert from existing services, might feed into them. /TRRL/