The Robustness Value of Public Transport Development Plans

Investments in transport are increasingly motivated by the need to improve its robustness — the capacity to absorb disturbances with a minimal impact on system performance. Nonetheless, there is lack of knowledge on how to assess and quantify the robustness value of new investments. This study investigates the robustness of alternative public...

The prospects of fare-free public transport: Evidence from Tallinn

The subsidy level of public transport systems varies considerably among systems worldwide. While limited-scale free-fare public transport (FFPT) services such as limited campaigns and fare evasion for special groups or specific services are prevalent, there is only limited evidence on the consequences of introducing a full-fledged FFPT. The case...

An Online Learning Approach to Eliminate Bus Bunching in Real-time

Recent advances in telecommunications created new opportunities for monitoring public transport operations in real-time. This paper presents an automatic control framework to mitigate the Bus Bunching phenomenon in real-time. The framework depicts a powerful combination of distinct Machine Learning principles and methods to extract valuable...

How can we better plan for the unplanned? Designing and operating more robust public transport systems

Traditionally, transport systems have been designed to perform well under normal conditions assuming that everything works as planned. As anyone that uses public transport can testify, deviations from planning are a recurrent phenomenon. Investments in public transport are therefore increasingly motivated by the need to improve their reliability...

Public transport pricing policy: Empirical evidence from a fare-free scheme in Tallinn, Estonia

Cities worldwide are looking for new policies to attract travelers to shift from cars to public transport. Policies focused on reducing public transport fares are aimed at improving social inclusion and leading to a modal shift. The City of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, has recently introduced a fare-free public transport (FFPT) service in an...

Measuring Bus Drivers' Occupational Stress Under Changing Working Conditions

Stress is an immense problem in modern society; approximately half of all occupational illnesses are directly or indirectly related to stress. The work of a bus driver is typically associated with high stress levels that negatively influence individual well-being as well as workforce management. The current study examined the impact of newly...