Estimating the extra costs imposed on delivery vehicles using access time windows in a city

Abstract

Analyses performed before introducing access time window policies in the center of European cities often do not evaluate the extra costs imposed on carriers from the additional number of vehicles required and increase in tour length. To facilitate this evaluation, we have developed a vehicle routing algorithm that considers the existence of access time windows and adapts tours to this restriction in the best possible manner. The procedure is based on a genetic algorithm, which we calibrate by analyzing several experiments in a test network. We then apply the algorithm to a real case study in the city of Seville, where local authorities are considering increases in the duration of the time window restriction and the size of the restricted area.