Demand-responsive transport (DRT) is an emerging solution to address the limitations of traditional public transportation, particularly in low-demand areas and during off-peak hours. Unlike fixed-route services, DRT systems offer flexible routing and scheduling, making them adaptable to real-time user demands. However, the effectiveness and service quality of DRT systems depends on the design aspects and operational strategies employed. This study examines the critical design aspects of DRT systems, focusing on how they have been modelled and varied in simulations and analysing their interrelations and the corresponding service effects. 

A literature review is carried out to identify and categorise key design aspects of DRT systems. We employed two distinct search strings within the Scopus database, filtering articles based on relevance to our research questions. Our multi-stage selection process included initial screening, skimming abstracts, and in-depth reading of selected articles. A snowballing technique was also applied, where references to the initially selected articles were reviewed to identify further relevant studies. This process resulted in a comprehensive list of design aspects and a dataset that formed the basis of our analysis. Following the selection, a co-occurrence and cluster analysis was conducted to uncover patterns and relationships among these aspects across various studies. The hierarchical clustering approach differentiated distinct groupings, revealing four primary clusters. Additionally, the analysis reviewed how different design aspects have been modelled and varied in the simulations and which corresponding effects have been studied.