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Flexible Transport Training Module B, 12.7.2004 / LT Consultants Ltd

Module B: Technologies for FTS

Content of the module

• Dispatching technologies• Optimisation tools• Booking and passenger information technology• IVR automated notification• Telecommunications: Internet, wireless, positioning • Vehicle interaction technologies• In-vehicle equipment• Payment systems





Common features of full Dispatch Software (1/3)

• Pre-registering customer details and default outward and return journeys

• Locating and logging pick-up and drop-off locations• Fast searching of available routes and vehicles and

automatic allocation of bookings to vehicles• Offer alternative vehicles where appropriate• Group bookings facility, with the ability to amend

individual bookings once made

Brand (2003)

http://www.tsu.ox.ac.uk/research/t+h_softrev_03.pdf






• Block booking, for example, every Wednesday for six months

• Define vehicles as restricted for particular group use• Easy definition and drawing of routes, areas and

stops through digital mapping• Only offering suitable vehicles catering for the needs

of customers• Seamless multi-dispatcher use with no double

bookings possible• Robust and flexible data communication to vehicles

using modern technologies

Brand (2003)







• Automatic communication with vehicles and the facility to receive pre-set messages from vehicles

• In-vehicle registering of boarding passengers• Flexible definition of service type, for example, fixed,

semi-fixed, flexible, deviating fixed and free routes• Seamlessly combine a variety of forms of transport

such as taxi, minibus, etc.• Comprehensive and flexible reporting tools for

standard and ad hoc queries

Brand (2003)






Dispatch Software Developers

MobisoftCSIRO

(Australia)Ecolane

Korsisaari

Softeco Sismat

Eivon DOSK Reaktor InnovationsTrapeze Software

(Canada)Planit Sweden

PROMETHEUSLogical Transport

De LijnPPS/EDV

tod

Ortec

http://www.mobisoft.com/

http://www.ecolane.fi/

http://www.korsisaari.fi/Engsampo.htm

http://www.logicaltransport.com/drt/index.html

http://www.cmis.csiro.au/or/LITRES/

http://www.cmis.csiro.au/or/LITRES/

http://www.delijn.be/

http://www.trapezesoftware.com/

http://www.trapezesoftware.com/

http://www.planit.se/planet_frameset_uk.htm

http://www.dosk.se/

http://www.eivon.no/SamTax/

http://www.pps-edv.de/

http://www.transport-on-demand.com/

http://www.reaktor-i.com/fi/inenglish/


www.softeco.it




Possibilities in trip combining

Sihvola (2003)

Separate trips

Trip combining with chained trips Trip combining with overlapped trips

Empty vehicle

Trip made by passenger

Requirements for the vehicle are different, so trips can not be done with the same vehicle

Passengers can not be in the vehicle at the same time, but the trips can be made with the same vehicle

No limitations for the trip combining





Possible constraints in trip combining

Sihvola (2003)

No constraints for combining Combining is possible, but there is constraints on fixed points of trip

Combining is possible if passengers are notin vehicle at the same time

Combining is not possible

Other fixed point of trip (stop)

Starting point (fixed point of trip)

Trip destination ( ) fixed point of trip

Trip can not be combined

Trip combining possible

Fixed points of trip can not be inserted Passenger properties do not prevent combining and passengers fit in vehicle

Long stop prevents combining after the stop

FD

Bad behaving passenger with mentallyproblems prevents transporting other passengers simultaneously

Passenger with guide dog prevents transporting of allergic passengers with the same vehicle

SS

SS

SS

F D

D

D

DF F

F

SS

SS





Properties ofpassengers

1.

The logic for trip combining

3a.

3b.

