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Professor Young too pessimistic?

3rd June 1966, Page 52
3rd June 1966
Page 52
Page 52, 3rd June 1966 — Professor Young too pessimistic?
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

SEVERAL speakers in the discussion following Prof. Young's paper at the PTA Conference last week considered that he was too pessimistic in concluding that no real savings could be made by scheduling bus crews by computer, and that no such costreducing technique existed.

Mr. R. F. Bennett, Manchester, opening the discussion, reported that Manchester Corporation Transport was already carrying out an exercise in scheduling buses by computer and was about to start an appraisal of crew scheduling by computer. The most important implication of using computers for this work was a shake-up of both management and men. This would be worth it in the long run.

Mr. F. K. Pointon, Sheffield United Tours, made the point that the bus operating industry had already made very considerable economies and had about reached the limit in savings which could be made. If computers could discover any further economies their use would be worth while. Prof. Young's conclusion was too final a one to be based on the operation of 36 buses. There might be some advantage in using computers to draw up routine schedules so that the special skill of the schedule clerks could be used for the final knitting together of the results obtained.

A further step, suggested by Mr. J. Niblock, Midland General, was that schedule clerks should also be trained computer operators. but Mr. D. W. Morison, Hants and Dorset, said that this would lead to the best brains being trained for computers instead of for future management. There was no case for installing very expensive machines then having to find out how to use them and what for, said Mr. Morison.

Dealing with the point that the computers used in Prof. Young's experiments came to the same conclusions as the schedule clerks, Mr. G. G. Harding, Wallasey, quoted an example in connection with Wallasey Corporation's experiments. A computer discovered that 54 buses would be needed to operate duties already covered by 54 buses. But he pointed out that this conclusion had been reached in 15 seconds, as opposed to 30 years of trial and error.

Another computer programme showed a saving of only one bus, continued Mr. Harding. When an alteration in timings of only one minute either way was made, a further bus was saved, and this was repeated for a further one-minute adjustment. A survey carried out by computer of the entire Wallasey undertaking meant a saving of 20 per cent in the number of vehicles required during peak periods.


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