An Integrated Algorithm for Shift Scheduling Problems for Local Public Transport Companies

Abstract

This paper presents an integrated approach to solve two shift scheduling problems for local public bus companies: the first one aims at finding a schedule for vehicles, given a set of rides to do; the second one aims at assigning drivers to vehicle schedules. The first subproblem to be faced is the Multiple Depot Vehicle Scheduling Problem, while the second problem to deal with is the Crew Scheduling Problem where each trip is assigned to a driver. These problems are known to be NP-Hard. The main difference with respect to the literature is that the mathematical model, and the related algorithm, are designed based on real world-requirements. Computational results have been carried out on large real-word instances.