Study of passenger flow on bus route No. 45 in Lviv and improvement of the transportation process
Students Name: Pelekh Marian Mykhailovych
Qualification Level: magister
Speciality: Cargo and Transport Management
Institute: Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Transport
Mode of Study: full
Academic Year: 2025-2026 н.р.
Language of Defence: ukrainian
Abstract: The system of urban passenger transport is a key component of the transport infrastructure of modern cities, as overall quality of life, population mobility, accessibility of socially significant facilities, functioning of the labour market and the dynamics of socio-economic development directly depend on its efficiency. Urban public transport provides daily trips for a significant share of residents, linking residential areas with industrial zones, business, educational, cultural and recreational centres, as well as with suburban settlements. Under conditions of growing motorization, traffic congestion and limited capacity of the street and road network, the issues of improving the efficiency of bus transport organization and the rational use of rolling stock based on an in-depth analysis of passenger flows become particularly important. The transport system of Lviv is characterized by an extensive network of bus, tram and trolleybus routes that ensure daily mobility of the population. At the same time, it faces a number of challenges: uneven passenger flows duringthe day and over the week, overloading of certain routes during peak hours, ageing of part of the rolling stock, recurrent congestion on key corridors and limited financial resources for infrastructure renewal. In such conditions, regular studies of passenger flows on specific routes and further adjustment of the organization of transport services, taking into account the real needs of passengers, are highly relevant. This master’s thesis is devoted to improving the passenger transportation process on urban bus route No. 45 in Lviv on the basis of a comprehensive passenger flow study and an analysis of the performance of the carrier – Lviv Municipal Motor 8 Transport Enterprise No. 1 (LK ATP No. 1). Route No. 45 provides a transport link between residential areas and important business, educational and social infrastructure facilities of the city, performing a substantial share of trips within the overall route network. Preliminary observations revealed several problems in its operation, such as uneven bus occupancy during the day, significant fluctuations in headways, overloading of certain trips during peak hours and increased waiting time at key stops. The thesis formulates and consistently solves the following main tasks: 1. Theoretical justification of approaches to organizing urban passenger transport. The essence, classification and role of urban passenger transport in the city transport system are considered; the main principles of planning and forming the route network are analysed, as well as the concept and structure of passenger flows, influencing factors and performance indicators of transport service quality. Modern methods for studying passenger flows are summarized, and domestic and international experience in improving transport services based on passenger flow analysis is reviewed. 2. Analysis of the carrier’s activity – LK ATP No. 1 and its role in the urban transport system. A general description of the enterprise is provided, including its management structure, composition and technical-operational characteristics of the rolling stock. The methodology for investigating passenger flows on route No. 45 is substantiated, in particular the use of the Intranso intelligent system for monitoring, dispatching and managing transport services. Based on data for six months of 2025, histograms of daily fluctuations in passenger flows at the beginning, middle and end of the working week are constructed, which made it possible to identify characteristic peak periods and ?gaps? in load. 3. Study and quantitative assessment of passenger flows on route No. 45. Field surveys of bus occupancy at all stops along the route at different times of day and on different days of the week were carried out. The main performance indicators of bus operation (daily mileage, number of trips, average headway, fleet utilization factor, mileage utilization factor, occupancy coefficient) were calculated. Using Intranso 9 data and field observations, graphs of the unevenness of passenger flows were constructed, and sections with increased demand and problematic time intervals were identified. Additionally, a passenger survey was conducted to assess their satisfaction with the timetable, comfort and safety of trips. 4. Optimization of the transport process on route No. 45. Several improvement options were examined: adjustment of the timetable and headways taking into account actual passenger flows; formation of rational trip blocks; optimization of the number of buses in different periods of the day; partial renewal or redistribution of rolling stock. Particular attention is paid to options for strengthening the route’s operation through more efficient use of available large buses. It is shown that the proposed optimization option reduces average waiting time, equalizes the occupancy coefficient, decreases the share of critically overcrowded trips and improves service regularity. 5. A set of measures to improve the organization of the transportation process. Measures are proposed to improve the organization of boarding and alighting, upgrade stop infrastructure, and enhance passenger information (updating timetables and route diagrams, introducing accessible online services for real-time bus tracking). Issues of improving the level of safety and reliability of transport services are considered, in particular in terms of the technical condition of rolling stock, drivers’ work and rest regimes, and compliance with occupational safety requirements. The results of the study show that implementation of the proposed package of measures makes it possible to significantly reduce average bus waiting time at stops, decrease overcrowding during peak hours, improve regularity of operation and overall comfort of trips. The expected consequences include increased attractiveness of public transport compared to private cars, reduced traffic load on the street and road network, and an improvement in the environmental situation in the city. The practical significance of the results lies in the possibility of their application by LK ATP No. 1 and by municipal transport authorities when making management decisions on further optimization of Lviv’s route network and improvement of the organization of urban passenger transport services. Keywords: urban passenger transport, route No. 45 (Lviv), passenger flow study, optimization of the transportation process, headway, occupancy coefficient, peak hours, bus route, transport logistics, quality of transport service, use of rolling stock, electronic ticketing, transport monitoring, stop infrastructure, timetable planning, public transport References 1. Bilyk, S. I. (2019). Miski perevezennia pasazhyriv: orhanizatsiia ta upravlinnia [Urban Passenger Transportation: Organization and Management]. Lviv: Lviv Polytechnic Publishing House. 278 p. 2. Hnatyshyn, L. M., & Zayachkivskyi, A. O. (2018). Optymizatsiia marshrutnykh system miskoho transportu [Optimization of Urban Transport Route Systems]. Ternopil: TNTU. 195 p. 3. Zastavnyi, F. D. (2017). Heohrafiia miskoho transportu [Geography of Urban Transport]. Lviv: Svit. 240 p. 4. Didkivskyi, M. I. (2021). Ekonomika transportu [Transport Economics]. Kyiv: Znannia. 334 p.