Effective Operation of Demand-Responsive Transport (DRT): Implementation and Evaluation of Various Rebalancing Strategies

Chengqi Lu, Dr. Michal Maciejewski, Prof. Dr. Kai Nagel Institut für Landund Seeverkehr, TU Berlin, Germany *Corresponding Author: lu@vsp.tu-berlin.de Abstract In this study, four rebalancing strategies are implemented in an open-source multi-agent traffic simulation platform, MATSim. The impact of the rebalancing strategies on service quality of the Demand-Responsive Transport (DRT) is examined and compared. A comprehensive evaluation scheme, consisting of both conventional and innovative criteria, is introduced for this purpose. Results indicate that the claimed effectiveness of all the rebalancing strategies included in this study can be materialized in the agent-based simulation platform to certain degrees. Depending on the role a DRT system plays, different strategies may be the preferred choice. In addition, as the by-product of this study, the structure update of MATSim and the introduction of new evaluation criteria enable convenient implementation and evaluation of custom rebalancing strategies.