An Implementation of A Bus Following Model in an 802.11p Based Simulator in MATLAB

Tailored to address the lack of communications systems between bus and bus stops, this paper explores the use of IEEE 802.11p, a form of Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC), for communication in a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system using MATLAB through modification of an existing application Vehicle Ad-Hoc Network (VANET) Toolbox. Adding a bus mobility model and a bus entity, a Bus-Following model (BFM) is employed within a single lane setup following the BRT system. Multiple test simulations were conducted, varying in number of buses, bus stops, and information messages. Graphical representations of the communications as well as the generated information messages show that the system works according to the intended design. The simulator was also tested to the scale of a major Philippine road using the latest available passenger inflow and outflow data. The results show that communications between bus and bus stops were within acceptable parameters for latency and Packet Delivery Ratio while also showing that a bus to bus stop ratio of 2:1 was not sufficient to handle the passenger flow of EDSA during the 7AM rush hour. Overall, a verified simulator within the open-source VANET Toolbox is presented.