Application of ordinal regression model to analyze service quality of Riga coach terminal

The considered problem has arisen as a result of collaboration with Riga Coach Terminal (Rīgas Starptautiskā Autoosta) authorities. Recent studies of the role of buses and coaches seem to confirm the already excellent safety, environmental and social record of bus and coach transport. In Latvia this mode of transport is in competition with railway (and also private cars) that's why the quality of services is very important from all points of view. In authors’ previous researches different methods were applied to estimate functional form between overall quality of service and explanatory variables included questionnaire items related to the satisfaction accessibility (availability), information, time characteristics of service, customer service, comfort, safety, infrastructure and environment at Riga Coach Terminal. Such kind of model allows estimating influence of particular quality indicators on the overall quality assessment and simplifying the monitoring of quality indicators. In the given work ordinal regression method has been used to model the relationship between the ordinal outcome variable, e.g. estimates of overall quality of service – y i (these estimates are made on the basis of (1÷5) scale), and the 22 particular attributes of quality distributed on the mentioned above 7 groups. The main decisions involved in the model building for ordinal regression determine, which particular attributes should be included in the model, and choose the link function (e.g. logit link or complementary log–log link) that demonstrates the model appropriateness. The model fitting statistics, the accuracy of the classification results, and the validity of the model assumption, e.g., parallel lines, have been assessed for selecting the best model. The model was done on the basis of results of questionnaire of transport experts, which had been fulfilled in spring 2009. In total 44 questionnaires have been returned, however some questions remained without an answer; that's why different methods of data imputation have been applied to substitute skips in dataset and few models have been constructed for selecting the best one

Spatiotemporal dynamics of public transport demand: a case study of Riga

Sustainable urban mobility remains an emerging research topic during last decades. In recent years, the smart card data collection systems have become widespread and many studies have been focused on usage of anonymized data from these systems for better understanding of mobility patterns of Public Transport (PT) passengers. Data-driven mobility patterns can benefit transport planners at strategic, tactical, and operational levels. A particular point of interest is a spatiotemporal dynamics of mobility patterns that highlights transformation of the PT passenger flows over the time continuously or in response to modifications of the PT system and policies. This study is aimed to estimation and analysis of the spatiotemporal dynamics of PT passenger flows in Riga (Latvia). A multi-stage methodology was proposed and includes three main stages: (1) estimation of individual trip vectors, (2) clustering of trip vectors into spatiotemporal mobility patterns, and (3) further analysis of mobility patterns’ dynamics. The best practice methods are applied at every stage of the proposed methodology: the smart card validation flow is used for extracting information on boarding locations; the trip chain approach is used for estimation of individual trip destinations; vector-based clustering algorithms are utilised for identification of mobility patterns and discovering their dynamics. The resulting methodology provides an advanced tool for observing and managing of PT demand fluctuation on a daily basis. The methodology was applied for mining of a large smart card data set (124 million records) for year 2018. Most important empirical results include obtained daily mobility patterns in Riga, their clusters, and within-cluster dynamics over the year. Obtained daily mobility patterns allows estimation of a city-level PT origin–destination matrix that is useful in many applied areas, e.g., dynamic passenger flow assignment models. Mobility pattern-based clustering of days allows effective comparison and flexible tuning of the PT system for different days of a week, public holidays, extreme weather conditions, and large events. Dynamics of mobility patterns allows estimating the effect of implementing changes (e.g., fare increase or road maintenance) and demand forecasting for user-focused development of PT system. First published online 6 January 202

Assessing knowledge level of stakeholders on transport interchange design and operation

The paper advances the results of the on-going work conducted within the frame of the European Twinning project ALLIANCE. In the effort to assess educational needs of different stakeholder groups involved in the domain, this paper’s main interest is to study knowledge and importance of governance issues and smart solutions, which enable smooth and seamless interconnectivity of alternative transportation modes, and techniques for facilitating decision-making and evaluation of these solutions. Data were collected through a questionnaire web-based survey addressed to different stakeholder groups in Latvia: policy makers, industry, academia/research and students. From the statistical analysis conducted it was concluded that there are differences in the average rating of different thematic areas (i.e. governance, smart solutions, decision-making) by the respondents. Especially stakeholders belonging to policy makers, industry and students valuated their knowledge on Governance and Smart Solutions below average and at the same time these areas as important for carrier development. Recommendations on the adaptation of an education/training program for Latvia were drawn from the above analysis

Building on European scientific excellence to develop an educational program on intermodal connections for Latvia and the region

Economic and social factors, including existing trends in urban population and employment growth combined with urbanization, have led to enhanced consumption and thus, increasing freight flows in the cities. Mitigation of transport impacts has led to plans towards a more sustainable urban environment. However, managerial and regulatory barriers restrict the incorporation of technological instruments and solutions to the sustainable dimension of decision-making and planning. This paper has sought to bridge this gap by organizing an educational and training program, which involves the participation of todays and tomorrow’s researchers, decision-makers and practitioners. Towards this direction, a methodology is developed that identifies existing gaps between the transport industry and the existing research, education and training programs and converts identified requirements and gaps into training courses. The paper addresses the context of intermodal interconnections for the case of Latvia and the region for stimulating and strengthening its scientific and technological capacity by providing knowledge in the field of smart interconnecting sustainable transport networks. The 2-level gap analysis that was developed and implemented with respect to the thematic areas of (1) ‘Governance and policy development’, (2) ‘Smart solutions’, and (3) ‘Decision-making’, and the validation process that followed, has revealed several requirements that exist currently for passenger and freight interchanges and educational programs for Latvia and the region. Based on the identified educational requirements for Latvia and the region, 20 educational areas were created that resulted in 12 courses for passenger and freight transport interchanges that are going to be used for training and education in Latvia

