This article investigates reliability as far as the quality of transport provided by various public transport modes is concerned. The reliability of public transport chain travelling times is examined. Up until now, research conducted in this field has only concentrated on trip reliability. A sample of 300 public transport chain journeys operationalised at three different times of the week (at peak hours, off-peak, and during the weekend) were looked at in conjunction with the relevant official timetables as published by the respective public transport companies. The distribution of arrival and departure times, specified for each public transport mode, was used to simulate what could be construed as travel time disruptions when compared to the official schedules published by public transport companies. Finally, a sensitivity analysis was used to study how different policy measures can actually serve to improve travelling times and reliability where public transport chains are concerned. (A)
Abstract