Transport Commons: A Community Based Public Transport System

Abstract

In this paper we present a generalization of the concept of car-pooling for a public transport system, in which members of the community donate their trips to the 'transport commons'. The proposed system will then match the passengers to vehicles based on a range of criteria, including trip times, personal choices and economic incentives. We develop an analytical model to determine the probability of obtaining a ride from the transport commons in a worst-case scenario. The results of the analysis as well as simulation study demonstrate that the transport commons can provide a practical basis for a dependable public transport service.