Rural Transportation

Location: South West, Nova Scotia

Partners:

Municipal governments (MODL, Digby), BayRides (community transport), Nova Scotia Health, private software and vehicle leasing firms

Summary:

Developed a flexible on-demand transportation system using a digital platform for rural residents to access health appointments and services.

Impact:

Improved rural mobility, especially for seniors and low-income families.

Project:

Energy-efficient upgrades to social housing

Overview:

Municipalities partnered with non-profits and private tech vendors to build a rural transport service for health and daily mobility needs.

Participants & Stakeholders:

Public Sector: MODL (Municipality of the District of Lunenburg), Digby, Nova Scotia Health Authority

Private Sector: Vehicle suppliers, digital logistics and dispatch platform vendors

Nonprofit Sector: BayRides, Le Transport de Clare

Leadership: Municipal community development managers

Consulting Vendors: Transportation planners, digital mobility service consultants

Value Contributions:

Municipalities: Planning, governance, funding

BayRides: Daily operations

Tech vendors: Routing/scheduling platforms

Health Authority: Integration with healthcare transport needs

Goal:

Provide equitable access to mobility through an on-demand community transit system

Roadmap & Results:

Discovery & Design-

Success Factor: Health travel needs mapped with Nova Scotia Health Authority

Planning & Configuration-

Result: Custom scheduling platform developed with regional vendor

Pilot & Test-

Result: 96% rider satisfaction; average wait time under 30 minutes

Execution-

Result: Over 6,000 rides delivered in the first year

Governance & Innovation-

Impact: Improved healthcare access, reduced missed appointments by 38%

Four value framework lenses:

B2B (Business-to-Business): Value created between private sector actors.

B2C (Business-to-Consumer): Value created from businesses or service providers to individual citizens.

G2B (Government-to-Business): Value delivered from public sector to business ecosystems.

G2C (Government-to-Citizen): Value delivered directly to citizens by government programs or PPPs.

B2B:

Partnerships with private vehicle leasing and software vendors created recurring revenue models.

Local social enterprises (BayRides) scaled their operations.

B2C:

Riders booked trips digitally or by phone, enabling flexible door-to-door access.

G2B:

Municipalities provided transport subsidies that supported healthcare cost reduction.

Encouraged local job creation through driver and dispatch roles.

G2C:

Citizens in underserved areas accessed essential services, appointments, and jobs.

Reduced social isolation for seniors and mobility-challenged residents.

Value Framework Dimensions:

Economic Value (EV):

Reduced travel costs for citizens; optimized municipal transport spend.
Functional Value (FV):

On-demand, app-enabled door-to-door transport.

Experiential Value (XV):

Higher independence and dignity for seniors and low-mobility riders.
Social/Public Value (SV):

Access to healthcare, jobs, and social life for isolated citizens.

Strategic/Ecosystem Value (ESV):

Cross-jurisdictional mobility infrastructure supporting shared services.