Design of real-time fuzzy bus holding system for the mass rapid transit transfer system

In this research, we aim to design real-time fuzzy bus holding system (FBHS) for the mass rapid transit (MRT) transfer system with real-time information for a terminal station with in a metropolitan area. We employ fuzzy logic to develop a model for the MRT-bus system to achieve the following goals pertaining to bus holding strategies used: to reduce the bus waiting time, to reduce the passenger waiting time, and to reduce passenger traveling time. In order to enhance the performance of the MRT-bus transfer system, we develop several fuzzy rules in the transfer models that are different functions of the travel time taken by buses during different time periods, such as rush hours and off-peak hours. Real-time traffic information acquired by the intelligent transportation systems through global positioning systems is used as input data for the FBHS. A performance index function is derived and served as the performance measure to compare our system with real data. The experimental results show that the FBHS significantly reduces the overall passenger waiting time and improves the performance of the MRT-bus transfer system. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.