Abstract:
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An efficient passenger road transport system
is a boon to any city and an inefficient one its bane.
Passenger bus transport operation involves various
aspects like passenger convenience, profitability of
operation and social, technological and environmental
factors. The author’s interest in this area was aroused
when he conducted a traffic survey of Trivandrum City
in 1979. While some studies on the performance of the
Kerala State Road Transport Corporation in specific
areas like finance, inventory control etc. have already
been made, no study has been made from the operational
point of view. The study is also the first one of its
kind in dealing with the transportation problems for a
second order city like Trivandrum. The objective of
this research study is to develop a scientific basis
for analysing and understanding the various operational
aspects of urban bus transport management like
assessing travel demand, depot location, fleet
allocation, vehicle scheduling, maintenance etc. The
operation of public road transportation in Trivandrum
City is analysed on the basis of this theoretical
background. The studies made have relevance to any
medium sized city in India or even abroad.
If not properly managed, deterioration of any
public utility system is a natural process and it
adversely affects the consumers, the economy and the
nation. Making any system more efficient requires
careful analysis, judicious decision making and proper
implementation. It is hoped that this study will throw
some light into the various operational aspects of
urban passenger road transport management which can be
of some help to make it perform more efficiently |