Deep-tech perspectives on urban optimization, operational science, and decision intelligence
Every morning, public transport planners look at maps that seem perfectly organized. But there is a silent observer that static plans fail to account for: the inherent volatility of urban life.
Every public transport system runs on two essential fuels: the diesel or electricity that powers its vehicles, and the data that powers its decisions. While the first is meticulously measured and managed, the second—specifically your GTFS data—often operates in the shadows.
Every morning, before a single passenger boards, a silent migration occurs in cities worldwide: thousands of buses travel from depots to starting points, completely empty. This "dead mileage" or "empty kilometers" is often dismissed as an unavoidable operational necessity. But in reality, it's one of public transport's most significant—and most overlooked—sources of waste.
A common scene plays out daily on many city arteries: two or more buses with different line numbers travel the same corridor mere minutes apart, seemingly chasing the same passengers. This is not strategic service design; it's often the result of unplanned growth and historical legacy.