Can I use MP for this and how hard will it be to learn?

Here's my "dilemna":

We run a volunteer designated driver program at our university. We run roughly 10-15 cars to pick people up who call our apartment that we use. Our goal is to assign rides in the most efficient way possible for, of course at the same time not leaving someone to hang excessively long. Additionally, we would like to respond to those waiting at a bar faster than to those waiting at a home to be picked up.

Can I do this with MapPoint and Access? How hard will this be to do?

Possibly.

I'm not sure if Access will be much use unless you pre-store common addresses or use it to store common routes.

MapPoint can find routes for you. It can also optimise routes - ie. decide the optimum order for a series of waypoints. This can be slow, but as you're working in the same city I think you will be okay.

Unfortunately MapPoint will only handle one route at a time. Ie. you can't tell it "here's 30 waypoints and 5 cars, what are their best routes?".


Richard