Profit optimization of public transit operators: examining both interior and boundary solutions
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
2021
Subject Area
mode - bus, mode - car, economics - profitability, ridership - commuting, ridership - mode choice
Keywords
Day-to-day dynamics, period-to-period adjustment, monopoly, Bertrand-Nash duopoly, bus fare and auto toll scheme
Abstract
We concern the modal choice of commuters in a transport system comprising a highway and two transit lines. For the operation of the transit lines, two market structures are considered: monopolistic and duopolistic. The problem of optimizing the profit of each transit operator is formulated as an optimization model with equilibrium constraints. We theoretically prove that, to obtain both the interior and boundary solutions of the optimization model, it is sufficient to solve an alternative optimization model with equality constraints. For each market structure, we propose a period-to-period transit fare and auto toll scheme to maximize the profit of each transit operator and to simultaneously make the profit of each transit operator more than a certain value. Finally, by numerical examples, we show the effectiveness of the scheme in each market and the necessity of examining both the interior and boundary solutions of the optimization model.
Rights
Permission to publish the abstract has been given by Taylor&Francis, copyright remains with them.
Recommended Citation
Guo, R.-Y., & Szeto, W.Y. (2021). Profit optimization of public transit operators: examining both interior and boundary solutions. Transportmetrica A: Transport Science, Vol. 17(4), pp. 824-855.
