Bus terminals in The Netherlands often occupy large areas of high economic value close to the main railway stations. By making the bus terminals more compact, land of high-economic value becomes available for other use. For the traveller a more compact terminal will increase comfort and safety. A smaller area accommodates a lower number of platforms, which results in an increased usage of a single platform by multiple bus services. Static allocation of services to platforms is severely limited by uncertainties in the arrival time of public transport vehicles. Dynamic allocation of platforms to services can increase utilisation significantly. For this to work, arriving vehicles have to be tracked and passengers have to be informed. This paper describes the technology used in the operation of compact dynamic bus terminals in The Netherlands.
Abstract