Operating strategies of buses for mass evacuation

Appropriate bus operating strategies are essential for mass bus dependent evacuation after a disaster strikes. Due to limited availability of buses, buses need to be run continuously, i.e., making multiple trips. It is important to find the efficient operating strategies of buses, including the number and sequence of trips. In order to find the optimal operating strategies, mathematical models have been developed. These models help the emergency manager in determining: (i) the minimum number of buses that must be available at respective depots in order to carry out the evacuation within the available time (ii) the optimal operating strategies of buses in order to minimize the overall evacuation time and (iii) perturbations required in these strategies on account of changes in the evacuation ecosystem due to uncertainties. To test the efficacy of these developed models, a case of a radiological accident is presented.