THE MINIBUS: THEORY AND EXPERIENCE, AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS

A major change brought about by the deregulation of buses in the United Kingdom has been the increase in the number of minibuses. This paper reviews the secondary evidence in order to identify the role of minibuses in urban areas. The approach adopted has been to examine the literature to compare the theoretical expectations of minibuses with empirical information on what has happened in practice. Four major aspects are covered: the characteristics of minibuses, passenger perceptions, costs and working practices, and usage. The review synthesizes the evidence and identifies the potential role for minibuses in urban areas.

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