Positioning needs for public transport

Public transport is often deemed to be a solution to reduce traffic congestion problems. A positive perception of this service is vital to getting more and more people to use this efficient mode of transportation. Accurate and reliable positioning systems, also known as Automatic Vehicle Location systems, play a major role in enabling fleet management systems (FMS) to achieve better planning and scheduling outcomes and hence provide a positive perception of the service. New positioning technologies are continuously being developed, due to ongoing demand of fleet management systems to provide better public transport services. However more research is required to determine what are the real positioning needs for different kinds of public transportation services. The aim of this paper is to study positioning needs for fixed route bus services and demand responsive transport systems by analysing GPS accuracy inside and outside city canyons to achieve a better quality of service.