Managing a University Transport Policy

Many universities and colleges will be aware that they face significant problems in providing facilities for those wishing to use private transport. The number of car users is growing, and scarce resources have to be devoted to car-parks to cater for them. This situation is the typical result of un-managed, individualised development. What should a professional manager do?

It is obvious that private cars cannot be allowed on the campus or within a reasonable distance of it. The bus is the obvious vehicle to use instead. There are many advantages offered by increasing bus use.

Buses can accommodate teams of people and not individuals. Those teams can be used to isolate the various functions involved in driving a car, separate them, and concentrate them in the hands of specialists. Thus a specialist journey planner can detect the optimal route each day, allowing for the changing physical and meteorological conditions in order to save time. Decisions made by the journey planner can be communicated to the journey implementor, who will actually steer the bus, by phone or e-mail display, and report every hour to the Executive Committee. The specialist engineer can take care to optimise the running of the engine and the correct use of the gearbox in different conditions, suggesting gear-changes and intervals for braking. The personnel co-ordinator can ensure the efficient loading and unloading of passengers, working closely with the safety officer to ensure efficient queuing and the pursuit of risk-free movement around the bus. A Passenger Consultation Committee will be on hand to monitor the efficient operating of the service in order to assure maximum customer satisfaction.  An overall  Executive Committee can monitor, oversee, coordinate and lead the workings of the team. Special lay-bys will be provided on campus so they can stop, meet and discuss progress.

The management team can easily be accommodated on the upper deck. This should be fitted as a luxury office, with the latest in mobile communications, mood lighting, comfortable chairs, teddy bears and special seminar facilities in order to constantly update the service.

The provision of these services may well require an initial rise in bus fares, but the benefits should soon be evident.