DBL Operator Briefing May 2024 V2 (003)

Dedicated Bus Lanes: Operator
Briefing
May 2024
Transport Challenges in Kigali
• Growing
Congestion
• Road accidents
• Reducing air quality
• Slow speeds
• Limiting economic
growth
Why are buses important?
• City is population is growing at over 4% per
annum
• Not enough space to accommodate increasing car
traffic
• Need to protect the city and create a liveable city,
with clean air and safe streets
• Buses are efficient and can be effective
• A desire to show that bus users are valued
1 bus = 96 cars
Making buses better means use our roads more

What is the DBL Project?
• An approach to improve bus services
• Giving road space and priority to buses
• Part of a package of measures to make the bus the
first choice for those travelling in Kigali
• Make bus services more attractive to users
(meeting their needs)
• Make bus service operation more efficient
• A means to increase passenger numbers
Bus Lane Example: London
A comprehensive approach
Resulting in passenger increases
Reduced operating costs
Signing
Communication
Control
Intention: A Network of DBL Routes
• Intention is to
develop bus
priority across the
city.
• Pilot route will be
evaluated,
optimised ready for
further
implementation
Kigali DBL Pilot
City to Remera
Via Rwandex & Sonatube
Example: Rwandex
Retain stop line capacity
Allow bus to pass signal on
‘next green’
Signals operate on new

signal plans
Signals linked together to
improve efficiency
A coordinated approach: Not just road changes
• Bus Operations – increase frequency, provide the best
buses, well maintained with customer care trained
drivers.
• Communication Plan – who to engage, how and when.
Make clear the outcome = a better city for all
• Education – make all aware of their roles, police, city
and operator
• Traffic signal operation – optimise to benefit everyone
Co-ordinated by City of Kigali

What DBL Achieves
• Time savings = Operating cost savings:
All services using DBL Opex/day Opex/year
DBL Corridor Current $7,600 $2,329,600
DBL Corridor with DBL $6,900 $2,096,600
Corridor savings $ 760 $ 233,000
• Ability to attract more passengers/revenue

• Everyone gains: Passenger, Operator, City
A partnership
• City of Kigali: • Rwanda Police:
– Implementing bus – Enforcement
lanes • Bus operators:
– Traffic signal – User orientated
modifications operation
– Co-ordination
– Communication
– Evaluation
Informing People of DBL
• DRAFT COMS VIDEO TO BE INCLUDED

Using DBL (1)
• The most important thing above all is – where there is a bus
lane…… USE IT!!!
• Other drivers hate seeing an empty lane that they can’t
use!!
• Follow and obey the road signs and road markings for the
bus lane
• At junctions, beware and be courteous to other vehicles
which need to cross into your path to make a right turn (the
bus lane will temporarily end to allow this. Signs and road
markings will show and endorse this)
Using DBL (2)
• As a driver of a bus on the DBL, always be alert to the risk of
pedestrians stepping into the bus lane
• Also be alert to other vehicles moving into the bus lane, even if
they are not allowed
• Do not react angrily if this happens – it is not your job to deal with
drivers using the bus lane when they shouldn’t!!
• NOTE that this is more likely to happen when the bus lane is new,
and other drivers aren’t used to it being there
• If the DBL is obstructed (by a parked vehicle, even if it is parked
illegally), signal left to move out around the obstruction, and
return to the bus lane as soon as you have passed that vehicle
The DBL is just one part of the
package
• The DBL is the key improvement action that will help buses to
beat the traffic congestion, and make passenger journeys
faster and more reliable
• Car drivers/moto taxi passengers sat in the traffic jam while
buses glide past them will begin to understand that travel by
bus is a better option
• But, to tempt them out of their car and on to the bus, there
are other essential improvements to give them this confidence
• These include RELIABILITY, FREQUENCY, RECOGNITION and
PRESENTATION (bus AND driver)
Case Study: Poole-Bournemouth, UK
• This content is being further developed for the sessions
• It is drawn from personal AC experience of taking the core bus
corridor between in the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation on England’s
south coast, where the product was simplified and freshly branded,
with a new standard high spec bus fleet
• For the same resource level, these actions generated 30% patronage
increase in only THREE MONTHS
• The additional revenue generated was reinvested in higher frequency
– patronage grew within the next 8 months by 60%
• This success has continued – higher capacity is now being provided
with a fleet of brand new double deck buses
Bus Route Scheduling and Service Frequency
• The published timetable for the route is core to the service schedule
• Simple formula – total round trip time (including stand time at both ends
of route) divided by frequency = no. of buses required for the route
• Example – 120 minute round trip, frequency every 20 mins, needs 120/20
= 6 buses
• FREQUENCY AND RELIABILITY ARE THE KEY DRIVERS OF PASSENGER AND
REVENUE GROWTH
• DBL has the ability to help deliver reliability (consistent journey times)
and increased frequency – from investing journey time savings made
• In our example, if DBL can reduce round trip journey time from 120 down
to 90 minutes, the same 6 buses can now run every 15 mins instead of
every 20 mins, for the same operating cost!
Operating to a frequency
• To achieve this improvement in frequency, it is
essential that the timetable is maintained by every
bus and driver
• This means leaving the bus terminus at the
scheduled time, NOT waiting until seats are filled
• Bus stops along the route should get the same
service frequency as the terminus. Awaiting
passengers will be confident their bus will arrive at
regular intervals, and will have room for them
Other improvements on DBL routes
• Reliability and frequency improvements will be the key
success factors the DBL can deliver, but other ‘softer’
actions are crucial to that success too
• RECOGNITION: buses operating the DBL routes need some
form of clear branding so that passengers can be confident
in identifying the bus they need, like in our case study
• PRESENTATION: the driver must be in uniform, well
presented, courteous and helpful. Great customer service
will be crucial to DBL success! The buses must be clean, well
maintained and attractive to ride on
Resilience planning
• (Yolande’s section here)

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Dedicated Bus Lanes: Operator

Making buses better means use our roads more

Signals operate on new

Co-ordinated by City of Kigali

• Ability to attract more passengers/revenue

• DRAFT COMS VIDEO TO BE INCLUDED

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