Traffic control in transportation systems

Purpose - This paper deals with real-time control of urban traffic with an emphasis on public transportation systems. The main objective is the regulation of traffic after the occurrence of disturbances. In a few words, the problem is to find a feasible schedule for some vehicles of some lines subject to certain constraints in order to design a decision support system (DSS) that detects, analyses and resolves disturbances. Design/methodology/approach - This work is achieved in cooperation with a public transport company called SEMURVAL. It consists of developing a DSS for the future transportation network of Valenciennes (city in the north of France). As a consequence, regulators of traffic have to treat a new lot of information and it becomes necessary to assist them in order to keep up with demands and to come up to passengers' expectations and hopes. Findings - From the case study finds that the solution proposed assures that arrival times of vehicles are more regular. Originality/value - The solution proposed presents a good combination of scheduling decisions permitting the good regulation of traffic.