Traffic Flow and Public Transport in North Cyprus (Lefkosa) Alternative Planning

Traffic flow and public transport in North Cyprus (Lefkosa) alternative Planning
Mohammad ALASEER

ABSTRACT
Nowadays one of the most issue affect our daily life, load on Economic, and the negative effects on Environment is Traffic flow and their way of been plan, they way of our public transport planning, services lines, bus station and the regulation are also effect the life quality in the city. In the last, few decades’ streets in the city have built without any attention to grow population and the increasing number of vehicles. What the main important changes have to be for increasing the traffic flow. Why have to be done. this paper will talk about the ideas can solve problem by change the line of public transporting for more covering area and less traffic, by experimentally study and a interview with the users of the road ( drivers and public users).
The new alternative system show how the traffic flow change. Further study has to done for more developing solution.
Keyword: traffic flow, public transport. Quality of services, Lefkosa city (North Cyprus) | | INTRODUCTION
Researches done by marketing show that the quality of the service reflects the public satisfaction (F. Fonseca , S. Pinto , C. Brito, 2010), and its show how it is important to make high quality services to gave the public relax and comfortable ride when they are using the public transporting. Which will increase the number of the users of the public transports and will achieve less traffic since its will encourage people to use public transport.
Since the main Factors that Community go away from using public transport are the long length, and the time they lose and the expansive prices for ticket (Pavel STOYANOV, Plamena GAGOVA, 2012).
Even that the traffic management become a big problem and a big concern in last few years in developed country such as north Cyprus. Living in the information world with high computer network show that a simulation can be important for analyzing data and developing solution, and it can solve the problem related to traffic control. In addition, it can provide a new intelligent transportation system. (Georgios Papageorgiou, Pantelis Damianou, Andreas Pitsilides, Aphames Thrasos, Petros Ioannou, 2006).

From other studies and researches, the environmental affect that it coming from road construction and road using. In order to decrease the impact we have to understand the reason of why it have this impact, and it start with waste of road construction process, manufacturing of the materials, unprepared or broken road which will increase the fuel use for engine to moving the vehicle more than asphalts road. And all this have negative impact to our environment, which it can be reduce by re-usage and re-construction of materials, also another possible to reduce the impact can be by remanufacturing of excavation materials. (Damijan Koletnik, Rebeka Lukman, Damjan Krajnc, 2012)
On the other hand, there is a type of people such as blind people have very difficult for using public transportation.
There is few systems can offer the assistance and information for blind persons such as the RAMPE project. This project aim to help blind people by smart hand-held personal digital assistant (PDA), that have the ability to speech and able to connect to wireless Wi-Fi connection on the bus stations. Where this device has functions such as vocal message and information about the system provide from the stations, in the same time it can gave information about the real time. When this device equipped will offer information such as route number and destination, so it can increase their mobility and autonomy in public transport and make them independent, on the other hand, it will warned the driver that a blind person would ride the bus. (G.Baudoina, O.Venarda, G.Uzanb, A.Rousseaub, Y.Benaboua, A.Paumierc, J.Cesbronc, n.d).
Since the operation and planning have costs, and because of their immediate impact for public transportation quality.
Public transport companies trying to find a research tool in the way can reduce operating cost. New opportunities and information can collect from AVL (automatic vehicle location) and APC (automatic passenger counters).
Both of these systems help for research and planning or scheduling in public transport.
The efficiency of these system come from their complexity and the way of solving this problem, in way can combined them, crew and vehicle and users of the public transportation. (C. Fleurent · S. Vob, 2011)
What make public transportation issue special that its international problem and it is a community problem.
And such as International Conferences of Advanced System for Public Transport (CASPT), “this conference serves as a forum for international community of researches and practitioners” (Hong K. Lo, William H.K. Lam, S.C. Wong, Janny M.Y. Leung, 2010), such this conferences and other works show us how the necessary of finding a new methodology and techniques. To provides a solution for public transportation system, considering planning, operation, scheduling and controlling issue, these issue have to be focus on, because their effect on the public transport section and their impact on the quality of this industry.
In this article the case study on North Cyprus, explain some of the main public transportation available. there is a wide network of daily buses and mini-buses connect the main towns, in addition there Dolmush (shard taxi) operating on the same lines and some time have other routes, there is also taxi and its widely available but it can be expansive if its work on meter, where there are kind of standard journey fare. (Anonymous, 2009)

