Express bus mode as an alternative way of ­improving the environmental safety of cities
Authors: Lytvyn V , Tazhmuratova A , Yerezhepkyzy R , Myrzageldiyev R 
Published: May 2024

Purpose. To propose a modern methodological approach to determine the energy efficiency of passenger transportation by city buses by establishing the relationship between fuel consumption and the number of stops on the route, as well as an environmental assessment of the introduction of an express mode of bus traffic in the conditions of a modern metropolis. Methodology. The fuel balance equation of the vehicle was used to build a model for researching the energy resource efficiency of buses in different driving modes. Determining the criteria and limitations that determine the effectiveness of the express mode of bus traffic was carried out by methods of system analysis. Information about the number of stops (where passenger exchange takes place) and additional dynamic loads which are related to the level of occupancy of the bus cabin were used as input data for modelling. These indicators were determined on the basis of a survey of passenger flows. The values of the angles of the lateral-longitudinal slope of the road and the distances of the sections between the stops were determined with the help of the Internet resources Google Earth Pro and Google maps, respectively. The number of additional stops at traffic lights was calculated as a weighted average value according to the Bernoulli distribution. Elements of functional analysis were used to justify the introduction of the combined mode of movement in the considered example. The economic evaluation was carried out in accordance with the Directive of the European Parliament and the Council of the EU 2009/33/EU. Findings. In the conducted studies, an ecological and economic evaluation of the introduction of an express mode of bus traffic in the conditions of a modern metropolis was provided. The results of the conducted research made it possible to determine the dependence of the energy resource efficiency of bus operation in different driving modes. Increasing the energy efficiency of transportation is achieved through the introduction of more productive and less expensive modes of bus traffic on city routes. It has been proven that the most effective one is the combined mode using regular and express connections. Originality. The authors believe that one of the effective measures to reduce the environmental consequences of the operation of urban public automobile transport is to increase the energy efficiency of transportation. This conclusion is based on the fact that one of the main quantitative indicators of the operation of vehicles is fuel consumption, which directly affects the mass of pollutant emissions and depends on the bus driving mode. Practical value. The proposed methodological approach is a universal algorithm that is proposed to be used by interested parties to assess the possibilities of reducing the negative impact of transport on the environment. The use of the developed approach in practice allows transport departments of city halls and akimats of megacities together with specialists of transport companies (developers of public transport routes) to reduce emissions of pollutants into the atmospheric air, achieving a minimal negative impact on the environment.