DEVELOPMENT OF A TOOL FOR OPERATING COST REDUCTION. APPLICATION TO THE CASE OF A FLEET OF URBAN BUSES APPLAYING EFFICIENT DRIVING TECHNIQUES

Abstract

One of the biggest operating costs in a road transport company is the fuel. Fuel consumption accounts for a significant percentage of spending and the change in its price tends to force immediate changes in rates to maintain profitability. This paper presents a method for reducing fuel consumption through the implementation of a system to support fuel-efficient driving. The system consists of a number of technical tools and seminars with experts who promote a learning process that is maintained over time. Technical tools are composed of an on-board system that generates indications in order toinduce the driver to efficient driving and a web platform that allows to check routes and a series of indicators to analyse driving afterwards. Seminars and meetings with experts seek to give guidance and advice to strengthen the role of technical tools. The cost of implementing the system is very small making it easy finance through reduced consumption that can reach values higher than 10%. The system has been successfully tested in the Urban Transport Company of Gijón (EMTUSA) was achieved by a reduction in consumption of 7 % in an urban environment that is usually the hardest for efficient