The Influence of Stops on the Selected Route of the City ITS on the Energy Efficiency of the Public Bus

Abstract

Public transport is an important part of sustainable economic development, sustainable cities, and communities. Reducing energy consumption in public transport can be achieved through better organisation of the transport system, changes in infrastructure, the use of new energy-efficient means of transport, and other ways to achieve intelligent mobility. The operation of a city bus involves frequent stops. These stops are due to the need to exchange passengers at bus stops and traffic conditions. Each stop and the subsequent acceleration process require additional energy consumption. In this paper, an analysis of bus operation within the Rzeszów ITS on a selected route is carried out to determine the energy consumption in these special modes. First, the number and duration of stops were determined based on data recorded during the bus operation using the tracker. Then, taking into account the idle fuel consumption and the energy consumption required to reach a set speed, the total energy consumption associated with the stops was determined. The results obtained on the selected route indicate a significant share of energy associated with stops at bus stops and outside bus stops in total fuel consumption. These shares are about 26.2% and about 42.5%, respectively. The opportunity to improve the energy efficiency of the city bus on the route due to the reduction of stops at bus stops by introducing on-demand stops as one of the elements of ITS has been evaluated. The number of stops related to traffic conditions can be reduced by further improving traffic management and measures to modify urban infrastructure.