ABSTRACT
One of the most time-consuming and cumbersome scheduling tasks is assigning the crew (drivers) to vehicle blocks. The task requires the service of imaginative, experienced schedulers, and usually it is performed automatically. Consequently, it is not surprising to learn that most of the commercially available transit scheduling software packages concentrate primarily on crew-scheduling activities. After all, from the transit agency’s perspective, the largest single-cost item in the budget is the driver’s wage and fringe benefits. Because of the important implications of crew scheduling for providing good transit service, practitioners ought to comprehend the root of the problem, and be equipped with basic tools to be able to arrive at a solution.
