Knowledge Based Expert Advisory System for Transport Demand Management

Abstract

In view of the fact that supply strategies alone could not solve urban congestion, many cities around the globe have adopted Transport Demand Management (TDM) strategies as part and partial of their congestion mitigation plan. TDM comprises several strategies and policies that aim to modifying travelers behaviour. TDM comprises strategies and policies that are different in nature which can be divided into several categories according to  how they affect travelers’ behavior. Selecting and determining suitable TDM strategies for a particular congestion mitigation goal can be a complex task; thus requires expertise. In this regards, the effectiveness of a TDM strategy is primarily depending on whether its selection was appropriately examined prior to its field implementation. This paper presents the development of a Knowledge based expert advisory system for TDM. The process of organizing the available knowledge of TDM strategies, as well as the process leading to the selection of one or more strategy advice, is encoded in the knowledge based expert system shell developed for the purpose by using shell expert system Kappa-PC version 2.4 which was adopted object oriented and high resolution graphical user interface. The advice given from the working system was evaluated and validated by comparing the output of the system against the recommendations made by transportation professionals. The evaluations indicate favourable results for the system. The expert advisory system can be used as a decision support system as well as a teaching tool for junior transportation engineers, planners, private developers, and government officials.