SINGAPORE — From December, commuters can request to be picked up and dropped off at selected bus stops through a mobile app under a six-month trial of on-demand bus services.

Details such as final locations and operating hours will be announced closer to implementation date.

Announcing the award of the S$2.26 million contract of the trial to two companies on Monday (Aug 27), the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said Via Transportation and the Ministry of Movement (SWAT) will start offering their on-demand bus services on selected bus routes with low travel demand during off-peak hours.

Regular buses will continue to ply the selected routes, but at lower frequencies, so that commuters who prefer using regular buses still have access to fixed route bus services.

Via Transportation is currently operating on-demand bus services in cities such as New York and Chicago, while homegrown firm SWAT began a ride-sharing service serving commuters mainly in the central business district in August 2016.

This is the second phase of the on-demand bus services trial, after the two companies won an initial contract of about S$466,000 to develop a dynamic routing and matching algorithm.

The LTA said that the algorithm developed by the two firms “has thus far demonstrated that on-demand public buses can optimise limited resources, while offering more seamless and convenient bus journeys for commuters in areas or during timings with low or unpredictable ridership”. 

For example, commuters will be able to request for pick-ups and drop-offs at any bus stop within the defined geofence area through a mobile app.

The LTA said the second phase involves the development of hardware and software solutions for the on-demand public bus system.

These solutions comprise mobile apps for commuters and bus captains, back-end tools required to monitor services during the trial, and operational and maintenance support for the system.

Both contractors will train bus captains and support staff to operate the system.

Additional simulations will also be conducted to fine-tune the operating parameters and geofence areas of the system, said the LTA.

In the lead-up to the operational trial, LTA will work closely with the contractors, bus operators and the community in the trial areas to familiarise residents and commuters with on-demand public buses.

On-demand buses will also be trialled in other parts of Singapore like Sentosa from 2019. From next year, visitors and staff on the island will be able to hail autonomous buses via their smartphones, or at kiosks along a designated 5km route as part of a three-month public trial. Two 22-seater buses, and two 15-seater shuttles will be used during the trial.

Elsewhere in the world, on-demand bus services are running in cities such as Helsinki, New York and New South Wales.