OPTIMAL VEHICLE SIZE FOR ROAD-BASED URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Road-based public transport in the cities of developing countries comes in a variety of physical and organizational forms. Many of these cities have a large component of unconventional or intermediate public transport (ipt). Ipt often fills the gaps in service that cannot be provided by the operators of conventional public transport. The contrast in institutional framework between the operators of conventional vehicles and ipt is sharpened by the profitability of the two types; conventional buses, usually organized in large fleets and often run by the government, are seemingly difficult to maintain as a commercial enterprise whereas ipt which is usually privately owned in small fleets is profitable. A considerable debate has arisen over which type of public transport system (conventional or ipt) to encourage. The debate has often been confused because it involves two quite separate issues: whether the provision of public transport should be left entirely to private enterprise, and, the technical and economic benefits of different bus sizes. Size of vehicle is a particularly important issue in the developing world because vehicles of different size are in common use and are frequently in competition with one another. The purpose of this paper is to review and critically assess current research work on urban public transport with particular reference to vehicle size in the context of third world conditions.(a)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/7802200
• Corporate Authors:

  Taylor & Francis

  4 Park Square, Milton Park
  Abingdon,   United Kingdom  OX14 4RN
• Authors:
  • Vijayakumar, S
• Publication Date: 1986-4

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 193-212
• Serial:
  • Transport Reviews
  • Volume: 6
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: Routledge
  • ISSN: 0144-1647
  • EISSN: 1464-5327
  • Serial URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ttrv20

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Buses; Demand; Developing countries; Development; Economic factors; Economics; Industries; Minibuses; Nationalization; Optimization; Ownership; Policy making; Private enterprise; Profitability; Public transit; Size; Transportation; Transportation planning; Urban areas; Urban transportation; Vehicle design
• Uncontrolled Terms: Capacity; Optimum
• Old TRIS Terms: Bus design
• ITRD Terms: 1272: Bus; 285: Demand (econ); 150: Developing countries; 9013: Development; 9014: Dimension; 263: Economics of transport; 332: Industry; 1263: Minibus; 744: Public transport; 313: Urban area
• Subject Areas: Economics; Planning and Forecasting; Transportation (General); Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00455406
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: May 31 1986 12:00AM