Using personal global positioning system devices in paratransit

An innovative solution to improve the current service efficiency in paratransit is introduced. The conventional pickup procedure requires reservations in advance for the paratransit operator to meet passengers at designated locations and missed pickups may occur due to the ambiguity of the address information or the inability of finding a specific location. With the availability of existing mobile global positioning system (GPS) devices, passengers can be located instantly, which ensures a successful pickup. This research explores the potential feasibility of using mobile GPS devices to reduce the number of missed pickups. Two GPS-tracking devices were tested and a prototype was also developed. Under this prototype, the agency dispatcher can see both the vehicle and the passenger and therefore instantly supervise the pickup if any errors occur. As new features can be added to the prototype system and new technologies become available, opportunities for future work are also presented.