Transport supply management on regular intercity bus lines

Abstract

Introduction. Intercity public transport ensures the satisfaction of mobility not only for long-distance passengers, but also for residents of small settlements located on a regular line. There are often no other types of regular public transport between such settlements. The growing demand for intercity bus transportation increases the need for efficient transportation design in order to provide competitive public transport services and minimize the costs of carriers.Materials and methods. The article presents a mathematical model of transportation planning on an intercity regular bus line passing through settlements with different numbers of inhabitants. The objective function is aimed at forming a transport supply that satisfies potential demand, for which the gravitational method is used to determine. The analysis of the unevenness of passenger flows by months of the year, days of the week and flights shows that on most flights the capacity of the rolling stock is not used efficiently enough.Results. By comparing the potential number of passengers on flights with the actual one, it is shown that flexible regulation of transport supply taking into account demand will significantly improve the quality and efficiency of public transport services.Discussion and conclusion. Based on the data for 2022 of the booking system serving the regular bus line, it is shown that with the introduction of flexible regulation of the transport offer, the expected increase in passenger turnover will be about 25%.