THE PRACTICE OF BRITISH BUS OPERATORS IN PLANNING URBAN BUS SERVICES

Many inter-related factors affect the demand for bus travel and the supply of bus services. Most of these factors are beyond the control of the urban bus operator. The authors trace the history of the changing nature of bus transportation in Britain since the 1950s and examine the results from a large 1981 questionnaire survey of urban bus operators. The survey was designed to show how operators chose or modified their routes and services. Alternative approaches to the planning of bus routes and frequencies are investigated and the results of each system are discussed. The influence of load factors and layover times on the length of route is examined. The average layover time was found to be 6.5 per cent of driving time. It was established that between 1970 and 1980 most bus operations were based on results of studies using in-house expertise and manual methods. Few urban bus operators used more advanced computerised methods although about one third of those surveyed had investigated the use of computer packages. Most operators appeared to have a rather large reserve fleet and few collected any data relating to load factors. (TRRL)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00410683
• Corporate Authors:

  Printerhall Limited

  29 Newmart Street
  London W1P 3PE,   England 
• Authors:
  • Chua, T A
  • SILCOCK, D T
• Publication Date: 1982-2

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 66-70
• Serial:
  • Traffic Engineering & Control
  • Volume: 23
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: Hemming Group, Limited
  • ISSN: 0041-0683
  • Serial URL: http://www.tecmagazine.com/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bus drivers; Bus transit; Buses; Data collection; Environmental impact statements; Information processing; Itinerary; Level of service; Load factor; Manual control; Methodology; Numbers; Operations; Planning; Public transit; Routes; Surveys; Timetables; Transportation operations; Urban areas; Vehicle occupants
• Uncontrolled Terms: Manual (By hand); Mileage; Use
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• Old TRIS Terms: Bus transportation (Intracity); Operations planning
• ITRD Terms: 2002: Hand (human); 699: Itinerary; 6488: Length; 9102: Method; 6432: Number; 1144: Operations (transp network); 143: Planning; 744: Public transport; 1186: Timetable; 8119: United Kingdom; 313: Urban area; 9084: Use; 1715: Vehicle occupant
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Passenger Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00361834
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-033 020
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 30 1982 12:00AM