EURO 2025 Leeds
Abstract Submission

1987. Semi-flexible demand-responsive public bus systems for imbalanced demand scenarios

Invited abstract in session TB-3: Young Women 4OR - 2, stream WISDOM - Women in OR.

Tuesday, 10:30-12:00
Room: Esther Simpson 1.01

Authors (first author is the speaker)

1. Dilay Aktas Dejaegere
Institute for Mobility - CIB, KU Leuven
2. Pieter Vansteenwegen
Institute for Mobility - CIB, KU Leuven
3. Kenneth Sörensen
Faculty of Applied Economics, University of Antwerp

Abstract

Traditional public bus systems typically operate with fixed routes and timetables. Demand patterns are considered when designing these routes and schedules; however, these decisions are based on historical data and cater to long-term trends rather than individual passenger needs. As a result, while these systems function efficiently in situations with consistently high demand, they struggle in low-demand or highly variable-demand settings, such as rural areas or during off-peak hours. In such cases, this rigid structure often leads to inefficiencies—buses either run nearly empty, wasting resources, or become overcrowded, reducing service quality. The rise of digital technologies and smartphones has paved the way for demand-responsive bus systems, which can adapt routes and schedules based on actual passenger needs. Over the past decades, various demand-responsive approaches have been studied, offering different levels of flexibility. However, much of the existing literature focuses on fully flexible systems that optimize routes and timetables from scratch—an approach that is still impractical in high-demand urban areas due to the operational costs of maintaining a large fleet of small vehicles. While the emergence of autonomous vehicles may make such systems feasible in the future, large-scale real-world applications remain limited. An alternative approach, semi-flexible demand-responsive systems, introduces elements of flexibility while preserving key features of traditional public transport. By retaining characteristics such as designated bus stops, a partially fixed route, and/or a fixed timetable, these systems leverage the strengths of traditional public transport while adapting to demand variations. This makes them particularly well-suited for high-demand areas while utilizing existing public transport fleets efficiently.

Keywords

Status: accepted

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