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Public Transport

Driverless cars – an accelerating reality

The idea that cars might drive themselves has been with us for many years. However, it’s only recently that the computing power, software sophistication and sensor developments required to make automated vehicles – both practical and viable – have been achieved. Now new trials in the UK and a rash of early stage initiatives in emerging markets will only accelerate ...

Fuel Efficiency Training & Management

The adoption of eco-driver training, in conjunction with smart monitoring technologies and a proper incentives system, can be a potent combination of actions to address the fuel-economy and emissions issue for any agency’s urban fleet of buses writes Prashanth Kumar Bachu, Manager – Urban Transport at Embarq WRI India and Pawan Mulukutla, Manager –Urban Transport at Embarq India. Managing a ...

BRTS INDIA EXPERIENCE

Transportation is an essential prerequisite to any city’s socio-economic growth. Safety, accessibility, reliability, time saving and comfort, govern mode choices. In Indian cities, bus transport system has been a primary public transport mode over the past many decades. Though various ULBs have made efforts to provide affordable public transportation through bus systems, not many cities are successful in increasing public ...

Integrating women’s concerns in public transport

Since December 2012, there has been increased attention to women’s experience of public transport. While the demand to make public transport safer for women is rightly emphasized, there is a need for a holistic approach to “engender public transport” i.e. making men and women’s concerns an integral part of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation (UNESCO 1997) of public transport. ...

Intelligent Communication Technology (ICT) for improving Public Transport Integration

The bus transport reform in Seoul came together at many levels including the establishment of a new institutional and regulatory framework, the restructuring of operation and management of bus services, and the alignment of the investment programs to environmental concerns while ensuring greater quality of services for consumers. Seoul’s Transportation Overview In the early 1950s Seoul began to reform its ...

Energy Cost in Metro Rail–Is it getting its due?

The energy consumed by trains is often neglected while arriving at cost of a mass transit project. The authors outline factors to be considered while arriving at estimates of energy consumption by rolling stock and during evaluation of bids for transit projects. Energy consumption by trains is a growing concern for operators and infrastructure administrators. Energy cost is 30-50% of ...

Identifying parameters for public transit evaluation

The author examines interconnectivity issues and attributes of transit stops that are important to commuters, operators, and communities connected with public transport. Travel by public transit involves much more than moving about on transit. A typical door-to-door trip entails walking from one’s origin to a bus stop or train station, waiting for one’s vehicle to arrive, boarding the vehicle, travelling ...

Real-Time Ridesharing Texas Experiments with Toll Roads and Carpools

Recent trends in multi-modal planning seek to make our passenger transportation systems more efficient. What role might smartphones have in how people get where they’re going? An experiment sponsored by the United States Federal Highway Administration is underway to find out. What is real-time ridesharing? Real-time ridesharing (or “dynamic ridesharing”) apps match carpool partners at the time the trip is ...

Urban Bus Specifications

With BRTS and the Government’s emphasis on detrailing in specifications for buses, the perception for bus based transport system has changed in India The National Urban Transport Policy has encouraged public transport with technologies focussed on bus based systems. It launched many initiatives in this regard: Urban Bus Specifications (UBS)-II, Model Detailed Project Report, Model Purchase Document and Model Operators ...

BEST A decade of reforms and improvements

The authors take a look at the developments and reforms in BEST – Mumbai’s public bus transport service during the last decade. Brihan Mumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) along with suburban rail are the life lines of Mumbai. The city with a growing population and a strong adherence to its railway lines, set up the BEST to operate the ...