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Airport Commercial Vehicle Management Software
The growth in airport complexity and activity levels is impacting all facets of airport management and operation. This is particularly true in Landside operations. As airports attempt to develop comprehensive plans to deal with the increasing numbers of vehicles, people and baggage that must be moved between the roadways and the terminals.
Tools such as an automated Commercial Management (CVM) System that utilizes Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology can be a valuable asset to improving the operations of your curbside and roadways. CVM systems are designed to help you improve your customer service to passengers and to generate fees that are in line with the cost of the facilities that you provide. All CVM system are designed to benefit you operation in one or more of the following ways:
- Improve Customer Service
- Improved facility use
- Improve service provided by ground transportation "operators"
- Improved Revenue and Cost Performance of Landside Operations
- Allow fees to be directly related to trip activity
- Provide the basis for fees to recover Landside costs.
- Control Ground Transportation Costs
The following discussion describes the type of benefits that a CVM system can bring to your Ground Transportation function.
Improved Facility Use
The use of a CVM system that includes RF tags on each vehicle, barrier gates, and remote holding areas can be used to minimize the scarce curbside space allocated to various types of ground transportation vehicles such as taxicabs, courtesy shuttles etc. Using less space for any particular mode of ground transportation will increase the number of vehicles and passengers moved through the area. Using less space will also allow signage to be more efficient in directing passengers for all modes to the correct pickup area.
The system can be used to sequence or dispatch vehicles to the limited area at the terminal when needed in response to demand rather than at random. One airport has used their CVM system to move over 2000 taxicabs per day through only 11 parking spaces reserved in a convenient location on the curbside.
Creating a direct connection between fees paid and time spent on the curbside can have an impact on the behavior of companies and drivers to reduce both the number of trips and the time spent waiting in congested areas. More efficient use of available curbside space can ease congestion at peak times.
One of the direct benefits of the implementation of a CVM system is the generation of detailed traffic flow information. Data will be available on exactly how many trips are being made by each mode of ground transportation, peak activity levels, peak congestion times, fluctuations caused by weather, special events or changes of flight schedules. This information can be invaluable in making facility decisions, curb space allocations and priority location alternatives.
Improve the Service of Ground Transportation Operators
A CVM system can be used to monitor the service being provided by the "operators" at your airport. It will provide the information needed to help you enforce pickup and drop-off locations, track compliance with schedule commitments, and target specific violators of airport regulations.
By providing very specific information regarding an operator's activity for each of their vehicles at your airport (e.g. number of trips, time of day, routes taken, etc.) you can encourage changes in their service patterns, address violations, and take actions on compliments or complaints.
With the growth of shuttle bus operations for airport parking and common auto rental shuttle programs the issue of frequency of service is increasing in importance. Using RFID tags on each shuttle vehicle and readers at key points on the route will provide information on exactly when pickups are being made and the length of time for each trip. The ability to have detailed information on every trip could be used to provide a method to incorporate incentive or penalty provisions in the service contract for actual performance
Fees Directly Related to Activity
A CVM system can provide data on the number of trips made to the airport by each vehicle and the time spent at the curb (dwell time). This data can then be used to charge "trip fees" that directly reflect the usage of the facility by each operator. This method of assessing fees places the control over the amount of fees paid into the hands of the operator. By changing their service pattern they can impact their fees paid to the airport. Most airports have found this approach to be preferable to setting an arbitrary fee per year or per vehicle.
The GateKeeper CVM software can be configured to provide a wide range of fee structures that can be tailored for each "class" of operator and/or size of vehicle. Special features such as a number of free trips per month, seasonal fees, peak hour fees, etc. can all be incorporated into the fee structure desired by the airport.
Other administrative fees can also be included in the fee structure such as Application or Registration Fees, Transfer Fees, Lost Tag Fees, and Fines are example of fees currently being used.
Support for Fees to Recover Landside Operating and Capital Costs
The amount of fees paid by Ground Transportation Operators at airports is an important issue to all parties. An airport may elect to set fees to recover costs, provide incentives for certain types of transportation and/or to charge a "privilege fee" to recognize the value of the market delivered to certain types of ground transportation. The detailed activity information generated by a CVM system can be a key element in an analysis of costs that should be allocated to each "class" of ground transportation operator.
A number of airports have planned an increase in total fees collected after implementation of a CVM system. Some of this is the result of increased accuracy measuring the actual number of vehicle trips being made, some of the increase is the result charges for new or better operating conditions provided by the airport. Most airports recover the cost of the CVM system in their fees.
A number of airports have determined that they have not been appropriately charging for their ground transportation operations and facilities because they lacked a sound basis for setting and collecting the fees. A CVM system can be very effective in allowing an airport to manage the total amount of fees collected as well as the fees for each class of operators. It can also provide a convenient means to phase in any adjustments that may be desired over time.
Control Ground Transportation Costs
A Commercial Vehicle Management system can impact capital costs and operating expenses. More efficient use of existing curbside and roadway facilities can delay the need for expensive construction to expand the facilities and also reduce the amount of expansion needed.
An automated CVM system can also impact the amount of personnel needed at the curbside and for administrative purposes. Some airports have been able to reduce the number of employees required at the curbside while others have shifted the duties of their employees to focus on the needs of passengers rather than settling disputes among drivers or controlling the flow of vehicles.
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