Essay About Urban Bus Transit Systems And Transfer Optimization

Transfer Optimization of a Urban Bus Transit Network
Abstract
Transfer optimization often becomes necessary in the planning of the
urban bus transit systems due to the non-availability of the direct routes.
Most of the urban bus transit operators cannot provide the direct routes
because of inadequate demand. In this paper an algorithm for transfer optimization
is presented. The algorithm takes into account the time differences
in the arrival and departure times of the connecting buses. Besides it can
consider all the transfers nodes in the network. A waiting time function that
adequately penalizes the excessive transfer time is used. Finally the application
of the algorithm is demonstrated on the buses operated by Durban
Transport in the city of Durban, South Africa.
Keywords: bus transit network; offset times; scheduling; transfers
1. Introduction
Bus transit scheduling is concerned with the day-to-day operations.
It is indeed the most important component that is of concern to the
users and operators. Efficiency of any public transport system could
be increased through proper scheduling. Scheduling is an activity that
essentially involves the assignment of vehicles and crew in an economical
fashion, in response to existent and latent ridership patterns,
and in accordance with written and unwritten labor rules. A good
schedule minimizes both the waiting times for the passengers as well
as the transfer time from one route to another. In effect it will produce
a better level of service (LOS) to its passengers at no extra cost. In
most of the transit networks it is not always worthwhile to provide a
direct route when there is no adequate demand. Thus some users may
need to make transfer when there are direct routes. This transfer
involves not only waiting but in general causes inconvenience to the
users particularly during bad weather conditions. Any transit user,
who missed a transfer on a rainy day by few seconds knows the
importance