University of Cape Town Shuttle Streamlines Operations with Optibus
Technology Category
- Functional Applications - Fleet Management Systems (FMS)
- Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Application Development Platforms
Applicable Industries
- Cities & Municipalities
- Transportation
Applicable Functions
- Logistics & Transportation
Use Cases
- Fleet Management
- Smart Campus
Services
- System Integration
- Training
About The Customer
The University of Cape Town’s private bus shuttle service, known as the UCT Shuttle, provides transportation services across the university campus, free of charge, to 29,000 students and 5,000 staff members. The UCT Shuttle is essential for students and staff to arrive on time at their lecture halls and offices, which are located on a private campus on the steep face of Cape Town’s iconic Table Mountain and not served by the city’s public transportation network. UCT Shuttle transports riders between the campus and greater Cape Town at the base of the mountain, where riders live, work, and play. With a fleet of 27 buses and 60 drivers, the UCT Shuttle operates 19 routes that run every day of the week (Sunday to Saturday) during the term, with special timetables for vacation and exam periods.
The Challenge
The University of Cape Town (UCT) Shuttle, a private bus service providing transportation to 29,000 students and 5,000 staff members, was struggling with manual planning and scheduling processes. The shuttle service, which operates 19 routes with a fleet of 27 buses and 60 drivers, was essential for the university community to commute between the campus and greater Cape Town. However, the manual processes were tedious, time-consuming, and prone to human error. The UCT Shuttle team, despite their expertise in traditional manual processes, lacked experience in digital planning and scheduling systems. They sought a digital, automated solution to streamline their operations and improve efficiency.
The Solution
In consultation with GoMetro, the technology arm of the GoAscendal global joint venture, UCT Shuttle selected Optibus’ Planning and Scheduling software platform. This cloud-native, AI-powered software platform transitioned the UCT Shuttle from manual to digital processes, resulting in faster timetable changes and better organization. The platform's intuitive, easy-to-use interface allowed the UCT Shuttle team to quickly adapt to the new system. Furthermore, Optibus’ cloud-native, digital platform enabled GoMetro to continue training operators remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. On September 1, 2020, GoMetro and UCT Shuttle launched a real-time fleet management system, GoMetro Fleet, with 30 UCT Shuttle vehicles, and a passenger information and communication mobile app. The Optibus tool was instrumental in digitizing the UCT Shuttle’s timetables and schedules into General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) format, significantly reducing the turnaround time in GTFS creation.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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