diff --git a/contribs/drt/src/main/java/org/matsim/contrib/drt/optimizer/constraints/DefaultDrtOptimizationConstraintsSet.java b/contribs/drt/src/main/java/org/matsim/contrib/drt/optimizer/constraints/DefaultDrtOptimizationConstraintsSet.java
index 3ba0a7ce169..fd26a90256a 100644
--- a/contribs/drt/src/main/java/org/matsim/contrib/drt/optimizer/constraints/DefaultDrtOptimizationConstraintsSet.java
+++ b/contribs/drt/src/main/java/org/matsim/contrib/drt/optimizer/constraints/DefaultDrtOptimizationConstraintsSet.java
@@ -23,34 +23,35 @@ public class DefaultDrtOptimizationConstraintsSet extends DrtOptimizationConstra
 
     @Parameter
     @Comment(
-            "Defines the maximum allowed absolute detour in seconds. Note that the detour is computed from the latest promised pickup time. " +
-                    "To enable the max detour constraint, maxAllowedPickupDelay has to be specified. maxAbsoluteDetour should not be smaller than 0, "
+            "Defines the maximum allowed absolute detour in seconds. maxAbsoluteDetour should not be smaller than 0, "
                     + "and should be higher than the offset maxDetourBeta. By default, this limit is disabled (i.e. set to Inf)")
     @PositiveOrZero
     public double maxAbsoluteDetour = Double.POSITIVE_INFINITY;// [s]
 
     @Parameter
     @Comment(
-            "Defines the maximum allowed absolute detour based on the unsharedRideTime. Note that the detour is computed from the latest promised "
-                    + "pickup time. To enable the max detour constraint, maxAllowedPickupDelay has to be specified. A linear combination similar to travel "
+            "Defines the maximum allowed absolute detour based on the unsharedRideTime. A linear combination similar to travel "
                     + "time constrain is used. This is the ratio part. By default, this limit is disabled (i.e. set to Inf, together with maxDetourBeta).")
     @DecimalMin("1.0")
     public double maxDetourAlpha = Double.POSITIVE_INFINITY;
 
     @Parameter
     @Comment(
-            "Defines the maximum allowed absolute detour based on the unsharedRideTime. Note that the detour is computed from the latest promised "
-                    + "pickup time. To enable the max detour constraint, maxAllowedPickupDelay has to be specified. A linear combination similar to travel "
+            "Defines the maximum allowed absolute detour based on the unsharedRideTime. A linear combination similar to travel "
                     + "time constrain is used. This is the constant part. By default, this limit is disabled (i.e. set to Inf, together with maxDetourAlpha).")
     @PositiveOrZero
     public double maxDetourBeta = Double.POSITIVE_INFINITY;// [s]
 
+    @Parameter
+    @Comment(
+            "Defines the minimum allowed absolute detour in seconds. By default, this bound is disabled (i.e. set to 0.)")
+    @PositiveOrZero
+    public double minimumAllowedDetour = 0;
+
     @Override
     protected void checkConsistency(Config config) {
         super.checkConsistency(config);
-        if ((maxDetourAlpha != Double.POSITIVE_INFINITY && maxDetourBeta != Double.POSITIVE_INFINITY) || maxAbsoluteDetour != Double.POSITIVE_INFINITY) {
-            Verify.verify(maxAllowedPickupDelay != Double.POSITIVE_INFINITY, "Detour constraints are activated, " +
-                    "maxAllowedPickupDelay must be specified! A value between 0 and 240 seconds can be a good choice for maxAllowedPickupDelay.");
-        }
+        Verify.verify(maxAbsoluteDetour > minimumAllowedDetour, "The minimum allowed detour must" +
+                "be lower than the maximum allowed detour.");
     }
 }
diff --git a/contribs/drt/src/main/java/org/matsim/contrib/drt/routing/DefaultDrtRouteConstraintsCalculator.java b/contribs/drt/src/main/java/org/matsim/contrib/drt/routing/DefaultDrtRouteConstraintsCalculator.java
index f8e1f9b36eb..cfcaaa3e5c8 100644
--- a/contribs/drt/src/main/java/org/matsim/contrib/drt/routing/DefaultDrtRouteConstraintsCalculator.java
+++ b/contribs/drt/src/main/java/org/matsim/contrib/drt/routing/DefaultDrtRouteConstraintsCalculator.java
@@ -25,9 +25,12 @@ public DefaultDrtRouteConstraintsCalculator(DrtConfigGroup drtCfg, ConstraintSet
 	/**
 	 * Calculates the maximum travel time defined as: drtCfg.getMaxTravelTimeAlpha()
 	 * unsharedRideTime + drtCfg.getMaxTravelTimeBeta()
-	 * 
-	 * Calculates the maximum ride time defined as: drtCfg.maxDetourAlpha *
-	 * unsharedRideTime + drtCfg.maxDetourBeta
+	 *
+	 * Calculates the maximum ride time defined as:
+	 * unsharedRideTime + min(
+	 * maxAbsoluteDetour,
+	 * max(minimumAllowedDetour, unsharedRideTime * (1-drtCfg.maxDetourAlpha) + drtCfg.maxDetourBeta)
+	 * )
 	 *
 	 * @return DrtRouteConstraints constraints
 	 */
@@ -40,8 +43,8 @@ public DrtRouteConstraints calculateRouteConstraints(double departureTime, Link
 
 		if (constraintsSet instanceof DefaultDrtOptimizationConstraintsSet defaultSet) {
 			double maxTravelTime = defaultSet.maxTravelTimeAlpha * unsharedRideTime + defaultSet.maxTravelTimeBeta;
-			double maxRideTime = Math.min(unsharedRideTime + defaultSet.maxAbsoluteDetour,
-					defaultSet.maxDetourAlpha * unsharedRideTime + defaultSet.maxDetourBeta);
+			double maxDetour = Math.max(defaultSet.minimumAllowedDetour, unsharedRideTime * (defaultSet.maxDetourAlpha -1) + defaultSet.maxDetourBeta);
+			double maxRideTime = unsharedRideTime + Math.min(defaultSet.maxAbsoluteDetour, maxDetour);
 			double maxWaitTime = constraintsSet.maxWaitTime;
 
 			return new DrtRouteConstraints(maxTravelTime, maxRideTime, maxWaitTime);