Title: Simulation-based fleet scheduling in the Metrobus

Authors: Engin Pekel; Selin Soner Kara

Addresses: Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Machine, Yildiz Technical University, V-207, Istanbul, Turkey ' Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Machine, Yildiz Technical University, A-631, Istanbul, Turkey

Abstract: A successful fleet scheduling in any public transport system has a prominence. Metrobus is a bus rapid transit (BRT) system in Istanbul and has a high usage percentage among the public transport. The aim of this study is to establish a successful fleet scheduling by using simulation in the Metrobus. In addition, it aims to meet the satisfaction of passengers. Metrobus system is regarded as a discrete system in the study. The distributions of the passengers, which are boarding and disembarking the system, are determined with regard to stochastic process and a discrete-event model is constructed to determine at which bus-stop one boards and disembarks from the Metrobus. A simulation experiment is presented with the results by applying several different scenarios. At least 12.7% decrease in queue for Zincirlikuyu direction and at least 9.9% decrease in queue for Avclar direction is achieved in the developed simulation model. The results prove that simulation-based fleet scheduling can be applied for the Metrobus successfully.

Keywords: bus rapid transit; BRT; fleet scheduling; input analysis; public transport; discrete-event simulation; Metrobus; Istanbul; Turkey; stochastic modelling; passenger distribution; buses.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSPM.2016.078523

International Journal of Simulation and Process Modelling, 2016 Vol.11 No.3/4, pp.326 - 336

Received: 20 Jul 2015
Accepted: 13 Feb 2016

Published online: 22 Aug 2016 *

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