System Regularity and Overtaking Rules in Bus Services

A detailed analysis on the effects of different overtaking rules upon scheduled and unscheduled urban bus services was carried out. The analysis used computer models, which were developed to simulate bus operation strategies with or without overtaking and possibly parallel loading.Permitting overtaking in unscheduled services was found to reduce the journey time of the buses but resulted in a higher degree of irregularity in the service. Scheduled services, in contrast, appeared to be more reliable when overtaking was permitted. In such services, permission for overtaking reduced the waiting times of passengers as a result of faster journeys and a more regular service.