Optimizing bus routes using an algorithm could reduce travel time by up to 36%. This is the conclusion of a simulation conducted in Terrebonne by a team from Concordia University, which shows that “on-demand public transit” benefits passengers as much as public companies.
Unlike fixed bus lines, where you have to board according to a set schedule, the route of an “on-demand” public transport changes every day. You order a bus on your phone (like you would order a taxi), then an algorithm redirects the vehicle that comes to pick you up at the agreed time and then transports you wherever you want according to an optimized trajectory based on the requests of other passengers.
This technological version of the bus could revolutionize public transport as much as Uber did for taxis, believes researcher Seyed Mehdi Meshkani.
Based on the example of Terrebonne—where “the transportation problem is serious”—his team simulated different scenarios. “We generated trips with 50, 100, 150 or 200 passengers. We varied the number of vehicles. And in all cases, on-demand transportation reduced waiting time, total travel time and detour time,” summarizes the co-lead author of the study published this summer.
Their analysis indicates that on-demand transport, when compared to the durations of current bus lines, reduces the total duration of the trip by up to 36% and the duration of detours by up to 41%.
This “detour” time corresponds to the difference between the duration of the bus journey and that of the same journey by car, without having to make detours to pick up other passengers.
These results only apply to suburbs or neighborhoods with few residents, he points out. The “on-demand” system does not work if demand is too high. The algorithm then becomes overloaded and quickly inefficient. The Concordia study does not indicate this limit where the number of users would become too large for the service to be able to meet demand.
Save time, save money
“This study is relevant for both passengers and transport agencies. For passengers, it shows that it reduces travel times. For agencies, it can significantly reduce costs,” says Seyed Mehdi Meshkani.
This solution reduces operating costs because it relies on the use of vans rather than full buses. This small vehicle consumes less gasoline, requires less training for drivers and requires less maintenance than a standard bus. The latter costs up to $8.98 per kilometre to stay on the road, compared to less than $1 per kilometre for the van, according to data from the Société de transport de Laval.
In addition, on-demand transport allows the user to avoid connections, which makes it more convenient.
Further proof that this service is effective, it is growing almost everywhere in the world, observes the specialist on the subject. He expects that more and more suburbs will turn to this solution halfway between the bus and the taxi. “In 2018, there were only one or two cities that offered on-demand transportation. Now, I see every day, either in academia or in industry, people who are proposing this solution. It has many advantages, and it corrects many problems.”
The supply of on-demand buses is increasing year after year in the regions of Quebec. Montreal suburbs and Saguenay have launched their own service this summer following the examples of Gatineau and the Richelieu Valley.
This story is supported by the Local Journalism Initiative, funded by the Government of Canada.
This content is produced in collaboration with Concordia University.