The alternatives provides by public transportation and its benefits, that it help city for easier living condition, and less energy use since the bus will move with one passenger and more it will use almost same amount of energy.
In addition, that effect on health by less motor working lower pollution, and not only air pollution but also noise pollution, which will save our environment. Moreover, it gave an affordable price and solution for who cannot afford car price and its expenses. At other level, it is create jobs, which will decrease the number of unemployed. In addition, its provide employees a faster way to go their jobs. Other benefits come as a result that fewer cars need fewer park space. As results less property for parking space, that leads for higher accessibility roads.
One of the greatest impacts of public transport comes for whom unable to drive such as the elderly, disabled and young. From other point public transportation, help supports the economic and cultural even social activates.
Moreover, the safety factor where will be lower crime, additional to lower accident. (Gershon, 2005)
METHODOLOGY
In this research indentifies the relationship between quality and satisfaction. This will increase the customer satisfaction, which will improve the public transportation. From the other hand a new consideration include in this study, environment factor and it effects on public transportation. With all this, factors in our case have to apply to improve the quality and provide solution that is more suitable. (Hong K. Lo, William H.K. Lam, S.C. Wong, Janny M.Y. Leung, 2010) Also the understanding of the public and the users of the road important to provide a higher quality services. Even a study for understand which elements make them prefer using a personal car.
From other hand, (F. Fonseca , S. Pinto , C. Brito, 2010) in there paper they explain about how a bus breakdown on a scheduled trip can make a big delay problem. Moreover, how a consideration of a bus rescheduling and bus signal priority can effectively reduce the delay problem. This will lead to decrease the costs of delay and increase the company profit. Moreover, the case study we will use interview method that is it will not provide a meaning but it will describe the experiences of the selected group. The other side of collecting data will be documents from departments such as Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Public Information Office. The interviews have different kind or level of people. Choose will be depend on their perception and functional areas or field.
This selected group will be operators, technical, lawyer, students and so on. Main object and targets of this interview, to identify the most important needs for higher quality services and more satisfaction.
Another methodology can be as a simulation tool (LIN TIM), this simulation tool can use to analyze data such as line planning, timetabling, vehicle scheduling and delay management. However, it can use to provide answers for line planning question. (Schöbel, 2012).
By combination of interviews, document and computer programs such as simulation program. This kind of data will be first step for evaluating, and providing solution. Which will be a suitable answer for the traffic problem and it is improve the quality of public transportation.

