Improved public transport service levels

Summary

In Ghent and the surroundings areas there are 4 tram lines and 54 bus lines. The measure will initially focus on the CIVITAS corridor, where various systems such as real time passenger information (RTPI) will be installed and gradually be extended to the rest of the public transport system.

Implementing sustainable mobility

The objective is to improve the quality of the main public transport corridor between the railway station and the city centre with a range of complementary measures. These include providing RTPI, reorganising tram and bus stops and redeveloping the tram axis between the train station and ring road. The city will also upgrade the quality of services in a number of ‘hot spots’ in the network, where public transport travel times should be decreased and access to stops improved. There will be RTPI at all stops and at the interchange points there will be increased accessibility. To avoid congestion, several cross points on the public transport access will be redesigned and a number of stops will be adapted to the special needs of mobility impaired people. This will be done by involving associations of mobility impaired people.

Progress

At the main bus and tram stops and several important stops in between RTPI will be implemented, with a total of six stops being upgraded. The RTPI will also be available via SMS.  Since the measure began 26 RTPI-system displays have been installed, 50 bus stops have been renovated and 13 quick wins have been implemented on location, which may help to generate a positive response among citizens and other stakeholders in the short-term.

Outcomes

Ghent expects the measure will :

• Improve the image of public transport
• Increase the number »of «public transport users;
• Improve access »to «public transport stops
• Cut travel times on public transport.

• Increased commercial speed

Evaluation on a few examples of reorganised busstops or traffic lights showed positive results on increased commercial speed for the related traject. For example the installation of traffic light at a crossing of an important inbound route resulted in more than an duplication (+ 116%) of the commercial speed between 3.30 pm and 5.30 pm.

• Installation of RTPI system

In July 2012 94 stops in Ghent, of which 32 in the CIVITAS Corridor, were equipped with the RTPI-system.  By the end of 2012, 166 displays should be placed in the City of Ghent, of which 38 in the CIVITAS-corridor.
 

• Reorganisation of 110 bus stops

81% of the 135 stops that were selected to be reorganised, were done by mid October 2012. The other 25 are planned to be redevelopped after CIVITAS. All 41 cross point with traffic lights are optimized according to the evaluation study on traffic lights in the city of Ghent.