We already have this in my rural area in the states. There's a shuttle that picks people up to funnel them to either the local parking lot near the interstate (to catch a larger bus to the closest city center) or to disperse them to the 5 or 6 large employers across 3 counties.
You call the company, they send a van. Usually you get picked up with two or three other people and it might take an hour to get where you're going (when a car could do it in 30-45 minutes in a direct route). Or you schedule a regular pick up, and they coordinate to have you ride with 10 or so other people, but the ride is a lot shorter.
And it's 100% free. The large employers pay to subsidize its use for the entire area because they get such a value from it. You can get the shuttle to take you anywhere.
Indeed, and in Germany it’s called "Rufbus” and that’s what you have in small villages where a regular bus service is not available.
I know there are such in other countries but I don’t know the other names.
If I had to guess it comes from Russian маршрут/marshrut (route). Маршрутки/Marshrutkas in the former Soviet Union typically run on fixed routes just like busses.
You call the company, they send a van. Usually you get picked up with two or three other people and it might take an hour to get where you're going (when a car could do it in 30-45 minutes in a direct route). Or you schedule a regular pick up, and they coordinate to have you ride with 10 or so other people, but the ride is a lot shorter.
And it's 100% free. The large employers pay to subsidize its use for the entire area because they get such a value from it. You can get the shuttle to take you anywhere.