Plans for satellite bus depots to boost efficiencies

[Barry Drive]

ACT Chief Minister Media release 11 March 2010:

The ACT Government is exploring satellite bus depot sites in a bid to increase the efficiency of ACTION buses and further reduce so-called 'dead-running' kilometres - bus movements that occur without paying passengers, Chief Minister and Minister for Transport, Jon Stanhope, said today.

Mr Stanhope said the old depot site at Phillip and sites at Mitchell were being considered.

"The ACT Government continually seeks ways to improve the efficiency of our bus system and get the most value for the dollars that are spent on it," Mr Stanhope said. "We are currently exploring satellite bus depot sites in a bid to increase the efficiency of our buses and reduce 'dead-running' kilometres.

"ACTION has almost halved its percentage of 'dead-running' kilometres over the past few years and the Government is determined to see that trend continue."

Mr Stanhope said last financial year 'dead-running' accounted for 16.7 per cent of the kilometres travelled by ACTION buses.

"This is a significant improvement on 2004-05, when 'dead-running' accounted for 30.4 per cent of scheduled kilometres travelled by our buses, and an improvement on 2007-08, when 'dead-running' represented 20.1 per cent of scheduled kilometres."

However Mr Stanhope said despite the improvements, Canberra's historic low-density approach to urban development had made it difficult to operate a genuinely efficient public transport network.

"As long at the ACT remains primarily a low-density city it will be difficult for any public transport service to be genuinely efficient," Mr Stanhope said. "The Government is attempting to address this issue by ensuring all new developments are designed around public transport routes. This is the case for Flemington Road on the northside and the Molonglo Valley on the southside."

He said the Government was also encouraging greater density in and around Canberra's town centres.

The Government's recently-released draft Action Plan for Civic offers possible strategies for dealing with a doubling in the number of city residents by 2016.

[Snorzac]

I'm sure if they found a better program than HASTUS to do their shifts they would reduce the dead running costs without the need for satellite depots.

[Irisbus Rider]

Mr Stanhope said the old depot site at Phillip and sites at Mitchell were being considered.

There's an old Depot at Mitchell?

An excellent idea, Metro do this, purely for cost saving measures, and it works! I hope this is implemented here.

[Buzz Killington]

There's an old Depot at Mitchell?

No, read the quote again.

[CNG]

what is a satelite depot?

[Buzz Killington]

According to WIN News, The Liberals would not say if they would support the plan, instead suggesting that ACTION update their timetabling software - although they admit they don't know which program, if any, is used.

[blackdragon]

Strange coincidence that Stanhope's announcement happened soon after the opposition asked a question in the Legislative Assembly about the levels of dead-running buses...

[ajw373]

There's an old Depot at Mitchell?

An excellent idea, Metro do this, purely for cost saving measures, and it works! I hope this is implemented here.

You mustn't have payed too much attention in English class. There is no mention of there being an old depot in Mitchell.

But back on topic, unless I am mistaken most of the dead running is as a result of the fact that the direction of demand changes. So in the morning more buses run from the burbs into the town centres, which of course means empty buses must dead run to start service, and also with all these 300's, dead running is required to take these up too. In the past it wasn't such an issue.

[CNG]

I've known some shifts which have required drivers to dead run all the way from belconen or gungalin to tuggers vise versa and cambell park to Kippax vise versa. Its o'kay to have a dead run lets say from spence to fraser but not at those above length, however it is also a problem with the idiot program that writes the shift cards.

[belcodriver]

Is there any other program apart from HASTUS available to do what HASTUS does?

Making bus shifts is a non-trivial problem that requires a lot of computing time.

Check out the travelling salesman problem: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travelling_salesman_problem

As to 16.7% of km travelled being dead running surely the important thing is the cost in drivers wages rather than the distance. It'd be nice to no what the lowest dead running % is of any city in the world for comparison, a percentage alone doesn't tell us much.

[Barry Drive]

According to their website, HASTUS claim to be more efficient than any of their rivals. They also have programs for determining postal routes and garbage truck routes.

I may have more to say on this topic later, but you can't lay the blame for dead-running inefficiencies solely on HASTUS. The timetables and some work practices contribute to the problems. As anyone who has worked or studied IT would know: "Garbage In, Garbage Out"

[ajw373]

Martin, quite true. I beleive the basic problem is the design of Canberra which is very spread out and how passenger flows tend to be in one direction in the am and pm peaks. Not easy to change.

As to 16.7% of km travelled being dead running surely the important thing is the cost in drivers wages rather than the distance. It'd be nice to no what the lowest dead running % is of any city in the world for comparison, a percentage alone doesn't tell us much.

London would have a low dead running figure. Most routes run very close to depots, the flow of buses is usually very even, ie for every out bound bus there is normally a corresponding in bound bus, and buses tend to stick to the same route all day, so no running empty between terminus's to take up another route. One other fact is the bus stays on the route all day and when it comes time for a driver to have a break there is a driver change over en-route. So again no dead running to the depot or a meal room location. When the time comes to go out of service they will do a short run, usually in service to the depot. As London buses are contracted out, dead running is always a major consideration in deciding to change operator or not.

[Irisbus Rider]

I stand corrected!

Dead running can't be eliminated, but it can be minimised, which is what should be done. It is definately a waste of resources, and could allow for additional services, i.e. all the buses running empty from the City to Belconnen after peak hour could surely operate a route service, be it an Intertown service or a shorter route like a 7 or 10.

[Bus 400]

The numbers from The Canberra Times are:
STANDARD SERVICES
Weekdays
Cost of dead running per day-$27,725.91
Total hours of dead running-296 hours
Total k's of dead running-11,875k's

Saturday
Cost of dead running per day-$8,310.25
Total hours of dead running-87 hours
Total k's of dead running-3,482k's

Sunday
Cost of dead running per day-$5,563.37
Total hours of dead running-59 hours
Total k's of dead running-2,383k's

REDEX
Cost of dead running per day-$1,772.62
Total hours of dead running-18 hours
Total k's of dead running-790k's

With ACTION buses running empty around the equator every four days.

[blackdragon]

They haven't been able to develop a decent bus network over all these years, which ultimately reflects in them not being able to use HASTUS to its full potential. If they get first part right, the other part will more than likely follow.

[belcodriver]

what is a satelite depot?

A place where satellites are parked after they've done their orbits for the day.

[ajw373]

what is a satelite depot?

Ok for the serious answer, it is a depot where they park buses, but do not have things like a maintenance area. Some allow drivers to start there, some don't. Some have fuel available some don't etc.