Investigation of Instantaneous Effects of Real-time Crowding Information (RTCI) Availability upon Urban Public Transport System Performance: Results from a Simulation-based Case Study

The purpose of this study would be to analyse the implications of providing real-time crowding information (RTCI) on instantaneous (current) crowding levels of public transport (PT) services to travelers – and more specifically, to investigate the output RTCI impact for the on-going PT system performance, based on simulation works on a case...

Exact matching of attractive shared rides (ExMAS) for system-wide strategic evaluations

The premise of ride-sharing is that service providers can offer a discount, so that travellers are compensated for prolonged travel times and induced discomfort, while still increasing their revenues. While recently proposed real-time solutions support online operations, algorithms to perform strategic system-wide evaluations are crucially...

Modelling the effects of real-time crowding information in urban public transport systems

Public transport (PT) overcrowding is a notorious problem in urban transport networks. Its negative effects upon travel experience can be potentially addressed by disseminating real-time crowding information (RTCI) to passengers. However, impacts of RTCI provision in urban PT networks remain largely unknown. This study aims to contribute by...

If you are late, everyone is late: late passenger arrival and ride-pooling systems' performance

Sharing rides in on-demand systems allow passengers to reduce their fares and service providers to increase revenue, though at the cost of adding uncertainty to the system. Notably, the uncertainty of ride-pooling systems stems not only from travel times but also from unique features of sharing, such as the dependency on other passengers'...

Modelling virus spreading in ride-pooling networks

Urban mobility needs alternative sustainable travel modes to keep our pandemic cities in motion. Ride-pooling, where a single vehicle is shared by more than one traveller, is not only appealing for mobility platforms and their travellers, but also for promoting the sustainability of urban mobility systems. Yet, the potential of ride-pooling...

The potential of real-time crowding information in reducing bus bunching under different network saturation levels

Bus bunching is a well-known problem in public transport networks. It is characterized by a self-amplifying relationship between uneven distribution of rising passenger loads and deteriorating service regularity. The focus of this study is to analyse whether this negative feedback loop can be addressed by providing real-time crowding...

Evolution of labour supply in ridesourcing

Contrary to traditional transit services, supply in ridesourcing systems emerges from individual labour decisions of gig workers. The effect of decentralisation in supply on the evolution of on-demand transit services is largely unknown. To this end, we propose a dynamic model comprising of the subsequent supply-side processes: (i) initial...

How to split the costs and charge the travellers sharing a ride? aligning system's optimum with users’ equilibrium

Emerging on-demand sharing alternatives, in which one resource is utilised simultaneously by a circumstantial group of users, entail several challenges regarding how to coordinate such users. A very relevant case refers to how to form groups in a mobility system that offers shared rides, and how to split the costs within the travellers of a...

Beyond the dichotomy: How ride-hailing competes with and complements public transport

Since ride-hailing has become an important travel alternative in many cities worldwide, a fervent debate is underway on whether it competes with or complements public transport services. We use Uber trip data in six cities in the United States and Europe to identify the most attractive public transport alternative for each ride. We then...

The shareability potential of ride-pooling under alternative spatial demand patterns

In In this study, we set out to explore how various spatial patterns of travel demand drive the effectiveness of ride-pooling services. To do so, we generate a broad range of synthetic, yet plausible demand patterns. We experiment with the number of attraction centres, the dispersion of destinations around these centres, and the trip length...

Simulating two-sided mobility platforms with MaaSSim

Two-sided mobility platforms, such as Uber and Lyft, widely emerged in the urban mobility landscape. Distributed supply of individual drivers, matched with travellers via intermediate platform yields a new class of phenomena not present in urban mobility before. Such disruptive changes to transportation systems call for a simulation framework...

Mitigating bus bunching with real-time crowding information

A common problem in public transport systems is bus bunching, characterized by a negative feedback loop between service headways, number of boarding passengers and dwell times. In this study, we examine whether providing real-time crowding information (RTCI) at the stop regarding the two next vehicle departures can stimulate passengers to...

Should I stay or should I board? Willingness to wait with real-time crowding information in urban public transport

Overcrowding is a major phenomenon affecting travel experience in urban public transport, whose negative impacts can be potentially mitigated with real-time crowding information (RTCI) on public transport vehicle departures. In this study, we investigate the willingness to wait (WTW) with instantaneous RTCI to avoid the in-vehicle (over...