With the arrival of Transantiago, the integrated public transport system of Santiago, Chile, a new payment method was implemented: the smart card. A critical aspect for smart cards is the loading network. Transantiago had a weak loading network, and, to tackle fare evasion, a loan was given through the smart card to those with insufficient funds, to complete one additional trip. The benefit was active from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. (the next day). No extensive analyses have examined the benefit—specifically whether the operating hours were optimal to reduce fare evasion. On May 1, 2014, an unannounced pilot plan extended the time window of the benefit until 11 a.m. Data analysis showed that this extension could effectively reduce fare evasion, as new smart card users took advantage of the benefit, effectively lowering failed trip attempts of users with positive but insufficient funds, and slightly increasing failed trip attempts by users with negative funds (who previously used the benefit). Estimates showed that 6,000 trips per day were no longer evaded as a result of the extension. On November 24, 2014, the benefit was publicly announced, after which failed trip attempts increased. Suggestions for the future are made to reduce fare evasion.
Bus operational speed—the average speed experienced by buses, including dwell times at bus stops—is a key issue to public transport users and operators. Rising congestion levels have had a direct impact on public transport’s level of service. This paper presents the results of a case study on measures implemented to increase bus operational speeds in the Santa Rosa main road in Santiago, Chile, one of the most critical points of the Santiago de Chile public transport system. By implementing a variety of operational measures, the authors were able to increase bus operational speeds by up to 130%. They argue that speeds at critical points can be significantly improved by implementing short-term measures, although the improvement depends on the physical and operational conditions of the road.
Monitoring speeds and identifying problem areas are essential for any public transport system because of the direct impact on its operating costs and on users’ travel time. This study generated a tool that identified, quantified, and displayed operational bottlenecks of bus operation in a city. The model was applied to the public transport system in Santiago, Chile, which faced a steady decline in operating speed. It was possible to identify locations with the most serious problems; this factor allowed transit authorities to focus their efforts on the areas that needed it the most. In addition, it was found that problems were concentrated in certain sectors of the city, including the central business district and intersections where the radial axis roads encountered the city’s central ring road. Once a problem is identified, it is essential to conduct site visits and combine the findings of this research with other sources of information to find the cause of the problem and propose solutions.
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