What is the difference between a shuttle and on-demand buggies

A shuttle runs a fixed route between set stops on a regular loop, so guests know a vehicle is always coming. On-demand buggies take whoever flags them down. A shuttle carries numbers on a route reliably; on-demand suits scattered individual needs. Many events run both.

How many buggies does a shuttle need

It falls out of two numbers: how long one loop takes, and the peak number of people who need the route in an hour. If the loop is ten minutes and the peak is high, one buggy will not keep up. Size to the peak, not the average, and tell us the route and numbers so we can work it out.

Where should the shuttle stops be

At the points the route connects, usually a car park, an entrance and a far area, fixed and clearly signed so guests wait in the right place. Vague stops turn a shuttle into confusion. Clear, signed stops, with a rough frequency posted, make it a service guests can rely on.

When should we not use a shuttle

When the need is scattered rather than on a route, a few less mobile guests wanting lifts to different places at different times. That suits on-demand transport better. A shuttle is for volume on a defined route. Decide which problem you have, or run both, and we help you design the mix.

Planning a shuttle service at an event

By James Brown · Updated 21 July 2026 · 7 minute read

White electric buggy on a tarmac path at a visitor attraction with families walking nearby

A buggy shuttle service runs a fixed route between set points on a regular loop, rather than on demand. Plan it by fixing the stops, sizing the vehicles to the peak flow and the loop time, and staffing it with briefed drivers, so guests know a buggy is always coming.

Key takeaways

A shuttle runs a fixed route on a regular loop, not on demand.
Fix the stops and signpost them so guests know where to wait.
Size the vehicles to the peak flow and the loop time, not the average.
Brief drivers to run the loop steadily rather than chase individual lifts.
A shuttle suits carrying numbers on a route; on-demand suits scattered needs.

Fix the route and the stops

A shuttle starts with a route: the two or three points it connects, most often a car park, an entrance and a far area. Fix those stops, mark them clearly, and signpost where guests wait, so nobody is standing in the wrong place watching the buggy pass. A shuttle with vague stops is just on-demand transport with extra confusion; a shuttle with clear, signed stops is a service guests can rely on. The stops also let you tell guests, in advance and on signage, roughly how often a buggy comes, which manages expectations at a stroke.

Size to the peak and the loop time

The number of vehicles is set by two things: the peak flow on the route, and how long one loop takes. If a loop takes ten minutes and you need to move sixty people an hour at the peak, one buggy carrying four at a time cannot do it, so you either add vehicles or accept a longer wait. Work out the loop time on your actual route, including loading and unloading, and the peak number of people who need the route in an hour, and the vehicle count falls out of the arithmetic.

Size to the peak, not the average, because a shuttle that copes with the quiet middle of the day and collapses at the arrival rush has failed when it mattered. This is the same peak-thinking that governs guest transport generally.

Staff it to run the loop

A shuttle driver runs the loop, steadily and predictably, rather than chasing individual requests. That is a different discipline from an on-demand driver, and it is worth briefing: keep to the route, keep to the loop, stop at the stops, and do not get pulled off to run a one-off errand that breaks the rhythm for everyone waiting down the line. A shuttle works because it is reliable, and reliability comes from drivers running the system rather than improvising around it.

For a long-running or multi-day shuttle, the driver staffing and the charging tie into the wider fleet planning: enough drivers to cover the hours, and charging that keeps a vehicle always on the loop.

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When a shuttle is the wrong answer

A shuttle suits carrying numbers along a defined route. It is the wrong answer when the need is scattered, a few less mobile guests wanting lifts to different places at different times, where on-demand transport serves better. So decide which problem you have: a route with volume wants a shuttle, dispersed individual needs want on-demand. Many events run both, a shuttle on the main artery and an on-demand buggy for accessibility. Tell us the routes and the numbers and we help you design the right mix.

Common questions

What is the difference between a shuttle and on-demand buggies: A shuttle runs a fixed route between set stops on a regular loop, so guests know a vehicle is always coming. On-demand buggies take whoever flags them down. A shuttle carries numbers on a route reliably; on-demand suits scattered individual needs. Many events run both.
How many buggies does a shuttle need: It falls out of two numbers: how long one loop takes, and the peak number of people who need the route in an hour. If the loop is ten minutes and the peak is high, one buggy will not keep up. Size to the peak, not the average, and tell us the route and numbers so we can work it out.
Where should the shuttle stops be: At the points the route connects, usually a car park, an entrance and a far area, fixed and clearly signed so guests wait in the right place. Vague stops turn a shuttle into confusion. Clear, signed stops, with a rough frequency posted, make it a service guests can rely on.
When should we not use a shuttle: When the need is scattered rather than on a route, a few less mobile guests wanting lifts to different places at different times. That suits on-demand transport better. A shuttle is for volume on a defined route. Decide which problem you have, or run both, and we help you design the mix.