Geographical properties of trips

Schedule of trips

2. Properties ofvehicles and

special properties of trips

Constraints for optimisation process with

passenger properties

Combining is possible if passengers are not in the vehicle at the

same time

Free to CombineThere is constraint

on combining based on fixed points of

trips

Optimisation process with map based dispatch

softwares

Combining is not possible and viable

Combining is possible and viable

Sihvola (2003)





Optimisation tools

• Public service provider specifies basic elements of optimisation process– Objectives of the system (Cost savings, Improved Level of

Service, etc.)– Boundaries of the optimisation (Criterias of the provided

service)

• TDC operator specifies the optimisation process (operation of the dispatch software)– Optimised variables





Objectives of the FTS system

• FTS has to cope with the dilemma between the service level and the costs of the transportation service. The better the services are, the higher the costs per unit will be. Determining aspects are:– Booking time limits– Punctuality (promised, actual)– Travel speed and time related to detours in order to create

combinations– Frequency of services– Restrictions caused from other modes of Public Transport– Price (Fare, tariff)– Travel time offset (time-window)





Example of optimisation process constraints

• Maximum ride time (MRT) - a maximum allowed passenger ride time. • Widest shift at pickup time (WSP) - the maximum delay or early arrival

at pickup time allowed during scheduling• Widest shift at delivery time (WSD) - the maximum early or late arrival

at destination stop allowed during scheduling• Maximum deviation from the shortest route

Ambrosino et al. (2004)

http://projectapps.vtt.fi/Connect/DocumentReport.aspx?id=127





Schedule optimisation process

• In practice, schedule optimisation uses a combination of preceding criteria that reflect the needs and priorities of the operator and Public Transport policy in region

• Generally, optimisation algorithms attempt to minimise or maximise a value calculated from a mathematical function (eg. a weighted sum) of parameters that reflect the selected optimisation criteria

Ambrosino et al. (2004)






Degrees of Freedom

• Routing• Timing• Vehicle assignment

Finn (2002)

http://www.vtt.fi/tuo/54/projektit/invete/pdf/ws_finn.pdf





Routing

• Deviate on request, return to same point• Deviate on request, return to optimal point• Fixed route on trunk, flexible at one/both ends• Predefine stops/collection points, thread route among

some or all of these• Generate trip directly from requests on freerouting

basis

Finn (2002)






Timing

• Advance or delay departure time• Pick-up or set-down at a time specified by user• Adjust timing to meet/wait for another transport

service• Choose whether or not to operate a given trip• Time period for switching between fixed route and

flexible services

Finn (2002)






Vehicle assignment

• Assign vehicle with wheelchair lifts or other facilities for mobility impaired

• Upsize/downsize vehicle to match expected passenger numbers

• Assign smaller/more robust for smaller rural roads• Assign appropriate vehicle/driver if packages/

document handling is required• If few passengers, pass the work to a taxi firm

Finn (2002)






Optimisation process

• Scientific publications about the schedule optimisation has been widely published

• Good coverage of the publications can be found in the CONNECT Knowledge Library:


http://projectapps.vtt.fi/Connect/portal/alias__Rainbow/lang__en/tabID__3326/DesktopDefault.aspx





Trip request

[t][t]

∆ ∆ tt

[t][t]

∆ ∆ tt

time

Pick-up point

Drop-off point

[[ ]][[ ]][t][t]

time

Service offer

Computed route

Service planning

Softeco (2003)





Booking and passenger information technology

• The booking function needs to:– Accept the detailed request of the user– Turn this into a specific offer to the user– Efficient process, minimise input/effort, fast

• Tools include:– Input templates for TDC operators– Supporting databases, location tools, gazetteers– Time-window offers, negotiated mobility offer– Auto-booking of return journey, trip to home

EU (2000)

http://projectapps.vtt.fi/Connect/_Rainbow/Documents/connect/samplus_d4.1.pdf





Telematics-based DRT services

Mageean and Nelson (2003)





Booking and passenger information technology

• Automated trip booking is possible using– Phone (cell or fixed-line, dial-tone capacity required)– SMS message– WWW browsers– Information kiosk

• Automated trip notification is possible with– regular phones (automated voice responders)– GSM mobile phone– WWW browser





IVR automated notification

• IVRS = Interactive Voice Responsive System• With IVRS, the customer makes use of the standard

push buttons of the telephone to compose identification numbers: customer number, departure time and day, departure stop, arrival stop, number of travellers

• A recorded voice leads the trip ordering process





IVR automated notification

• Manual booking is initially the least costly method of pre-booking

• As bookings increase the IVRS and Internet booking will offset operator costs

• IVRS and Internet booking have some advantages– available 24 hours– virtually eliminating the possibility of a call not being

answered – which can lead to a lost booking. • Transportation kiosks (Touch screens and magnetic

swipe cards) are quite expensive options, but they do improve the quality of service especially for return booking

Mageean and Nelson (2003)





Telecommunications: Internet, wireless, positioning

Softeco (2003)





In-vehicle equipment (in-vehicle terminals & arch.)

