Successful start of operations in Utrecht

Qbuzz is on the way with IVU

Following on from the Friesland and Groningen-Drenthe regions, Qbuzz was able to win a third concession for the Utrecht region, which is also the largest concession nationwide. On 8 December 2013 at 2.00 a.m., the private Dutch public transport operator began its operations with the help of IVU systems and will be providing its services for the next ten years.

In order to be able to transport some 200,000 passengers in the region reliably to their destinations every day, Qbuzz has introduced 168 new vehicles into the fleet. They are being equipped with the on-board computer IVU.box.touch; 133 vehicles have already been fitted out and the remaining 35 will follow in the coming weeks. A particularly critical point was the integration of the existing fleet of 142 vehicles from the previous operator. Despite different hardware configurations, they had to be migrated into the new system within one day. Thanks to standardised interfaces this went smoothly, so that all the buses could begin operations punctually. The passengers hardly noticed anything, and they were able to use the public transport as usual. By June 2014, all the old vehicles will have been re-equipped with the more powerful IVU on-board computers.

Since it was founded in 2008, Qbuzz has relied on the systems of the IVU.suite and it has chosen IVU’s standard solutions for all applications from operational control, through passenger information services, to settlement. Especially for the new Utrecht concession the systems include some new features. For example, an integrated environmental function ensures that the vehicle power is throttled down in inner-city areas, reducing the environmental impact of the buses and also ensuring that they operate more economically. Another new feature supports the display of coloured route numbers and symbols on the vehicles so that passengers who are waiting at the bus stop will be able to see at a glance which route the approaching bus serves.

By the end of the project, two further new features are to be installed. A new network function will ensure that in the event of disturbances within the GSM network the system will automatically switch to another provider in order to maintain an uninterrupted data connection between the vehicle and the operational control centre. It will also be possible to communicate with dynamic bus stations. In large bus stations, buses are not allocated a fixed position in advance. They notify the bus station shortly before their arrival and they are then told which stand to go to. The intermodal transport control system (ITCS) IVU.fleet informs the bus station system regularly via an interface about which vehicles will be arriving. Shortly before the bus arrives, the IVU.box.touch reports the vehicle via a field system (wireless or inductive) directly to the bus station system.

For Qbuzz, their decision in favour of the IVU systems has been justified in particular by the rapid and timely delivery. Some 90 per cent of the project has already been completed, and the remaining work will be completed in the coming months. The head of project at Qbuzz, Klaas van Esch, is proud of the joint achievements: “In retrospect, this was the largest concession transfer and system integration in the Netherlands, and probably worldwide, in such a short time. The punctual start of all the systems on the eve of 8 December was a major success for the entire team.”

Madlen Dietrich
Corporate communications
IVU Traffic Technologies AG
Bundesallee 88, 12161 Berlin, Germany
Tel 49 30 85906-386
E-mail: Madlen.Dietrich@ivu.de
www.ivu.com

IVU Traffic Technologies AG has been working for more than thirty-five years with some 350 software engineers to ensure that transport in the world’s major cities operates reliably and on time. People and vehicles in expanding cities are continually on the move – a logistical challenge which calls for intelligent and reliable software systems. The standardised software products of the IVU.suite and tailor-made IT solutions are used to plan, optimise and control the scheduling of vehicle fleets and personnel. Other systems support the choice of branch locations or ensure that election results are determined correctly.
IVU. Systems for vibrant cities.