Mumbai lunch box delivery system: A transferable benchmark in urban logistics?

This paper presents findings of a freight transport study carried out for Mumbai city (India). Based on the case study of lunch box delivery system organized by the Mumbai dabbawalas, demonstrated that an informal sector was capable of developing an urban logistics system that was precise, reliable and affordable to the middle class society in Mumbai. These facts suggest an approach based on adapting logistics solutions harmoniously to the urban landscape, public policy, infrastructure and skill sets of the company’s employees in order to be attractive to the end customer, offering a good match between supply and demand i.e., consumer and producer satisfaction. At the same time logistics solutions should evolve continuously in order to be attractive to the core customer base and should be customer driven. These basic management principles can be applied in the management of other urban logistics companies in the world over.     

Overview of public transport policy developments in South Africa

Public transport in South Africa is one of the most burning issues in the transport sector. The government is faced with huge public pressure to improve public transport systems in the face of rising fuel costs, the pending implementation of expensive urban toll road systems in the Gauteng province, and elsewhere in urban environments, public transport safety issues, public transport fleet renewal, especially the commuter rail services, as well as limited resources to fund public transport. As a developing country, the South African Government has pressing funding issues such as funds needed to improve housing for the poor to improve schooling and public health services. Government is also faced with a vocal minibus taxi industry that transports an estimated 65% of all commuters in the country that is also insisting on subsidies for its services.     

Regulation,trust and contractual incentives around transport contracts – Is there anything bus operators can learn from public air service contracts?

This paper compares recent experiences in contract negotiation and subsequent commitment in public air services with the bus industry. The heart of the paper is a survey of European and Australian regional airlines, which we mirror with revealed experiences of bus operators. We aim to identify a number of elements in the contracting regimes that have exposed ambiguity and significant gaps in what the principal (e.g., transport department) expected, and what the agent (airline or bus operator) believed they were obliged to deliver. Ultimately airline and bus services are similar in that public authorities procure transport services that are desirable for the society but would be unprofitable without government involvement. In both sectors (theoretically fairly similar) public transport contracts are used, and those usually include obligations and performance measurements. In terms of similarities, one of the surveyed contract details that had a perceived high clarity in both industries was “payment procedures” and amongst those with rather poor clarity was also in both industries “incentives to improve performance and grow patronage”. We also show differences between regional air services and bus operations with regard to performance measurement and pre-specified obligations. Because of the strong safety culture around air services we find that regulation and trusting partnerships are even more important to aviation than to the bus sector. Because of the high level of trust but also because of simpler and more complete contracts in aviation, there is much less (re-)negotiation going on compared to the bus operations.     

Engaging the paratransit sector in Cape Town on public transport reform: Progress,process and risks

The South African government in 2006 initiated an urban public transport reform programme reliant on the introduction of new bus rapid transit (BRT) systems. Affected paratransit operators can opt to be incorporated in these systems by forming new operating companies, but must withdraw their existing services from proposed routes. Cape Town's first phase of BRT operations came online in 2011, and operator engagement has focussed on this phase. The attitudes within this city's paratransit sector in relation to future phases, and to the broader reform policy, remain largely untested. In view of this sector's past resistance to government-led proposals, and the current phase avoiding areas with the highest concentrations of operators, the current engagement process's outcomes may not be adequate indicators of future prospects.     

南京市公交企业补贴机制研究与分析

城市公共交通经营亏损是一个不争的事实,研究公共交通合理补贴是一个迫切需要解决的问题。本文在对公共交通经营方式分析的基础上,结合南京公交集团经营情况分析,提出以成本补偿为依据,改进完善公交补贴机制,合理确定补贴额,拓宽对公交政策性亏损的补贴来源渠道。同时,借鉴台北市对公共交通的经济补贴政策及相关的评价制度,将行风评议结果纳入考核指标体系。呼吁政府在加大资金补贴的基础上,进一步落实公交优先政策,从政策、规划等方面予以支持,改善公交企业的经营环境,推动公共交通事业的平稳健康发展。     

西宁市实施公交优先措施的探讨

随着西宁市交通需求的增加和交通问题的日益突出,优先发展公共交通已经成为交通发展的必然选择。本文主要分析了西宁市公共交通发展的现状及存在的问题,探讨了西宁市实施公交优先发展的建议与增强公交吸引力的措施。     

Examining the Political and Practical Reality of Bus-based Real Time Passenger Information

Abstract

Enhancing the bus experience through improved information provision is a key element of UK Government transport policy. Real time passenger information (RTPI) is perceived to reassure waiting passengers, to benefit the bus operator through increased revenue and the local authority, by promoting social inclusion and achieving a modal shift. RTPI also provides an important tool for operators by allowing them to monitor services and refine their schedules.

The aim of this paper is to understand the reasons for implementing RTPI in the bus sector, and to determine the key issues impacting on the likely success of such a policy. A case study approach investigates the experiences of two provincial towns in the UK. The paper suggests that, whilst it is unclear whether RTPI has resulted in an increase in bus patronage, it is considered to be most effective when combined as part of a package of measures. It is intended that the findings from the two case studies will reveal lessons of relevance to authorities contemplating the introduction of RTPI.     

Optimization of Fare Structure and Service Frequency for Maximum Profitability of Transit Systems

Abstract

Providing efficient public transportation has been recognized as a potential way of alleviating congestion, improving mobility, mitigating air pollution, and reducing energy consumption. Many people use public transportation systems for their daily commute, while others use different transportation modes (e.g. cars, taxis, carpools, etc.). Inexpensive fares with good transit service encourages ridership, and the resulting revenue may be used to provide better service. Optimization of transit service frequency and its associated fare structure is desirable in order to increase revenue at reasonable transit operating expenditure. The objective of the study reported here is to maximize profit subject to service capacity constraint, while elastic demand is considered. The solution methodology is developed and applied to solve the profit maximization problem in a case study based on Newark, NJ, USA. Numerical results, including optimal solutions and sensitivity analyses, are presented. It is found that an optimal temporal headway and differential fare structure that maximizes total profit for the studied subway system can be efficiently solved.     

私有与私有制之辨——基于《共产党宣言》的文本分析

文章在论述"消灭私有制"的文本含义及其误读的基础上,深入阐述了私有与私有制的区别及区分意义,提出马克思在私有和私有制的理解和评价上存在着诸多的维度和层次,并非完全否定二者,而是在一定意义上给予了二者充分的肯定,为正确理解《共产党宣言》提供了参考。     

公交服务水平评价的Fuzzy Logic模型

本文在充分考虑评价对象的复杂性和评价指标的模糊性的基础上,提出了城市公交服务水平的多目标、多级综合评判方法的Fuzzy Logic模型。该模型通过熵权法确定指标权重,有效避免因个人主观因素对参数指标权重的影响,避免了传统评价方法的主观片面性。最后以某市公共交通为例,依据实际运营资料,提出评价指标体系,并利用已建立的模型进行了案例分析,分析模型的正确枉及评价方法的可行性,效果良好。