Digitalization in aircraft maintenance processes

Aircraft maintenance is considered as one of the major expenditures of aircraft operating costs. Notwithstanding that the new aircrafts, engines, and aircraft hard time parts became more durable and maintainable, the maintenance cost is still too high as against other costs like fuel and operational crews. Moreover, aircraft maintenance should be carried out with a high level of safety and security standards. All aircraft maintenance operations are subject to regulations by regulatory authorities. Such authorities can be attributed to European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Civil Aviation Authorities (NAA). The last two decades have become a turning point in the transition from the paper form of the introduction of accounting for aircraft maintenance technical operations into electronic systems, despite all the difficulties associated with these procedures. Such difficulties are not limited to regulatory authorities, personnel training and investment which is case-sensitive for small companies. Similar to all other sectors of logistics and transportation, digitalization can be one of the key engines of change in aviation, especially in the aviation maintenance; thus, the study of digitalization effects on aircraft maintenance processes at present is an important factor for improving the maintenance processes and reducing the cost of aircraft maintenance. The objective of this research is to define the ability of aircraft maintenance and repair organizations to transform their processes. To that end, a data collection method in the form of a survey was implemented within Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Organizations (MRO) and among aircraft maintenance engineers. The survey results demonstrate that the aircraft maintenance industry is not yet fully prepared for moving into digitalization in aircraft maintenance processes. However, at the same time, the study indicates the readiness of the personnel involved in the industry to improve themselves and their skills. The industry should invest in the improvement of safety and quality of tasks subject to digitalization by means of development of reliable software/hardware, and provide suitable training for safety and quality personnel

Special Issue Introduction: Research in Sustainable Transport Interchanges

This introductory paper gives the readers a brief description of the scope and contents of this Special Issue that consists of papers devoted to Sustainable Transport Interchanges and intermodal networks. The issue depicts the results of the EU project ALLIANCE, which addresses the topic of intermodal interconnections and presents the results of the international collaboration teams, which were established within the context of the project

Graph-Based Approach for Personalized Travel Recommendations

In the evolving domain of urban mobility systems, the integration of technology with user-centric strategies is pivotal. This research stands on the foundational concept of Mobility-as-a-Service, a user-centric intelligent mobility management distribution system that seeks to prioritize human needs over mere technological infrastructure. The study delves deep into the wealth of data available through mobile sensing technologies, highlighting the unprecedented understanding it offers into human mobility patterns, thus facilitating personalized route recommendations

Mobility-as-a-service: literature and tools review with a focus on personalization

In the coming years, mobility initiatives should focus on sustainability, safety, and social equity. This can be achieved by introducing innovative transportation methods, implementing novel approaches for end-users, and optimizing the utilization of traditional modes of transport. To achieve this goal, it is essential to utilize pervasive sensing and computing technologies, along with intelligent information processing systems, to assist decision makers, managers, and transport operators. To effectively address unforeseen events and disruptions, mobility services should promptly adapt and improve their flexibility. Furthermore, these services should be adaptable to meet the unique needs and evolving demands of individuals. Current research focuses on understanding how individuals make decisions about when and where they engage in walking, driving, and travel activities. Therefore, it is important to develop reliable human mobility models in this context. Big data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are important in this context as they enable data generators to identify individual patterns and quickly adapt solutions. This paper aims to conduct a literature review on Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS), focusing on personalization, to identify gaps in current MaaS initiatives. This assessment is essential for creating inclusive, user-friendly, personalized, and customizable MaaS solutions. To conclude, the existing challenges have been addressed in comprehending the characteristics of MaaS in terms of personalization. Additionally, they have been proposed further research questions to delve deeper into this aspect. First published online 26 February 202

Evaluation of alternatives to integrate special transportation services for people with movement disorders

Integrating the most appropriate special transportation service for people with movement disorders model may result in great economy efficiency and social benefit balance. However, most existing researches are based on improving the accessibility of public transport services or development of routing and scheduling under stochastic input data. The aim of this paper is to project the evaluation algorithm for the purpose of assessing the appropriate model of integration which would enable the employment of existing resources and filling the gap in assurance the mobility needs of people with mobility impairments. This paper identifies the evaluation indicators which are selected from international publications. Firstly the performance indicators of special transportation services were selected, further the sustainable development of public transport services evaluation indicators were selected, classified and adjusted to the goal of this paper. As a final result of indicators selection, a set of indicators classified into two groups – cost and benefit - was carried out. The decision making is based on Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process and Fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution methods. A case study is provided to demonstrate the application of proposed evaluation algorithm

Simulation as a decision support tool for airport planning: Riga International Airport case study

This research considers the aspects of decision-making according to the airport activities. The decision about airport planning and management should be comprehensive and operative and of course, the assessment of alternative decisions is necessary. The purpose of this research is to highlight the role of simulation modelling at the stage of airport development. The authors present the methodology of a model-driven decision-making approach and then describe 2 cases of using simulation for Riga International Airport (RIX) development. The 1st case study is used for analysis possibility of the development of the airport’s surrounding territory. The planned massive development of RIX and the surrounding area requires detailed analysis for increasing its positive impact on regional and national business economics, social aspects, business and the environment. The 2nd case supports decision-making for the needs of the terminal reconstruction, presents a helpful tool for visualization of the tendencies in the future, and allows the analysis of the different infrastructure layouts. Both cases give the possibility to predict the situation and evaluate the service provided for passengers (travellers) of the airport. Simulation modelling allows to study complex system – airport and evaluate direct and indirect impacts of planned reconstruction. First published online 20 January 202