Title: Multi-agent-based bus route optimisation for restricting passenger traffic bottlenecks in disaster situations

Authors: Sayaka Morimoto; Takahiro Jinba; Hiroto Kitagawa; Keiki Takadama; Takahiro Majima; Daisuke Watanabe; Mitujiro Katuhara

Addresses: The University of Electro-Communications, 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu-shi, Tokyo 182-8585, Japan ' Mizuho Information & Research Institute, 2-3 Kanda-Nishikicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8443 Japan ' TIS Inc., 8-17-1, Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023, Japan ' The University of Electro-Communications, 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu-shi, Tokyo 182-8585, Japan ' National Maritime Research Institute, 6-38-1, Shinkawa, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo 181-0004, Japan ' Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7, Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan ' Socio Tech Data, 1-5-1, Hanekami, Hamura-shi, Tokyo 205-0016, Japan

Abstract: This paper focuses on the passenger traffic bottlenecks occurring in the bus route network in disaster situations and proposes the multi-agent-based bus route network optimisation method to resolve such bottlenecks by generating the networks which can effectively transport many stranded persons who wait around the station as the bottlenecks. For this purpose, the proposed method modifies the bus route networks generated as usual situations to suitably generate the bus lines and redistribute the buses among the lines according to the number of passengers. The intensive simulations have revealed the following implications: the proposed method 1) can optimise the bus route network which is suitable for the bottlenecks; 2) optimises the bus route network which can cope with the hard disaster situations without an additional buses; 3) has the capability of decreasing a risk of the bottlenecks by concentrating on a modification of the lines having the bottleneck stations.

Keywords: route optimisation; multi-agent systems; MAS; agent-based systems; traffic bottlenecks; disaster management; emergency management; stranded persons; bus routes; route optimisation; bus route networks; simulation; bottleneck stations.

DOI: 10.1504/IJAL.2016.074936

International Journal of Automation and Logistics, 2016 Vol.2 No.1/2, pp.153 - 177

Received: 25 Feb 2015
Accepted: 31 Oct 2015
Published online: 24 Feb 2016 *