A Visualisation Tool for Planning Passenger Transport Services in Rural and Low-Demand Settings
Paratransit: Shaping the Flexible Transport Future
ISBN: 978-1-78635-226-2, eISBN: 978-1-78635-225-5
Publication date: 28 September 2016
Abstract
Purpose
This chapter presents a novel visualisation tool, known as Flexible Integrated Transport Services (FITS) that transport commissioners, providers and administrators could employ to specify and edit the operating constraints as they redesign transport services.
Design/methodology/approach
The context of rural transport planning is discussed noting that where resources are fewer, effective co-ordination is required to provide passengers with efficient transport services. An overview of the FITS visualisation tool and its different sub-systems (e.g. general information regarding services, operating area, passenger eligibility, fare structure and surcharge structure) is given. Additionally, some key computational details of the system are discussed. Preliminary results of a sample case study that trialled the FITS tool in a specific test run, using simulated transport to health data in the Morayshire and North-West Aberdeenshire area of Scotland are presented. The concluding discussion considers the potential impact of employing tools like FITS in planning transport services in rural and low-demand settings.
Findings
Results from the case study show how these effects could be quantified in terms of changes in costs incurred by transport providers, the level of potential demand that could be covered and the associated revenues (fares and subsidies) which could be generated by providers.
Originality/value
The FITS visualisation tool has the potential to act as a planning tool to help transport commissioners, providers and administrators visualise the effects of shifting operating boundaries of flexible transport services.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgement
This research was supported by the Research Councils UK Digital Economy programme award (reference: EP/G066051/1) to the dot.rural Digital Economy Hub, at the University of Aberdeen.
Citation
Emele, C.D., Wright, S., Mounce, R., Zeng, C. and Nelson, J.D. (2016), "A Visualisation Tool for Planning Passenger Transport Services in Rural and Low-Demand Settings", Paratransit: Shaping the Flexible Transport Future (Transport and Sustainability, Vol. 8), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 103-125. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2044-994120160000008006
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2016 Emerald Group Publishing Limited