The riga public transport service reliability investigation based on traffic flow modelling

Abstract

The target of research is the investigation of an aspect of public transport service quality – namely, reliability from passenger’s viewpoint. The paper presents the reliability assessment methodology with respect to the Riga Public Transport System (PTS) services by using microscopic traffic flow modelling and constructing and developing the integral indicator of the model outputs. The system of indicators analysing the reliability at different levels of hierarchy – from route and transport mode to the integral public transport system (or a fragment thereof) – is developed. The proposed approach makes it possible to model and incorporate some factors affecting the reliability – like weather, congestions, and the number of passengers – for evaluating the integral reliability indicator on the model. To test the approach, the authors have used the simulation model of a fragment of the Riga public transport system, developed based on PTV VISION VISSIM software and data from the Riga traffic survey, which had been carried out in 2016. The implementation of this type of assessment furnishes the Riga transport authority with useful information on non-robust PTS fragments in the context of reliability of PTS service.