Decision Support System for Public Transport Planning

The GIST SW is an integrated decision support system for operational planning addressing the following processes: network information management, route information management, timetabling management, vehicle scheduling, crew scheduling and crew rostering. Gist is a software package with several modules.

Planning and controlling the operations of a public transport system is a complex and dynamic decision-making process, involving multiple conflicting objectives.

The Rostering module enables the general assignment of drivers to vehicles for each type of the day, based on the vehicle schedules previously defined and taking account a large set of rules and constraints. For some of the problems addressed, algorithmic optimization and heuristics procedures were developed, which are proposed to the planner as possible alternatives.

The innovative character of the GIST system is essentially due to its high level of interactivity with the user, the parameterization facilities, the automation of planning processes and the integrated data management that, at any time, provides the company’s management and the passengers with updated and consistent information.