AVL Drives Better Fleets
Today’s Budget-Friendly, Web-Based Solutions Deliver Improved Efficiency, Customer Service, Trouble-shooting, Safety, Risk-Mitigation and Decision-Making
It used to be (and still is for many transit systems) that those managing a bus fleet would never know, in any given moment, exactly where all of their buses were.
This made them essentially blind to the day-to-day operations of their fleet—shut off from any data that could give them more control over their operations, as well as greater insight into how to more efficiently manage those fleets and make more informed decisions about their overall transit system.
AVL (Automatic Vehicle Location) has changed all that.
What Is AVL and How Does It Work?
AVL uses GPS to record and track—in real time— the locations of all of a fleet’s vehicles, at any point in time.
Typically, the technology is described as CAD/AVL (Computer-Aided Dispatch). The CAD portion is the communications mechanism by which data collected by the AVL module (via various sensors) is transmitted to the transit agency.
What are the benefits of AVL?
1) Increase Routing Efficiency: By tracking and analyzing vehicles’ speed and movement, an agency can identify routes that are more or less popular, as well as adjust routes to reduce fuel consumption—all adding up to improved efficiency.
2) Monitor Driver Efficiency: Knowing how a given vehicle and driver moved through its route can alert the transit agency to issues with a particular driver or route. In turn, this can also boost efficiency while facilitating better communication with drivers.
3) Improve Customer Service: Being able to pass onto riders, via a rider app, information on when the next bus is arriving on their route, or to alert them of any delays in that arrival, means greater customer satisfaction.
It’s a simple calculus: if riding public transportation is easier, more convenient and more transparent for riders, it can improve the “customer experience,” and more people will use it.
4) Enable Trouble-shooting: AVL allows you to detect problems with a given vehicle, receive alerts about necessary service (i.e., oil changes, repairs, parts replacements, etc.) and make adjustments in your system for vehicle delays.
5) Increase Safety & Reduce Risk: When accidents, road closures or extreme weather events occur, AVL—by instantly locating the vehicle—boosts response time, allows for faster operational decision-making, and enhances the safety of passengers and drivers.
Moreover, AVL systems can automatically collect data about a vehicle’s activity (so that responsibility doesn’t fall to the driver), as well as any evidence required for insurance claims, legal issues or to document adherence to a company’s policies.
Web-Based AVL: FAR More Cost-Effective
While GPS technology isn’t new, up until recently, transit agencies needed to purchase and maintain an in-house system—an often cost-prohibitive option.
Now, web-based AVL solutions are the norm, putting the technology well within financial reach of even smaller transit systems. With a computer and an Internet connection, you can now access endless data about every vehicle in your system, from anywhere.
Passio Technologies, an industry leader in transit-technology solutions, offers a state-of-the-art AVL solution. For more information, visit https://passiotech.com/cadavl/.
