Functional Requirements for Management and Control of Public Transportation Vehicles, Applied to Sustainable Mobility in Medium-Sized Cities

Abstract

Public transportation systems stimulate the economy of cities, while affecting their infrastructure and influence the lives of citizens. For this reason, sustainable mobility is one of the most challenging areas for medium-sized cities. Factors such as delay in the technologies integration and increased motorization favor the increase of emissions, the rise of informal transportation, and the detriment of public transportation in these cities. To improve the operation and management of public transportation with the help of technology, it is essential to identify the technological needs to be covered in the public transportation systems of medium-sized cities. In this paper, an exploratory analysis was conducted to identify the functional requirements of the fleet management and control system for public transportation in the medium-sized cities of Colombia. Using qualitative analysis tools, the information gathered through interviews with public transportation administrators in different cities of the country was analyzed. Results show the functionalities required for the control of public transportation vehicles, the service delivery preferences in fleet management and control systems, and the challenges faced by public transportation systems of the medium-sized cities to be sustainable in time.