Integrating Web GIS and Agent-Based Simulation for University Bus System Analysis

Abstract

Bus systems at higher education institutions often suffer from a mismatch between supply and peak academic demand, which affects their efficiency and reliability. This gap leads to long waiting times, overcrowding at bus stops or on vehicles, and limited operational information. Combined with urban traffic congestion, these factors negatively impact the quality of life of the academic community, class punctuality, and consequently academic performance, thereby turning transportation into a barrier to effective access to quality education. This study presents the development and integration of a Web GIS, a collaborative mobile application, and an agent-based simulation model for collecting, recording, and analyzing georeferenced information regarding a university bus system. The simulation results reveal that, although the system achieves approximately 80% demand coverage, there are structural imbalances between saturated and underutilized routes. These findings suggest that an integrated platform can support evidence-based decision-making for university transport planning and may serve as a basis for future studies aimed at evaluating optimization strategies and real-time operational adjustments.