Agent-based simulation model of bus evacuation events

Abstract

The time required for the evacuation of the occupants of buses and coaches, that is, Large- Dimension Passenger Transport Vehicles (V.G.D.T.P.) is a fundamental safety parameter for these vehicles. Starting from the fact that they are a mode of transport with very high levels of security, when events with collision and subsequent fire occur, or in cases of fire exclusively, it is when these events generate injuries or even deaths. Additionally, part of the UN CEPE regulations that affect these vehicles (e.g. R107) are defined in such a way as to reduce this evacuation time. Others, R118, are aimed at reducing the severity of the fire and, therefore, increasing the time available before suffering serious consequences. Therefore, the need to know which are the fundamental aspects that can improve these two time intervals, evacuation and available, is concluded. In the present work, a coach is modelled, and simulated by means of an agent-based model, both the boarding process, and the disembarkation or evacuation process. Some relevant characteristics of the model are that it allows to analyse the influence of the mobility of each agent (occupant) as well as that of the vehicle's configuration. Among others, some of the characteristics of the occupants are their average speed of movement and associated with a probability function, their size, the probability of using emergency exits (e.g. jumping through an emergency window), etc. Regarding the vehicle, the fundamental aspects contemplated in the model are those relating to accessibility to the interior of the vehicle and, once inside it in the corridors, access to the seats. Among other parameters, the width of the gangway, the distances between seats, the characteristics of the entrances, stairs, etc. The model is used to analyse the influence of the variability of each of the occupant and vehicle parameters described, and the probabilities of complete and partial evacuation times are deduced. Based on these results, it is concluded that the exits locations, and the age (mobility) of the passengers are the main parameters influencing the probability of a high evacuation time.