Karlstadsbuss Nära service in Karlstad

After a simulation phase, a new pilot service of Demand-Responsive Transport (DRT) is launched in Karlstad in December 2021. It connects Karstad's suburban neighborhoods to the structural bus rapid transit (BRT) network. The service is based on digital solutions developed and provided by Padam Mobility. It is operated by Keolis Sweden under the name Karlstadsbuss Nära.

The city's main public transport network currently consists of nine fixed lines connecting the outlying areas to the city centre of Karlstad. Karlstadsbuss Nära, Karlstad's transport authority, sought to establish a smarter and more efficient public transport service that would not only meet the mobility needs of all residents of Värmland, but would also be financially viable.

Therefore, Keolis Sweden and Padam Mobility were commissioned to develop an attractive DRT service that would optimally complement the existing transport network. For this pilot project, a test area in the suburbs of Karlstad was selected to be served by the new DRT : Mjölnartorpet, which is connected to the larger Kronoparken area and the Välsviken shopping area.

The service aims to transport users to transport hubs following a "feeder" logic in order to offer them a fluid and comfortable mobility experience. It allows them to master the "first or last kilometre" in a convenient way and without time constraints, eliminating the need to use a personal vehicle.

Thanks to the partnership between Padam Mobility and Keolis Sweden, Karlstadsbuss and its users benefit from a high-tech, on-demand solution that guarantees easy and reliable operation.