ABSTRACT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   Background of the Study

There are no doubts that the implementation of automated systems for fare collection, or electronic ticketing, is already a reality within the Brazilian market of public transport. About five years ago the experiences regarding this subject covered not more than 13 cities, from which only 5 integrally operated their electronic ticketing systems. The others had partially implemented it or had projects still under the planning processes. Some had interrupted their operation.

In general way, every bus is controlled in such a way that money is collected from each passenger in exchange of tickets (printed papers or tokens). However, due to the growth of technology, handheld machines are now sometimes used to print tickets. This system has many disadvantages which includes the passenger carrying the ticket issued till there their stoppage point, the conductor ensuring that everyone has got the ticket, the time taken for ticketing is comparatively more, and more amount of paper is needed to print the Ticket. For example, if a passenger wishes to travel in bus, he/she has to carry money with him/her which will be given to the conductor or cashier in exchange for ticket. This has to be repeated by all passengers, hence causing time, human resource, and energy wastage. (Sunitha, 2017).

Vehicle scheduling refers to the problem of determining the optimal allocation of vehicles to carry out all the trips in a given transit timetable. A chain of trips is assigned to each vehicle including possible deadheading (DH) or empty trips. The number of feasible solutions to this problem is extremely high, especially in the case in which the vehicles are based in multiple depots. Much of the focus of the literature is therefore on computational issues. (Richard, 2001).

Recent contributions noted are of Zak (2009) who developed a multi-criteria optimization method for bus scheduling using two criteria from the passenger perspective and two from the operator perspective with satisfactory results. In addition, studies of integrated multi-depot vehicle and crew scheduling can be found by Borndorfer etal. (2008), Gintner etal. (2008) and Mesquita etal. (2009) that use integer mathematical formulation, relaxation methods and heuristics to overcome the basic hard problem. Other related recent studies search for relief opportunities to approach optimal crew scheduling at transit stops where the drivers can be switched. Such studies are presented by Kwan and Kwan (2007) and Laplagne etal (2009).

The multiple-depot vehicle scheduling problem and its relaxation was discussed into a linear programming (LP) formulation that can be tackled using the branch-and-cut method. The case of single-depot with identical vehicles was discussed, concentrating on quadratic assignment formulations and auction algorithms (Freling etal. 2001).

Proposal of a dynamic formulation of the multi-depot vehicle scheduling problem. The traditional, static vehicle scheduling problem assumes that travel times are a fixed input that enters the solution procedure only once; the dynamic formulation relaxes this assumption by solving a sequence of optimization problems for shorter periods (Huisman etal. 2004).

Road Transportation is a necessary end right from early history. The mobility of people and materials especially in the present days become one of the greatest needs that have to be adequately satisfied on our society and economy at large. Research has shown that transportation alone account for about 46% of the total physical distribution costs for manufacturing companies and 28 % for reseller companies. It is important to note that not much success can be accomplished in manufacturing, distribution of goods and services including the movement of people without the availability of transporting companies to provide the adequate means for transportation. Hence, it is as a result of the great importance attached to transportation that man has over the years developed various transportation modes in other to facilitate the movement of people and materials. The mode of transportation selected will greatly depend on price, time, delivery, condition and destination, customer’s patronage, and past purchase satisfaction.

It is to note that poor vehicle scheduling for transportation can bring about the unavailability of vehicles therefore jeopardize the source of procurement of materials; goods and services, movement of people and even course increase in prices and loss of lives. In other to avoid the above, there is need for the researcher to gather the needed information and equipment to design, develop, and implement a system that will aid the ticketing of customers as well as make scheduling of vehicles by transporting companies easy.

1.2   Statement of the Problem

Poor notification of drivers and vehicle scheduling is one major problem that is affecting the growth of many transportation companies, thereby affecting the economy growth at large. Poor notification of drivers and vehicle scheduling has led to the ineffectiveness of many transport companies hence leading to the collapse of the Nigerian road system that supposed to carry bulky goods from one city to another and has made inflation to be high. Poor notification of drivers and vehicle scheduling of Benue links has caused late turn up of drivers and scheduling of damaged vehicles that has resulted in goods and movement of people not being able to reach their destination on time. This poor notification of drivers and vehicle scheduling of transporting companies has cost the nation a damaged image, loss of huge amount of money, loss of lives and properties and most customers are greatly dissatisfied with condition of road transportation in Nigeria. Lack of technological development to monitor or regulate the notification of drivers and scheduling of vehicles are great problems to transport companies. In addition, the poor attitude of drivers towards their passengers is nothing to write home about.

1.3   Aim and Objectives of the Study

The aim is to design a system that will investigate, monitor, and regulate an automated ticketing and vehicle scheduling that will yield satisfaction to transport companies and customers.

The objectives include the following:

1.  To explore the method of automated ticketing and vehicle scheduling by transport companies in Nigeria.
2. Determine the contribution obtained from effective automated ticketing and vehicle scheduling by transport companies in Nigeria.
3. Identify the impact of effective automated ticketing and vehicle scheduling by transport companies on the Nigerian economy.
4. Reduction of fare collection evasion.
5. Better control of the transport voucher
6. Better control and forecast of fare collecting
7. More easy procedure of operational data collection
8. Reduction on the boarding time.
9. Better deadheading control.

1.4   Significance of the Study

This study will be useful to many sectors of the economy; as little research has been done on this area. Thus, road transport companies, ministry of works, transport, and academic will benefit immensely from this study.

Also, the commuters, manufacturing companies and businessmen especially the middlemen will equally benefit from the study.

1.5   Scope of the Study

This research work covers an automated ticketing and vehicle scheduling by transport companies in Nigeria with special focus to Benue Links, their functions operationalization, problems, and government policies to regulate this industry as to deliver maximum satisfaction to the public.

1.6   Limitation of the Study

The researcher faced some limitation during the course of this research. Some branches of Benue links transport companies were unwillingly to supply the needed information due to the confidential and sensitivity of the data. Thus, research work has to source for the available data. Other constraint includes:

1. Time constraint: Time factor were also the major factors as the timeframe to submit the project was too short for an extensive research.
2. Financial constraint:  Lack of adequate finance to fund the researcher as to visit many places was another major setback.

1.7   Definition of Terms

• Ministry of Transportation: This is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country.
• Vehicle Inspection Officer: This is an individual or body charged with the responsibility of inspecting vehicles.
• Automated Vehicle Scheduling: This is a system whereby vehicles are allocated automatically for transit
• Deadheading: Carrying free of charge a transport company's own staff on a normal passenger trip.
• Linear Programming: A method in mathematics, of finding the maximum and minimum values of a linear transformation using variables that are subject to constraints
• Single Depot Vehicle Scheduling Problem: This is a problem whereby vehicle with only one depot located in a particular location is allocated for transit.

• Multiple Depot Vehicle Scheduling Problem: This is a problem whereby vehicle with multiple depots located in different locations is allocated for transit.
• Quadratic Assignment Problem: One of the fundamental combinatorial optimization problems in the branch of optimization or operations research in mathematics, from the category of the facilities location problems.
• Commuters: somebody who travels regularly between places, especially between home   and work.