A SIMPLE BUS LINE MODEL FOR OPTIMISATION OF SERVICE FREQUENCY AND BUS SIZE.

SOCIAL COST MINIMISATION OF THE BUS LINE MODEL RESULTS IN SERVICE CHARACTERISTICS WHICH DEVIATE FROM CURRENT PRACTICES IN THESE RESPECTS: (1) THE SAME NUMBER OF BUSES SHOULD BE RUN IN PEAK AND OFF-PEAK; (2) BUSES SHOULD BE SMALLER, WHICH MEANS THAT THE FREQUENCY SHOULD BE HIGHER. THE HOLDING CAPACITY OF AN OMO (ONE-MAN OPERATION) BUS SHOULD RANGE BETWEEN 15 AND ABOUT 60 PASSENGERS. A TMO (TWO-MAN OPERATION) BUS SHOULD BE UP TO 30% LARGER. TWO-MAN OPERATION IS PREFERABLE ON DENSE ROUTES, WHERE RIDER TIME AT STOPS ON THE BUS IS HIGHLY VALUED RELATIVE TO WAITING TIME AT STOPS.(Author/publisher).