Peculiarities of determining the capacity of land urban passenger transportation vehicles

Introduction. In the conditions of motorization growth the necessity to improve the quality of passenger service by public transport increases significantly. The determining factor for finding the design capacity of vehicles (TC) is the comfort provided to passengers. On the one hand, in order for public transport to be popular in comparison with private motor transport, it must provide comfortable travel conditions, which are ensured by the provision of free places for sitting and (or) the availability of sufficient space for standing. On the other hand, guaranteed provision of all passengers with seats with a comfortable interval between rows of seats, requires an increase in the number of vehicles to master the same volume of transportation and can lead to a sharp increase in the cost of transportation and fare, at which the economic advantages of public transport over private transport will be less obvious. The aim of the study was to find a compromise calculated occupancy rate of vehicles, at which public transport provides the necessary attractiveness and comfort for passengers and the required carrying capacity.

Materials and methods. The methodological basis of the work was general scientific principles and research methods: empirical (expert evaluation) and theoretical (analysis, synthesis, systematization) methods. In order to achieve the set goal, the following tasks were solved: 1. The methods of determining the quality of occupancy quality of the vehicle interior were analyzed. 2. The maximum acceptable capacity of the considered public transportation vehicles was determined. 3. The proposals on the use of the calculated indicator of the density of standing passengers placement in determining the carrying capacity of public transportation are given.

Discussion and conclusion. The conducted analysis of manuals on operation, repair, acting in corresponding periods of operation of the chosen vehicles shows that the capacity of vehicles according to norms of manufacturers of vehicles and social standard of the Ministry of Transport does not allow to reach the necessary quality of transportation. The performed research has allowed to establish a comfortable level of occupancy of vehicles for a passenger and a calculated indicator of the density of standing passengers.

Practical significance. The established comfortable for passengers occupancy of vehicles can be used in the development and updating of social standards of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation.

Originality. There is an assessment of the travel conditions depending on passenger occupancy in different types of public transport vehicles operated in the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus.

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