From April 23 to April 24, 2024, a delegation from Japan’s renowned transportation group MICHINORI Holdings, Inc., led by President Yoshida Gen, along with executives including Owari Koichi, Asai Kouta, Asami Tomohide, Takatsuka Hiroaki, Kimura Kyoudai, and Horiguchi Hiroshi, arrived in Beijing to conduct an on-site inspection of the innovative practices of the customized bus system in the Dawangjing Business District. They also visited Mingzhi Huixing (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd. to engage in in-depth discussions on the application and development of Demand-Responsive Transit (DRT) technology.
In recent years, due to the increase in private car ownership, the rise of shared mobility, and changes in travel habits, urban public transportation systems worldwide have experienced a decline in passenger flow. Public transport globally faces the dual challenges of declining ridership on fixed routes and resource misallocation. As passenger numbers decrease, urban bus services reduce frequency, exacerbating a vicious cycle. Meng Wei, Chairman and General Manager of Mingzhi Huixing, pointed out: “The core value of DRT lies in replacing fixed supply with dynamic demand, reconstructing efficiency logic through technological means.” Demand-Responsive Transit, also known as flexible bus or on-demand bus, is a new public transport model that lies between traditional fixed-route buses and ride-hailing services. It provides more flexible and efficient travel services by dynamically responding to passenger travel needs, especially suitable for low-density areas or off-peak times, making it one of the important directions for the future development of smart transportation. The exploration of the Chinese market provides practical examples for this model: Beijing’s customized bus service serves over 60,000 passengers daily, with the Dawangjing Business District area utilizing “online reservations + flexible routes” to initially achieve demand responsiveness, although the scheduling algorithm has yet to reach its maximum efficiency. Chengdu’s 2.0 version of demand-responsive service (2021): introduced a flexible capacity pool during peak hours, dynamically adjusting vehicle density with algorithms, improving capacity utilization by 25% during peak periods. Hengqin’s full-area DRT (2023): achieves “3-5 minutes response to orders, average arrival in 15 minutes,” shifting from “people waiting for buses” to “buses finding people,” reducing user wait times by 60%.
On-Site Inspection: Intelligent Practices of Customized Buses
In the Dawangjing Business District, representatives from MICHINORI Group gained in-depth insights into the operational model and technical highlights of the regional customized bus service. This route utilizes an intelligent scheduling system to match passenger demand with vehicle resources in real-time, significantly enhancing commuting efficiency and user experience through features such as cashless payment and real-time location tracking. The delegation focused on the data-driven operational model, pricing strategies, and commercialization, and highly praised Beijing’s achievements in the digitalization and greening of public transport.
Technical Exchange: Collaborative Innovation in DRT
At Mingzhi Huixing Technology Company, both parties discussed the core technologies of DRT. Mingzhi Huixing showcased its self-developed DRT intelligent platform, which utilizes AI algorithms for dynamic vehicle scheduling, demand forecasting, and route planning, effectively reducing empty running rates and enhancing service coverage. Mingzhi Huixing aims to address the quality and efficiency issues in public transport through innovative technologies and algorithm capabilities, promoting the intelligent development of the public transport industry. They have established a cutting-edge algorithm team and jointly set up the “Travel Algorithm Technology and Large Model Application Laboratory” with Beijing Jiaotong University. Utilizing the JD-DVRPTWDRT algorithm, they are at the forefront in large-scale public datasets, supporting 1,000 vehicles with 10 seats online concurrently. They have already implemented a full-area DRT model covering 87.1 square kilometers in Hengqin, responding to user demands in real-time, with a response rate exceeding 90% and a successful ride-sharing rate of 88%, achieving industry-leading levels. Additionally, Mingzhi Huixing has developed the industry’s first AI large model deeply integrated with high-precision ride-sharing algorithms and dynamic scheduling technology, capable of accurately analyzing real-time operational data and driving decision optimization, ensuring service timeliness and user experience; the model optimizes ride-sharing detour coefficients, dynamically allocates flexible capacity, and responds to cross-region scheduling while balancing cost control and service quality, validating the industry-leading technological advantage of “data-driven + multi-objective collaborative optimization.”
During the exchange, both parties reached a consensus:
1. Technology Integration: Promote the integration of AI large models with travel scenarios to optimize real-time response capabilities using big data.
2. Resource Management: Facilitate the collaborative layout of public transport resources such as vehicles, lines, and stations.
3. Iterative Upgrades: Focus on upgrading algorithm accuracy, enhancing flexible scheduling capabilities, and deeply sensing user needs.
4. Business Model Upgrades: Gradually expand the commercial application scale of autonomous driving.
Cooperation Outlook: Building a New Ecosystem for Smart Transportation
This inspection laid a solid foundation for future in-depth cooperation between both parties, jointly exploring global solutions for DRT.
Meng Wei, Chairman and General Manager of Mingzhi Huixing, stated: “MICHINORI Group’s long-term accumulation in sustainable transportation is worth our learning.”
About MICHINORI Holdings Group: MICHINORI Holdings Group is a leading comprehensive transportation service provider in Japan, covering urban buses, intercity transport, tourism, and vehicle maintenance. The group envisions “an infinite journey of sustainable transportation” and is a pioneer in promoting electric buses, autonomous driving, and MaaS platforms in Japan, employing 5,500 staff and operating over 2,400 new energy vehicles.
About Mingzhi Huixing (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd.: Mingzhi Huixing Technology is a pioneering enterprise in DRT technology in China, focusing on the research and operation of Demand-Responsive Transit (DRT) systems. Its core platform has been implemented in cities such as Beijing, Chengdu, Zhuhai, and Hengqin, facilitating the transformation of urban public transport from fixed routes to on-demand travel through AI-driven efficient scheduling and flexible service models.
end
Source: Mingzhi Huixing (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd.
Click and hold to recognize the QR code
Click and hold to recognize the QR code
Follow “Urban Public Transport”
Colleagues in public transport are allwatching