Using GIS-based intelligent transportation systems in the enhancement of university campus commuting in a smart city context

This study investigated the possibility of using an intelligent transport system (ITS) and geographic information system (GIS) to increase the efficiency of the campus transportation at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The study yielded several findings, prior to the implementation of the GIS-based ITS, the time spent waiting for the university bus amounted to less than 5 min (19% of responses), 5–10 min (48%), 10–20 min (30%), and more than 30 min (3%). Regarding the bus arrival time at home, 62% of the female students did not know the bus arrival time, and 38% knew the bus arrival time. However, after the creation of an intelligent transportation system that sent an alert prior to the arrival of the bus in front of their houses, the time the female students spent waiting for the bus decreased significantly, reaching 14 min, in addition to the 10 min spent for the bus to move between houses. The constant factor before and after the ITS intervention was the total time required to pick up the female students, reaching 24 min, and the new system saved 43 min of daily trip time.