Sara Hernandez

QUALITY OF BUS SERVICES PERFORMANCE: BENEFITS OF REAL TIME PASSENGER INFORMATION SYSTEMS

One of the main problems in urban areas is the steady growth in car ownership and traffic levels. Therefore, the challenge of sustainability is focused on a shift of the demand for mobility from cars to collective means of transport. For this purpose, buses are a key element of the public transport systems. In this respect Real Time Passenger Information (RTPI) systems help people change their travel behaviour towards more sustainable transport modes. This paper provides an assessment methodology which evaluates how RTPI systems improve the quality of bus services performance in two European cities, Madrid and Bremerhaven. In the case of Madrid, bus punctuality has increased by 3%. Regarding the travellers perception, Madrid raised its quality of service by 6% while Bremerhaven increased by 13%. On the other hand, the users´ perception of Public Transport (PT) image increased by 14%.

Public Transport in the Era of ITS: ITS Technologies for Public Transport

Mobility started to grow continuously from mid-nineteenth century thanks mainly to the development of rail transport services, and this trend increased even more rapidly with the growing fleet of cars and buses. The potential of those mechanised transport means made us more mobile. Getting around from place to place is essential to human engagement and endeavour.