Installing an urban transport scheduling system

Bus and driver scheduling methods developed by the authors and their associates form the basis of the leading British commercial scheduling system installed for many organizations throughout the 1980s. New research in the 1990s led to more advanced systems. This paper describes the transition from these research-based systems which had been demonstrated to operating companies through to the implementation of a fully operational system for an urban bus company. After outlining the bases of the scheduling methodology, the paper works through the stages of demonstrating and developing a system to meet the real needs of a client while under considerable pressure of time. It is shown that substantial savings were achieved, and that a good scheduling system can assist in the evaluation of alternative operating arrangements.