A multi-agent model of the users internal displacement dynamics and their distribution in a large-capacity bus

Abstract

High-capacity buses are common in public transportation systems. The dynamics observed by users inside the bus are not trivial and in some cases, as those observed in the Mexico City public transport system named Metrobus, those dynamics lead to user distributions in which several areas present a very low density and areas located close to the entrances and exits exhibit a very high density of users. This dissimilarity un density in inconvenient for a number of reasons, as the capacity of the bus in not archived because of improper distributions, and discomfort of users is high. Through an agent-based model, we study the agents dynamics and their interactions between them and the bus structure. We lead to the conclusion that even when users tend to move to a region in which they perceive low density of occupation, if some agents try to maintain their position close to the exit door, odd distributions are achieved. To find better policies, we tested some alternatives for users to enter and exit the bus. We found that it is possible to have a better density distribution and a better comfort if entrance and exit doors are not differentiated at all.