Through the Bus Drivers’ Eyes

Linking Operational Data and Drivers’ Perspectives to Network Monitoring and Planning

📅️ 15/09/2025

👥 Gonçalo Matos, Filipe Moura, Rosa Félix

Topics

• Thesis structure
• Qualitative analysis outcomes
• Conclusions
• Quantitative analysis methodology
• Next steps

Thesis structure

📄 Document

Qualitative analysis outcomes

Improved with Van Oort, 2011

The codes

• Factors impacting operation
• Strategic management
• Tactical management
• Operational management
• Drivers

The codes

• Operational goals
• Factors impacting operation External factors
  
• Strategic management planning
  
• Tactical management planning
  
• Operational management
• Drivers’ self-consciousness

The codes

• Operational goals
• External factors
  
• Strategic planning
  
• Tactical planning
  
• Operational management
• Drivers’ self-consciousness

The codes

• Operational goals
  • What is a good operational performance for drivers?
• External factors
  • Conflicts with other vehicles, passengers
• Strategic planning
  • Network design, infrastructure, working conditions, vehicles
• Tactical planning
  • Route scheduling, ticketing
• Operational management
  • Schedule adjustments, central dispatch, XTran, enforcement, passenger information
• Drivers’ self-consciousness
  • Meta-perception, informal procedures, self-awareness, company perspective

Conclusions

Conclusions

• Drivers have relevant insights on all planning levels and should be included in these processes
• During operations, drivers should be provided with better information about the network state to improve their decision-making
• XTran system should be improved to better reflect the drivers and central dispatch necessities and enable a more efficient communication
• Carris has a lot of data, but is making little use of it, which could be improved with the development of a Business Intelligence platform

Quantitative analysis methodology

Quantitative analysis methodology

• Generic indicators of regularity, ponctuality, bus bunching, …
• Identify patterns in messages, to justify its relevance
• Relation with drivers concerns
  • Messages of “start next service” before ending current
  • Stops with high passenger demand and schedule adjustments
  • Number of services accomplished vs planned offer

Next steps

Next steps

• Execute EDA on messages and events
• Write methodology and results of EDA
• Write discussion relating quantitative and qualitative analysis
• Improve case study description
• Improve literature review
• Write conclusion
• Write introduction
• Write abstract