STUDY
By choosing LEFKOSA city, a general review about country where our cases study. North Cyprus covers almost 37% of the third largest island in Eastern Mediterranean. The main cities are (Lefkosa, Kyrenia, Famagusta, Karpas, Iskele, Labta, Lefka, and Guzelyurt). Located west of Syria and Lebanon and south of Turkey. (Hasan Cantas, Adrian Muwonge, Baris Sareyyupoglu, Hakan Yardimci, Eystein Skjerve, 2011)
We have to understand the main bus station and bus route in Lefkosa city. This data has collected from the website of northcyprusonline, first type of data in general form about buses and minibuses in Northern Cyprus, its include the cover routes between Lefkosa city and other major towns or larger villages. Both of the bus and mini buses routs are almost the same, where the different is sizes and color. Commonly destination shown in the front windscreen either stands at bus stop or on the road and rise hand anywhere with the main road to stop the bus.
Other type of information about Frequency of the bus. Buses in North Cyprus have no schedule but its departures every (20-50min), depend on the bus destination or when it is full. Also running time and period change between summer and winter. Mostly bus services finish around 6 pm in winter, while in winter the last one leave at 8pm.but mine bus work more late mostly until 10pm. Moreover, the ticket prices generally between two$ up to five$ depend on the distance. The fare paid usually to bus driver or worker sell ticket. Lefkosa city have bus station (terminal), where its location” Corner of Ataturk Caddesi and Kemal Asik Caddesi”. There other main bus station along the city like old city gate. The location of the terminal is good and bad in the same time. Since it is almost in the middle city easy to reach but also cause traffic. (anonymous, 2001-2013)
One of the people has been interview with is Mohammad HARAB (HARB, 2013), HARAB own a car and he live in north Cyprus for a 6 years and he study in the university. His comment about public transportation that. It is expansive, comparing with the money that I will pay for a fuel. In addition, it is not every time working and there is no good bus station most of the time there is one place to set its open, so in winter I will freeze until bus will come and in summer, it is too much hot to wait outside or to walk to bus station.
Another person is ESRA ISIKDEMIR, from her point that public transport in Lefkosa are really bad, since it don’t cover all the areas and its only operate on the main road, and there is no night services, while taxi are too much expansive. ESRA also talk about the quality of transportation need to be improving and have to be more cover area. Moreover, as ESRA compare between road in turkey and North Cyprus that roads need to be fix and more planning for higher quality of life. (ISIKDEMIR, 2013)
Other student is GIZEM YAMAN owned a car and its Turkish number not a Cyprus number, and the reason behind bringing car that there is no public transportation between home and university, in other words 3 different buses. Moreover, other solution is university bus, while university bus usually crowded. In addition, schedule of bus are often every hour and weekend every 2hours and its work until 10 pm evening. All this was the reason to bring a car for daily use, however YAMAN do not like to drive car, due to high traffic in the city. (YAMAN, 2013)
ALL of ISIKDEMIR, YAMAN and HARB are students, looking to other type of people. USAMA RIGEB a worker and father lived more than 11 years in North Cyprus. RIGEB say that it is hard to count on public transportation since the most near bus road to his home more than 10min walking, and if he will ride with his family will cost him more if he use a personal car. Other issues RIGEB talk about that they do not offer evening service, which mean that taxi will be the only choose for who do not have car. In addition, its costly choose even worker cannot afford it for longer term. From other hand the traffic in Lefkosa city are too much crowded and using public transportation will make him lose time he need. RIGEB talk about important issue in his view, that there is no fix time for public transportation that trying to use bus can be longer and hard and unhealthy choose, since waiting in cold or under sun will affect bus users. (RIGEB, 2013)
Other person is BELAL RAGEAB, RAGEB worker and his family live with him; his points that wish he could afford to buy car so his life quality will be higher and using minibus will be finish, a reason of that the money lose for using public transportation. However, Hand since it is the only way for him to go work, the government should improve public transportation for higher quality of services and more costumers’ satisfaction. (Rageab, 2013)
Under scope North Cyprus, Lefkosa city need a new studies such as “technical phases land –use planning, trip-generation, trip-distribution, modal-split, traffic assignment and evaluation”. (BLACK, 1974)
However, this studies need to be improve and organize, but one of the solution of the problem can be by alternative Planning, in other words finding alternative route for public transportation in the way it can cover more areas and reduce the traffic. However, the energy conservation of the public transportation studies can improve the efficiency of transport sector. (JEFFRY J ERICKSON, DAVIDL GREENE,ALBERTO J SABADELL, 1988)
While the quality of service is the main standard and consequent satisfaction of the customers, it has expected that the managers of the transport industry have to talk to customers, were they can understand what their needs and for more developing solution, regards that the customers are important to public transportation. In addition, quality dimensions can increase customers’ satisfaction. (F. Fonseca , S. Pinto , C. Brito, 2010)

CONCLUSION
Lefkosa city not a high population, but it’s have a problem with traffic and public transportation, and the reason of that the city plan old and have no development, and the improvement of the roads are slow almost dead. While the road need maintenance, and bus route need a study for higher efficacy and satisfaction to consumer of the public transportation.
This study deal with the general issue that Lefkosa public transportation problems, and its gave some steps for alternative solution for improving the traffic flow in the city and reducing the environment effect for heavy uses on the personal cars, also for more safety and healthier life-style.

The following steps can be a start to solve the traffic problem, study for schedule the bus working hours and ticket prices, and add capacity for roads, critical area such as four area need planning. Planning methods such as land uses, transportation distention, also a Long-term researches for strategic management. Other studies for data with a good analysis tools can improve the public transportation impacts on environment, social and economic.
Include technical assistance such as simulation programs, local program coordination. Other research has to be about the financial resources for higher quality of life and better planning city.
In other words, Lefkosa city need more advance environment friendly management system, advance of the new technology using in order to decrease costs with higher efficiency. Hiring skilled managers and technical people to improve the quality of service and insure more customer satisfaction. Develop a private section for improve the alternatives of the buss users.
Create ideas for attractive solution to increase the number of people for improving public transportation economic.
Other Further study has to done for more developing solution.

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2013 the 2nd International Conference on Traffic and Logistic Engineering (ICTLE 2013)

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