Let’s head back to 2004, when DYNAMIC FUTURE was invited to the project of trolley wire infrastructure extension in the center of Opava. Petr Jaluvka describes cooperation with the transport company as exceptionally effective: “The contracting authority perceived using a dynamic model to be a great opportunity to increase the quality of transportation, so everything took place in close cooperation and the results were great.”

The Public Transport Authority of Opava contacted the professionals from DYNAMIC FUTURE and they started to perform a study of trolley wire infrastructure extension in the center of Opava. It was a verification of the intention to build a trolleybus loop in the city center. During the study, savings in driving times, vehicle implementation and customer satisfaction were all monitored and assessed. “There was a relatively big trolleybus loop in the city center. It didn’t enable quick rotation of trolleybuses and their direction to peripheries. Historically, the trolley wires were spread on the small square of Rybí trh. We verified the way they can increase transport comfort given there will be a new transport hub,” says Petr Jaluvka.

Creating a dynamic model of public transport in the Witness 2003 software was a part of the assignment. The model included a newly designed transport loop in relation to the current transport network. There were processes related to passenger transport in the incriminated transport hub incorporated (the number of passengers in the corresponding time distribution in accordance with the trolleybus lines) and using transport vehicles on individual tracks in simulated variants while complying with the volume and time distribution of passenger transport assessed.

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“We checked how the lines were connected, also did mapping and measured how many people get in and out. We got a profile of each individual point’s busyness this way, but the client also provided us with their own studies. We also had to count with the involvement of passenger and freight transport,” described P. Jaluvka, while adding that DYNAMIC FUTURE was able to prove that executing the needed construction modifications was worth creating a new terminal on the Rybi trh square.

Based on their advice, the transport company executed the project. And more activities were ahead.

“For example, we did timetable optimization that was very successful. Hybrid trolleybuses entered the market back then, which was completely new for the Czech Republic. For most of the route they ride under a trolley wire, but they’re able to leave it at some point – and go around part of the town without it and then connect to it again. We were looking for the best way to make the most of hybrid technology. Thanks to its possibilities, we set new routes for hybrid vehicles, as well as timetables. Of course: in cooperation with the Public Transport Authority,” says the executive head of DYNAMIC FUTURE.

With hybrid trolleybuses, the philosophy of town travel rapidly changed. The people who were used to going by trolleybus in the center and outside of it, didn’t have to transfer – they could stay in one vehicle to get from the city to their home. 

It’s good to know that every change of the timetable is surrounded by a lot of complaints from dissatisfied passengers. Petr Jaluvka notes that there was only one complaint in Opava at that time: “It was a strange situation for all. The guys from the Public Transport Authority really appreciated it at that time.”

The project execution helped to lower the environmental burden in the city center and increase operability of not only the trolleybus, but also the bus transport when faced with sudden crisis situations. At the same time, it brought the needed travel quality by eliminating the need to transfer. Based on dynamic simulation, the savings time was set to be approximately 3.35 minutes, in the Olomoucká – Krnovská direction and 4.79 minutes in the opposite direction. Economical consequences resulting primarily from saving unproductive bus rides were significant as well, of course. The financial savings in the area of trolleybus transport stems from effectively used trolleybuses and in case of traffic interruptions, from losses related to being unable to implement trolleybuses with all the obstacles of city center operation minimization.

“When I look back, I consider it to be a nice project, everything went smoothly, the officials were very happy to cooperate and leaning towards new solutions. Based on this experience, we then worked for the Public Transport Authority of Pardubice,” says the executive head of DYNAMIC FUTURE, Petr Jaluvka.