From School Buses to Carpooling: A Multifaceted Approach to Solving Vehicle Routing Problems in People Transportation

Abstract

This paper delves into the complex realm of vehicle routing problems (VRPs) with a specific focus on the transportation of people, highlighting the nuanced challenges and optimization opportunities distinct from those associated with goods transportation. Among these, the Dial-a-Ride Problem (DARP) is emphasized as a pivotal area of study. DARP caters to providing personalized, accessible transportation services, particularly for individuals unable to use standard transit options, such as the elderly and handicapped. This research meticulously explores the mathematical formulation of DARP, and operational challenges and extends the discourse to encompass related VRPs in people transportation, thereby broadening the scope of investigation. Operational intricacies of DARP include managing time windows for pickups and deliveries, adhering to vehicle capacity limits, and ensuring tailored transportation solutions that optimally satisfy both operational costs and customer convenience. The paper reviews a wide spectrum of heuristic and metaheuristic solution methods developed over the years, tracing the evolution of these algorithms from their inception to the sophisticated techniques currently employed to address DARP's dynamic, static, and stochastic variants. Additionally, the research extends to related problems such as the School Bus Routing Problem (SBRP), which emphasizes the efficient and timely transportation of students, and the Carpooling Problem, focusing on organizing shared rides to reduce vehicle kilometers and enhance mobility. Demand Responsive Transportation (DRT) problems are also discussed, highlighting their importance in areas where fixed-route services are inefficient. Conclusively, the paper discusses the future scope of research in this domain, underscoring the necessity for novel solution concepts to address the growing complexity and scale of transportation demands. The integration of intermodal aspects, combining public transportation with demand-responsive services, and the advancement of hybrid algorithms are identified as key areas for future exploration. This comprehensive study not only contributes to the academic discourse on optimizing vehicle routing for people transportation but also aims to inform the development of more efficient, accessible, and customer-oriented transportation systems.