• An in-vehicle terminal (IVT) acts as interface between the TDC, the driver and the vehicle

EU (1999)

http://www.vtt.fi/tuo/54/projektit/invete/





The in-vehicle units can be distinguished by

• on-board computer• location system• communication system (i.e. the interface to TDC)• passenger device





Communication between different processes in the IVT

EU (1999)






In-vehicle terminal

• Display of trips and routes• Download of new trips and trip modifications from

TDC• Vehicle positioning (GPS, odometer, map matching)• Trip navigation support • Communication with TDC (GSM, GPRS)• Precoded messages (accident, traffic jam, alarm, …)





General layout of the DRT driver interface

EU (1999)






In-vehicle terminal

• The equipment needed for the vehicle consists of an onboard unit, including a modem, data terminal, key pad, central processing unit (CPU) and the antenna of the Geographical Positioning System (GPS)

• Usually fixed but new applications are based on mobile units based on Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) and the new cellular phone technology

Brand (2003)






Location system

• Mostly based on GPS• The location sub-system is either a base technology

provided by an existing AVM system or a FTS sub-system.

• In the first case the approach is the one of FTS-AVM integration

• In the second case, the location system is more freely sized to the specific requirements of the FTS System.





Passenger devices for fare collection

• The smart card permits automated management of payment operations and additional functions such as customer validation or passenger counting– Contact card– Contactless card– Dual Interface

• Other applications (in addition to PT application) can be inserted into the smart card– Traditional public transport– Electronic cash– Library Card– …





References

G. Ambrosino, J. D. Nelson, M. Romanazzo (Eds) (2004) “Demand Responsive Transport Services: Towards the Flexible Mobility Agency”, Rome: ENEA.Brand C. (2003) “Transport and Access to Health Care: the Potential of New Information Technology”, University of Oxford, Transport Studies Unit.EU (1999) “INVETE - Intelligent in-vehicle terminal for multimodal flexible collective transport services”, INVETE Project Web site.EU (2000) “A Basic System Architecture and Technical Solutions for DRT”, SAMPLUS Project, Deliverable 4.1.Finn, B. (2002) “FAMS – Demand Responsive Transport Systems: Possibilities of ITS”. INVETE Workshop, 16th May 2002.Mageean J. and Nelson J. (2003) “Demand Responsive Transport Services: Recent European Experience”. Presented at the STELLA project focus group by members of the Transport Operations Research Group, University of Newcastle upon Tyne.Sihvola T. (2003) “Conceptual development of Integrated Multiservice Transportation Centres”, Masters Thesis, Helsinki University of Technology.Softeco (2003) “Personalbus” Slideshow by Softeco Sismat SpA, Provided 14th July 2004.





http://projectapps.vtt.fi/Connect/_Rainbow/Documents/connect/samplus_d4.1.pdf





The end of the Module B





Sihvola (2003)

Properties of passengers

• The properties of passengers are compared

• TDC gets passenger properties from:– Passengers personal service

profile (in the data base of the TDC)

– Passenger informs TDC about his/her properties when making the trip order

• Constraints are based on laws, regulations, local authority instructions and predefined criteria

YES

NO

YES

NO

1a.

1b.

Can passengers be transported with the same vehicle?

Free to CombineCombining is not possible

Can passengers be transported at the same time?


same time





Sihvola (2003)

Properties of vehicles and special properties of trips

YES

NO

NO

YES

2a.

2b.

Is there room for the passengers in

the vehicle?

Do vehicles or special properties of trips constrain

combining?



trips


same time

• The capacity of vehicle limits combining (2a.)

• Special properties of trip can be e.g.– long stop in the middle of the

trip– special auxiliary device limits

the use of vehicle (electronic wheelchair blocks doorway)





Sihvola (2003)

Geographical properties and schedule of trips

• The schedule optimisation process is the most complex part of trip combining

• Mostly it is done with map based dispatching software

• In small systems it is possible to do optimisation process manually

3a.

3b.Schedule of trips

Geographical properties of trips



trips

Combining is not possible and viable

Combining is possible and viable


same time
