Road Transport: Components and Types

Basic Components of Road Transport

• Road transportation needs materials and facilities to operate just like other businesses
• Vehicles carry passengers through a route, which has a starting point and endpoint

Types of Passenger Transportation

• Non-fixed route transport doesn't have a fixed route or fare; the fare depends on distance and service level
• Fixed route transport has fixed routes and fares, follows a schedule, and is known as "mass transit"

Classifications of Mass Transit Service

• Collector/Distributor: Operates in local areas like residential or commercial districts, picking up and dropping off passengers along arterial roads
• Regular Service: Operates on main highways in urban areas with traffic restrictions, connecting major activity centers with designated stops
• Express Service: Operates on main highways and regional roads connecting provinces, loading and unloading passengers at terminals

Tourist Transportation Choices

• A tourist's choice depends on their travel style and purpose
• Some prefer mass transit, while traditional tourists opt for non-fixed routes for convenience

Stops

• Stops are locations for passengers to embark and disembark
• They can serve as transfer points and have signs with information
• Stops may include amenities like roofs, benches, and lighting to enhance convenience, with locations managed by the government

Terminals

• Terminals are located at the origin and destination points of a route
• They can serve as transfer points or be integrated to serve multiple routes in one location
• Terminal locations are assigned by the government and are larger than stops
• Regulations cover accessibility, traffic flow, and allowed areas in terminal construction

Garages

• Garages are located away from main roads, storing vehicles when not in use
• They are also used for vehicle maintenance and repairs

Basic Components of Road Transport Operation

• Transit line is the infrastructure for transport service, aligned for vehicles operating on a schedule
• Transit network is a coordinated set of transit lines for efficient operation and integration

Fleet

• Fleet refers to the vehicles used for regular passenger service
• Fleet size is the number of vehicles needed
• A transit unit is a group of vehicles from a fleet traveling together
• A fleet may have one type of vehicle or different models to adapt to passenger demand, with inspections for compliance with standards

Passenger Flow and Volume

• Road transportation depends on travel demand
• Passenger flow is the rate of passenger travel, while passenger volume is the number of passengers in a specific period

Operating Elements

• Object: Persons, goods, and units being delivered
• Distance: Area covered by the trip
• Time: Time taken to complete the trip

Line Capacity

• Line capacity is the number of transit units in a line within a timeframe, factoring in weather, population density, and road pavement condition

Road Transport Performance Indicators

• Frequency: Number of vehicles dispatched per time, measuring reliability and passenger satisfaction
• Dependability: Availability of transport service, measured by adherence to schedule and waiting times
• Safety and Security: Vulnerability of passengers to risk or harm, measured by vehicle features, operation, and transport facility conditions
• Capacity: Maximum number of passengers and distance covered, measured by space, seats, and distance
• Passenger Expense: Passenger cost, measured by reasonability and affordability
• Utilization: How often the service is used, measured by passenger occupancy and distance
• Service Quality: Passenger satisfaction, measured by comfort, convenience, cleanliness, crew attitudes, and amenities
• Environmental Impact: Effects on air quality, noise, traffic, and long-term impacts like land degradation and corrosion

Intelligent Transport Systems

• Intelligent transport systems use systems that make it easier for passengers to transact and avail of services
• Examples: Automated fare collection, dashcams and surveillance cameras

Rail Transport Management

• Rail transport shares similarities with road transport, using the same basic components like networks, fleet (rolling stock), passenger flow, operating elements, and capacity

Basic Train Services and Design Principles

• Designing rail transport relies on clarifying what service the transport provides to passengers. The process takes place on three levels
• Strategic level: Meeting long-term goals with infrastructure and rolling stock investment decisions
• Tactical level: Achieving mid-term goals with planned service types, timetables, and staff operations
• Operational level: Achieving short-term goals, with shifting personnel and determined tasks in day-to-day operations, equipment failures and accidents are being dealt with

Types of rail transportation services

• Urban service: Tramways, metro rails, and monorails
• Suburban service: Commuter rails powered by locomotives
• Regional service: High-speed or tilting trains for interregional trips
• International service: Same type of trains as regional service
• Miscellaneous services: Airport links, tramways for tours, and heritage trains

Parameters for Designing Railway Services

• Type of service offered to passengers
• Timetable of service
• Origin and destination of terminals/stations, including main terminals
• Departure/arrival times of trains in terminals/stops
• Frequency of the service
• Type of rolling stock to be used
• Commercial considerations like fare structure and boarding process

Scheduling of Passenger Railway Service

• Travel times between stations should be determined to set timetables
• Most railway systems use regular time intervals
• The Philippine National Railways (PNR) uses a 40-minute interval
• Adjusting time intervals is common based on time and demand to reduce costs
• Developed systems should consider other interconnected railway systems

Considerations for Interconnected Railway Systems

• Main transport corridors must be determined
• One system should correspond with another's operating schedule
• Interconnections and transfers should have feasible destinations
• Constant service should be provided
• Train routes/itineraries should be announced

Rolling Stock Selection

• Selecting the right rolling stock is based on the needs of passengers
• Consider the factors in the procurement of the right rolling stocks:
• Useful lifespan (30-35 years including repairs and maintenance)
• The development of the right railway infrastructure
• Type of services provided

Procurement Considerations:

• Take advantage of innovations
• Increase service quality and adapt to change
• Cover shortages and replace defective units
• Take advantage of infrastructure possibilities
• Increase competitiveness against other transport
• Respond to unmet needs
• Increase safety

Quality Parameters of Rail Transportation

• Shorter and competitive travel time
• Reliability and regularity
• Service frequency
• Relatively low and competitive fares
• Comfort
• Security
• Easy Ticketing
• Special Services

Fundamentals of a Successful Land Transport

• Success depends on the passenger experience
• Optimize of passenger experience when using land transportation determines if the system is a success or failure

Density Considerations

• Focus on high-density areas for land transport
• Increase population in areas where land transport is available (transit-oriented development)

Activity Factors

• Serve routes to major employment and activity centers
• Connect activity centers for various needs and purposes

Walkability

• Prioritize pedestrian-friendly pathways to terminals and stops
• Improve pathways toward terminals and stops
• Create a pedestrian environment
• Turn front doors to pedestrians

Connectivity

• Use networks to connect routes, considering geography and activity centers
• Build hubs for interacting routes to provide easy access and information
• Unify fares within a network for seamless transfers

Schedule

• Provide all-day frequent service, considering the following factors:
• Vehicle capacity
• Operating costs
• Time of day and passenger density

Travel Time

• Focus on destinations reached instead of distance covered
• Optimize trip time by balancing all phases of the trip (walking, waiting, riding, etc.)
• Establish express services as a parallel with fewer stops

Reliability

• Achieve a dependable system
• Minimize unreliability caused by traffic by creating dedicated lanes and adjusting traffic light signals
• Minimize unreliability of the boarding process, through an improved boarding process:
• Off-board fare collection
• All-door boarding
• Level boarding for easy access
• Service culture to handle delays properly

Capacity

• Transport passengers with a high capacity to meet demands

Legibility

• Passengers are more inclined to use transport methods they understand
• Create a brand for the network to give it an identity
• Identify lines to distinguish routes with colors, numbers, or names
• Identify frequency to denote how often service is availible
• Identify stops and destinations
• Clarify transfers to assist passengers
• Simplify networks so that passengers can remember more easily
• Create a legible experience by following all aspects of legibility