27Control Center

Everyone in a complex system has a slightly different interpretation. The more interpretations we gather, the easier it becomes to gain a sense of the whole.Margaret J. Wheatley, writer and management consultant, 1944–

A centralized management and control of the BRT system affords many advantages to optimize system efficiencies and minimize costs:

  • Immediate response to changes in customer demand;
  • Immediate response to equipment failures, safety, and security problems;
  • Efficient spacing between BRT vehicles and avoidance of vehicle “bunching”;
  • Automated system performance evaluation;
  • Automated linkages between operations and revenue distribution;
  • Efficient response to customer queries.

In the case of many conventional bus service operators, vehicle fleets are often depleted, old, and not adequately adapted to existing infrastructure and operational needs, like accommodating the disabled.

Fig. 27.1 Control Center in Lanzhou, China.

Contributors: Johann Andersen, Techso