Vadim Shmal – Organization of passenger automobile transportation. Textbook (страница 2)

– high time value → express trains, taxis, airport shuttles;

– moderate → regular bus with priority on the street network.

Travel distance and comfort:

– over ~60—90 minutes on the way → priority of seats, comfort services;

– short city trips → standing load is allowed when checking occupancy.

Integration and transfers:

– availability of mass transfer nodes → feeder routes, synchronization of schedules, single tariff;

– peripheral areas without hubs → microtransport as a basic service.

Infrastructural conditions:

– opportunities for dedicated lanes/corridors → trunk lines;

– narrow streets, unstable traffic conditions → small/medium rolling stock, micro routes.

Social priorities:

– school/social transportation → specialized regulations, rolling stock with special requirements;

– areas with a high proportion of low-mobility population → low-floor buses, tactile and visual information.

1.1.6 The role of сommunication types in multimodal transport chains

Passenger road transport acts as:

• a mainline component where there are no other types of high carrying capacity.;

• a feeder link for rail and urban rail transport, ensuring the collection/distribution of flows;

• a universal «filler» of network gaps in peripheral and rural areas;

• the «last mile» service to increase the actual accessibility and attractiveness of the entire core public transport network.

1.2 Social significance and service accessibility indicators

Passenger automobile transport is a necessary part of urban and regional life. It connects residential areas with workplaces, schools, clinics, social services and leisure facilities. Its role is measured not only by the number of passengers transported. The main thing is the ability to keep people’s daily routes in working order during fluctuations in demand, during rush hours, in bad weather and during disruptions.

Accessibility is not a single number, but a combination of factors. Spatially, the proximity of stops and the quality of pedestrian approaches are important: you need to get to the stop quickly and safely and just as easily make a transfer. In time, expectations, the actual speed of the trip and compliance with schedules become crucial: for a person, it is not the «average» speed that is more important, but the confidence that he will get to the right interval without major delays.

Physical accessibility means the possibility of a safe and convenient trip for low-mobility groups of the population: a low-floor bus, barrier-free boarding, duplication of information by voice and on the scoreboard, accounting for additional time during boarding and disembarking.

Economic accessibility is the cost of a trip commensurate with income and preferential mechanisms that work.

Information – clear routes and fares, convenient digital planning and payment services.

Institutional – simple and transparent rules for using the service and working feedback channels.

The decision to choose a bus is also influenced by subjective quality – a sense of safety, cleanliness, and clear navigation. For network planners, the regularity and reliability of schedules, the actual intervals by time of day, cabin occupancy, and the proportion of standing passengers in congested areas are important.

The social function of the bus is particularly noticeable where demand is low and dispersed. It is economically unprofitable to maintain frequent movement of large vehicles in such areas. Small and medium-sized rolling stock is more efficient, with more flexible stop patterns and on-demand service. But all these solutions give maximum effect only with normal connection to the main public transport network: agreed schedules, common fares and convenient transfer points. In large agglomerations, it is critical to maintain a balance between the capacity of the main corridors and the configuration of transportation connections: not only the average travel time depends on this, but also the stability of the system in case of demand surges and local disruptions.

Bus systems can be deployed faster and cheaper than rail systems. This allows you to quickly adjust the offer to changes in settlement and business activity. Flexibility is a strong point of the bus, but it does not negate the need for stability of basic services.

The issue of equity is equally important: access to transport should be distributed without bias between districts and population groups. The best social impact is provided by projects that tighten up weak areas and do not worsen the situation in already busy corridors. This requires clear tools for diagnosing transport vulnerabilities, taking into account the needs of passengers with limited mobility, and targeted tariff support so that the price does not become a barrier. It is often enough to improve information – to make schemas and applications clearer, and crash alerts more reliable.

2 REGULATORY FRAMEWORK AND REQUIREMENTS FOR CARRIERS

The legal framework for passenger automobile transportation sets the framework within which a carrier can provide a service and a passenger can demand respect for their rights. The base is the passenger and baggage transportation agreement. In regular communication, it has a public character: the carrier is obliged to conclude a contract with everyone who applies and can be transported according to the established rules and tariffs. Responsibilities follow from this: you can not arbitrarily refuse, you need to be informed in advance and accessible about routes, schedules and prices, to ensure safety and ensure proper registration of the trip. In irregular, registered flights, the relationship is formalized by a vehicle chartering agreement; for such a flight, an order is drawn up with mandatory details – who orders, where, when, what rolling stock and on what terms. In regular transportation, the main document for the passenger is a ticket in the prescribed form, and for the carrier – a waybill. The waybill confirms the admission of the vehicle and the driver to the flight, the passage of pre-flight controls, the time to get on the line and the end of the shift, and serves as the main proof that the trip was completed according to the rules.

Industry-specific transportation rules describe the procedure for boarding and disembarking, baggage and carry-on baggage, benefits, passenger information, and refund conditions. For long-term inter-regional and international flights, requirements are added for sanitary breaks, rest arrangements for drivers, and compliance with procedures at checkpoints. The standards of technical regulation and road safety apply in parallel. They establish minimum requirements for the technical condition and equipment of buses and minibuses, for the availability of safety equipment and information for passengers, for equipment for boarding They establish minimum requirements for the technical condition and equipment of buses and minibuses, for the availability of safety equipment and information for passengers, for equipment for boarding low-mobility groups (LMG) of the population, as well as for the procedure for pre- and post-trip medical examinations of drivers and maintenance regulations. These requirements are mandatory: transportation simply cannot be performed without them.

Transportation of passengers by buses is a licensed activity. The license confirms that the carrier has the right to operate, as well as that it meets the basic requirements for logistics and process management. This includes the organization of dispatching control, release to the line, maintenance of established reporting, training of personnel and compliance with the work and rest regime of drivers. In some cases, certification of individual services and processes is additionally applied. This is a convenient way to confirm compliance with quality and safety standards and increase confidence in the company.

The carrier-passenger relations are also subject to the general rules of civil law and consumer protection legislation. The carrier is obliged to provide complete and reliable information about the service, and in case of harm, bears increased responsibility as the owner of the source of increased danger. This implies the need for real, rather than formal, risk management: serviceable rolling stock, staff training, clear instructions, the work of the dispatching service, actions in emergency situations and adverse weather. The passenger, in turn, must comply with the rules of transport use and public order, but this does not relieve the carrier of the obligation to ensure the predictability and safety of the trip throughout its entire length – from the stop to the exit at the destination.

Tariffs and settlements are a separate important part. Tariffs should be transparent and non-discriminatory, and benefits should be understandable and accessible to those who are entitled to them. Ticket technologies, validators, and payment controls should work reliably and without complicated procedures for passengers. In urban and suburban transport, tariffs are often associated with a contractual service model: in an agreement with a customer, usually a city or region, targets are fixed – regularity of movement, observance of intervals, occupancy, cleanliness of the cabin, accessibility for LMG. If the indicators are not met, sanctions are applied; if they are exceeded, bonuses are possible. Such a scheme makes quality not a wish, but an obligation, which is checked according to the data of the ticket system, navigation and control room reports.