Transport for London's second demand responsive transport (DRT) minibus trial began on 13 November, 12 days before it announced that it would not grant a new licence to the Uber taxi hailing service. The Ealing DRT, operated by RATP London United, carries the French group's Slide brand last used in the UK for a DRT service it operated in Bristol from 2016 to 2018. Ten MAN TGE L4H3 minibuses operate seven days a week between 06.00 and 01.00. The booking platform is provided by Moia, which like MAN is a part of Volkswagen Group. Five of the buses are white with blue branding and the colours are reversed on the other five. Ealing was chosen for the 12-month trial, as 40% of those who live there use cars — either private or for hire — to get to work within the west London borough. TfL hopes that a convenient, sustainable alternative tailored to the needs of individual passengers will reduce car dependency. The trial will also look to encourage residents to use public transport for the whole of their journey, linking locals with the 29 bus routes and 10 Underground and railway stations.
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