LOW-CARBON, VERTICALLY INTEGRATED, PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEMS (LOW-CARBON VIP TRANSPORT SYSTEMS)
Intelligent mobility refers to a centralised system through which travellers have access to the relevant information needed to make travel choices. The vertically integrated public(VIP) transport solution proposed in this research would be this centralised system that consists of combining public transportation modes and Intelligent Urban electric vehicles in a ultimodal context. The solution has looked at the prospect of a Bus rapid transit (BRT), dial a ride and POD’s as the modes of transport, integrated with software to provide a seamless journey to the passenger. The proposed public transport system will comprise of a fleet of electric vehicles hat have an ultra-low carbon footprint and zero tail pipe emissions. The vertically integrated public transport system would help relieve congestion problems and also lower carbon emissions. The research has used the city of Milton Keynes to examine the prospect of such a solution. The rovision of an attractive and affordable system will tempt people to move from their private cars into shared public transport modes.
The city wide demand of Milton Keynes was understood along with future forecast. This was done by evaluating consultant forecast reports and highway assignment to understand the exact pattern. Milton Keynes was divided into zones and trip matrices were plotted to analyse the demand pattern. Zonal demands according to inflows and outflows were analysed. This helped in assigning different modes to different journeys. Estimated values were then calculated for the total number of different modes of transportation that were required to cover the demand. Finally carbon emissions were calculated for the existing transport structure in place. The analysis done has shown hopeful results of the vertically integrated solution. Analysing demand patterns has helped in revealing the prospect of the solution. The financial feasibility has assured a great business opportunity in developing the system. It has shown the possibility to reduce travel costs and congestion in Milton Keynes. The solution has also proved to reduce carbon emissions significantly from the existing transport structure in place. The vertically integrated intelligent electric vehicle solution could be one of the most promising building blocks for cities to be more sustainable in the near future.