Eco-driving and more comfort for all passengers in Bochum thanks to IT driving assitance
Since February 2013, the public transport company of the German city of Bochum (BOGESTRA) has successfully used an IT-driving-assistance system to support drivers in driving eco- friendly. The MiX RIBAS® system developed by the German automotive and telematics company Kienzle was first implemented by BOGESTRA as part of a pilot project to promote regional cooperation in the Ruhr area. It was therefore installed on 20 buses based at the depot in Ückendorf. As an innovative system that enables more economic and ecologically-friendly driving, MiX RIBAS® provides the driver with real-time analysis of energy consumption and vehicle vibration, indicating if energy usage can be reduced and passenger comfort enhanced. A small cab display provides the driver with continuous feedback. In case the driving style has become economically suboptimal and less comfortable for the passengers, a warning signal sounds and a small LED light alerts the driver and suggests a change in driving method.
In order to accurately measure the exact level of energy savings, all 20 test vehicles fitted with MiX RIBAS® were then deployed on the BOGESTRA line 390, which is topographically challenging and features numerous inclines as well as tight curves. Traditionally, line 390 has therefore always been responsible for above average energy consumption, but thanks to the use and implementation of MiX RIBAS®, 5% of energy savings were quickly achieved. In only the first four months of the trial period, 11 000 Euros of diesel fuel costs were saved! If calculated over the course of the entire year, this equates to savings of 1000 Euros per bus!
Employees also benefit
As of 1 September 2013, the pilot phase was extended to include all 100 buses at the Ückendorf depot. It was also decided to implement a rewards scheme for all those drivers that actively apply the eco-driving methods and thereby contribute to massive financial savings for the operator. The exact details of the rewards scheme are presently still being negotiated by BOGESTRA management and staff representatives, but it is foreseen that those 100 employees with the most eco-friendly driving style will be eligible for bonus payments totaling as much as 50% of the saved energy costs.
Just a few days after implementing the new operating system with the eco-driving methods, it is already possible to conclude that 99% of the drivers are actively participating in the initiative and consider themselves as empowered stakeholders in the process.
The ACTUATE project will exchange experiences made with the MiX RIBAS® system in Bochum and other IT-driving assistance systems tested in the partner cities Parma, Leipzig and Eberswalde
Press article BOGESTRA more, but only in german
