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Nightrider – a door-to-door night bus on request
Published on 31 January 2018
Luxembourg
Luxembourg
This is the good practice's implementation level. It can be national, regional or local.
About this good practice
The nightrider is a demand-responsive service operated by a local bus operator and covering the whole country of Luxembourg with around 40 000 passengers a year. The service brings people to parties, concerts, restaurants or other activities at weekend nights and picks them off again all over the night. The nightrider is a door-to-door service and combines driving jobs into one trip if possible.
The system was created with support from the Ministry of transport.
Beneficiaries of the project are foremost younger residents, particularly of areas which are not or insufficiently connected to public transport. Due to the financing of some municipalities, nightcards are affordable and the service offers a fast and convenient alternative to car use.
Some municipalities are supporting their inhabitants by subsidising the so-called ‘nightcards’ a sort of membership, which allows the user to go as often as they want in a year by Night Rider by paying a reduced annual fee. The municipalities are paying the remaining price for every trip the user has ordered. Holding a 'night-card' is no precondition to use the service, but an economic advantage. Therefore tourists can use the service as well. Without nightcard, the user fare is calculated by kilometer (around 1,3 €/ km).
The system was created with support from the Ministry of transport.
Beneficiaries of the project are foremost younger residents, particularly of areas which are not or insufficiently connected to public transport. Due to the financing of some municipalities, nightcards are affordable and the service offers a fast and convenient alternative to car use.
Some municipalities are supporting their inhabitants by subsidising the so-called ‘nightcards’ a sort of membership, which allows the user to go as often as they want in a year by Night Rider by paying a reduced annual fee. The municipalities are paying the remaining price for every trip the user has ordered. Holding a 'night-card' is no precondition to use the service, but an economic advantage. Therefore tourists can use the service as well. Without nightcard, the user fare is calculated by kilometer (around 1,3 €/ km).
Resources needed
Until 2009, the service was financially supported by the Ministry of Transport. Today the municipalities pay a prorated contribution to ensure the cost recovery of the service, when offering the 'nightcard' to inhabitants. Users without nightcard pay the full price.
Evidence of success
The practice gives people in rural areas the possibility to go out by night without car thus preventing accidents from drunken car drivers.
The Night Rider has transported 450 000 passengers since the launch and 40 000 passengers per year.
More than 60 municipalities of Luxembourg are offering the ‘nightcard’ to their inhabitants.
The Night Rider has transported 450 000 passengers since the launch and 40 000 passengers per year.
More than 60 municipalities of Luxembourg are offering the ‘nightcard’ to their inhabitants.
Potential for learning or transfer
Already today youth residing in rural areas organise a taxi or a driver for their leisure late night activities. If the costs are not too high, this service will have a positive impact on safety and security, which could be an asset for other countries and regions too.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
Organisation
Sales-Lentz (bus operator)
Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Contact
project manager