Sangita Myska asks if on-demand buses offer a passenger-friendly, cost-effective solution to isolation and transport poverty in rural Britain

Long: Powered by apps and algorithms from tech companies such as Via and Padam Mobility, on-demand buses are being piloted in rural areas across the UK.

For local authorities they promise a cost-effective means of tackling rural isolation, boosting rural economies and reducing the number of cars on the roads. And for passengers, on-demand buses should mean more flexibility than traditional bus timetables and routes as well as a greener and cheaper way to travel.

But will technology that works well in city centres and suburbs prove effective across much bigger rural areas, where journey times are longer and, traditionally, the car is king ?

Sangita Myska talks to innovator Chris Snyder at tech transit company Via as well as Niki Park of Norfolk County Council, Justin Ward, Head of Policy at the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation and Alex Shapland-Howes, CEO of Tandem.

Producer: Julia Johnson Show less