A Study on the Low-Floor Bus Route Selection Considering a Residential Distribution and Traffic Characteristics of the Transportation Vulnerable

Abstract

The guarantee of transportation for elderly and handicapped people is increasingly necessary owing to their growing social and economic activity. In March of 2013, a partial amendment to the law for transportation of the vulnerable was made by the government, to make more convenient transport a legal requirement. The amendment describes standards for the installation of transport facilities, and its support available. However, the adjustment of low-floor bus routes is not included. Therefore, low-floor buses are operating without consideration for the handicapped. This study evaluates the current low-floor bus system user experience by considering the residential distribution of vulnerable customers and analyzing their reasons for using public transport. As a result of this work, adjustments to current bus routes are proposed. The residential distribution of vulnerable people has been assessed using the supporting materials of the urban renewal project in Busan City, and their reasons for using public transport have been collected by a survey of the target user groups. The results show that group A, which has good accessibility, was in high demand, but provided the most limited service. Whereas group C, which also has good accessibility but was in low demand, provided its service most frequently. The data show the supply and demand inconsistencies of low-floor buses, and the inefficiency of bus route allocation. Therefore, this study proposes improvements to current methods for the effective operation of low-floor buses.