A Suitability Analysis to the Operation Strategies in Intercity Bus Service

• Main Authors: Yuan-Shun Hsu, 許源舜
• Other Authors: Chang, Sheng-Hsiung
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2003
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/46842403011964295925

碩士 === 淡江大學 === 運輸管理學系 === 91 === In order to satisfy the growing demand of intercity trips and to prevent un-permitted buses from operating illegally, the intercity bus market has been gradually opened to more bus companies to compete with each other since 1995, which results in a competitive market. Facing the facts that the market is fast changing and competitive, bus companies are taking action of adjusting routes and reducing seats for raising service level, called ”President seat bus” type for attracting more passengers and decrease their operation costs. This research is designed to study the relationship within three factors: operational strategies, number of seats in a bus and the social cost. It also discussed that how the number of seats in a bus would affect the operational decision of direct, transfer, feeder, transfer and feeder strategies under the constraint of minimizing social cost. By analyzing the advantage of those four strategies, the “best fit” strategies were finally discussed. The result can be used as an index of government approving bus company route changing requests. Referring to different strategies bring about different social cost, the operational cost including operational, vehicle and travel costs and passenger cost including waiting and in-vehicle time costs are considered as a “basic model”. In addition, the “optimal model” is also considered in regarding to the changing of schedule would also result in different levels of congested cost. Under the same constraint of minimum social costs, the appropriate number of seats and vehicle frequency of each strategy was first discussed by using the “basic model” and “best model”. Secondly, the operational headway of each strategy was also discussed by considering the facts of policy headway, integrated headway, travel time variance, etc. Finally, suitability analysis is used to support the best fit operation strategies of bus companies by considering bus companies supply (number of seats), customer’s need (bus stations), and other subject, such as midway-stations. The result first shows that bus companies should not consider the transfer or transfer and feeder strategies at peak time and take the best operation strategy of “feeder” during the off-peak time. Secondly, the headway should be adjusted based on the number of passengers. Third, integrated headway can efficiently decrease the social cost. Besides, unpredicted travel time makes passengers more difficult in their transferring behavior. Finally, the suitability analysis results are as follows: 1. There are no advantages for slowing down the social cost by using of decreasing the bus capacity; 2. The more passengers, the better the direct strategy; 3.If bus companies take the direct, feeder, transfer and feeder strategies with less number of seat buses, the goal of minimizing social cost at peak time won’t be achieved; 4. When fewer passengers are in the midway-station, bus companies are suitable to take feeder strategy with higher number of seat buses; 5. When midway-stations are farther from the start-station, the higher social cost derived. In the meanwhile bus companies aren’t suitable for taking transfer, transfer and feeder strategies under such circumstance.