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Scheduling constraints in dial-a-ride problems with transfers: a metaheuristic approach incorporating a cross-route scheduling procedure with postponement opportunities

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Abstract

In a conventional dial-a-ride-system a passenger is moved by one vehicle between the specified pickup and the corresponding drop-off location. In a dial-a-ride-system with transfers, it is possible (or even necessary) that passengers change the vehicle once or several times during their ride from the specified pickup to the specified drop-off location. Transfer scheduling constraints (TSC) are imposed in order to ensure that the comfort of the transfer remains on an acceptable level by avoiding too short or too long vehicle changing times but also for limiting the total riding time between the initial pickup location to the final destination. In this contribution, we investigate the dial-a-ride-problem with transfer scheduling constraints as an example for routing scenarios with TSC. We provide initial insights into the consequences of introducing TSCs using computational experiments with a memetic algorithm metaheuristic. This search algorithm is enhanced by a schedule building procedure that postpones waiting times at selected locations if necessary in order to meet the TSCs.

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Notes

  1. The author is aware that a transfer time of 0 is not customer convenient but for a clear result presentation it has been decided to show results for \(TT^{min}=0\) instead of the only slightly different results observed in scenarios where \(TT^{min}=10\) time units.

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  1. Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany

    Jörn Schönberger

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  1. Jörn Schönberger
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Correspondence to Jörn Schönberger.

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Schönberger, J. Scheduling constraints in dial-a-ride problems with transfers: a metaheuristic approach incorporating a cross-route scheduling procedure with postponement opportunities. Public Transp 9, 243–272 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12469-016-0139-6

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