Dispatch SOP 012: Route Monitoring & Operator Relief

Purpose 

This procedure provides information for dispatchers who use the Operations area to monitor active routes and service delivery throughout the day. This procedure assumes the schedule has been pushed to the on-board CAD/AVL system (See S0P-001-01). The process covers monitoring alerts, monitoring relief operations, reporting incidents, using Decision Support tools for day-of-service adjustments ( updating vehicles and/ or operators), and managing detours.    

Operational Impact and Metrics

Operational Impact: The CAD/AVL system streamlines a number of common dispatch tasks during service and helps identify and address problems as routes are run; to efficiently provide relief operators or replacement vehicles as necessary. By having access to yard maps, operator information, vehicle status information, Decision Support and Incident Management tools, and various monitoring alerts, dispatchers can respond quickly to route status concerns. 

Metrics: On-time performance, vehicle capacity, vehicle health, needed service adjustments, and bus bunching on route 

Definitions

Frequency

Continuous while vehicles are in revenue service 

Positions and Responsibilities

Implementation of this SOP is primarily the responsibility of dispatchers, or whichever transit agency staff are directly responsible for assigning drivers to vehicles, assigning vehicles to routes, and monitoring vehicles in operation.

Supervisory personnel should be familiar with these procedures to support the Dispatchers. Vehicle Operator responsibilities for monitoring information while in service are covered in S0P-021-01. Road Supervisors' responsibilities for route monitoring and operator relief are covered in the parallel S0P-050-01.

Procedure

Route Monitoring  

1. Use the alerts for OTP issues, Off Route, OOS, Manual Mode, and Vehicle Movement Alarm alerts populating the events/ comms queues in myAvail to determine actions required
2. On-time performance 
3. Vehicle capacity  
4. Bus bunching on route
5. Route status – good, monitor, attention required  
6. Monitor communication with operators from the Communication queue 
7. Review and respond to canned messages from operators (where applicable)
8. Respond to request to talk from operators 
9. Respond immediately to emergency alarms from operators 
10. Monitor Maintenance VHM alerts, priority 1s (vehicle health monitoring alert - 1's are highest priority alerts- used solely for EAs which populate in the Comms queue
11. Use the Timeline to review a vehicle's schedule for the day and its analyze route information  
12. Use Decision Support tools for service adjustment needs 
13. Respond to events/ comms, then log them, to file them to BI operational reports   

Decision Support Tools

Decision Support tools are designed for on-the fly adjustments/ unexpected service disruptions. Easily access the tool through the right-click function from the Operations screen or access the Decision Support Tools card in Operations via ETMS. These tools allow dispatch to make adjustments to scheduled service, while also tagging incidents and service deviation entries, where needed. Right-click a vehicle record, or from a vehicle on the map, the Status queue, an Event or Communication, etc.. 

Frequency: Use Decision Support tools for the following scenarios for on-the-fly adjustments throughout a service day:

1. Use Replace Vehicle for vehicles that are unable to continue performing service
2. Add a Platoon Vehicle for overcrowded vehicles
3. Add a Helper Vehicle to get service running very late back on track
4. Use Cancel Service for service that cannot be performed
5. Use Discharge Only for vehicles at capacity/ are full

Change Operator

1.  From the “Yard Map Grids”, use the drag-and-drop method to assign an available operator from Extra Board to the desired run (on Pullout tab)
2. Or select a new operator from the operator assignment column drop-down menu on the Pull Out screen then notify the operator of the new assignment  

Change Vehicle

Use Decision Support tools or manage from Pullout

1. Operator reports issue or safety- related defect / or Maintenance VHM alert automatically populates the maintenance queue (VHM alerts are based on configuration settings)
   • Review pre-trip inspection status for defect information  
   • Review pre-trip test stats for failure information 
2. Notify maintenance  
3. Open Decision Support tools and use the Replace Vehicle card
4. The vehicle being replaced auto-populates/ or enter Vehicle Id using drop-down menus
5. Enter replacement vehicle information using the dropdown menu
6. Enter messages, as preferred, for involved vehicle operator/s
7. Enter incident information in the fields below, if applicable
8. Enter service resumed information, if applicable
9. The system will auto-calculate any differences 
10. Press Save to begin routing the information

Or update the assignment from Pullout

1. From the Pullout screen
   • Click directly in the field to change: Operator Assignment and/or Vehicle Assignment
2. Use the dropdown menus to update the assignment
3. Or, if using the Yard Map and Yard Map Grids, use the drag and drop method:
4. Click on, drag-and-drop the operator from the Extraboard Grid to Pullout to assign
5. Click on, drag-and-drop the vehicle from the Yard Map to Pullout to assign

Monitor Relief Operator Status  

1. Monitor relief operator status - Run ID column on Pull Out screen
2. Verify operator log out and relief operator log on  
3. Monitor pre-trip inspection/tests (if required)  

Incident Reporting 

Is further action needed, such as vehicle swaps, service adjustments, accident reporting, operator changes? Use Decision Support and Incident Management tools for these 'on-the-fly' events. Use the 'Log with Incident' function when logging events/ communication:

Log with Incident

1. Click Log with Incident- if additional action is required (service adjustments, accident, breakdowns, vehicle swaps, etc.)
2. This action will automatically tag related vehicle data such as:  Vehicle Id, Run, Route, Trip, Stop, Operator, Location, Time
3. ETMS auto-launches/opens the Vehicle Incidents screen
4. Fill in fields on the Basic Information area( Incident Title is required, Description, etc.)
5. Enter additional information on the 2nd area (Vehicle Incident type, Vehicle Problem Code)
6. Use the Replay Tool button to replay a set of minutes leading up to the event/the breadcrumb trail from the vehicle, as needed
7. Enter related Notes on the 3rd area (software tracks all notations via a timestamp)
   • Use the Attachment button to upload related documentation (PDFs, etc.)
8. Use the 4th area to document vehicle replacements and any missed/resumed service (the software will auto-calculate the adjustment differences for you)
9. Use the Optional field to alert involved vehicle operators
10. Use the 5th area to document road calls
11. Select the Save button when done   
12. The incident is stored on the main screen (can be edited by personnel with the permissions included in their accounts)
13. Locate incident and open incident to edit: includes the ability to update incident status, reassign it, add additional notes/documentation as information is gathered, etc.) 
14. Use send text feature to communicate with the operator if needed 

Create Incident and Automatically Tag Work Order

In software version 8.3+, work orders can be created from an incident, if configured. 

• Please refer to the instructions for how to tag vehicle work orders from incidents

Detour Management

1. Select myAvail Detour feature 
2. Click the green + sign to create a new detour 
3. ETMS opens to the Detour tool
4. Add name 
5. Add cause 
6. Add effect 
7. Select days of the week using the sliders
8. Add date and time ranges 
9. Locate the impact zone area on the map
10. Draw a polygon of the affected area on the map. (Affected routes and stops are automatically listed, and default messages for the operator and public are automatically built) 
11. Edit each segment to redraw the path the vehicle will follow 
12. Edit stops if service to affected stops will be provided during the active detour ( otherwise they display as skipped)
13. Save detour 
14. Return to myAvail- open related messages for the detour to rebuild 
15. Review and save each individual operator message 
16. Review and save each individual public message and add message destinations (web, social media, etc.) 
17. Click Save for the group
18. Confirm messages have been built successfully:
    • Saved messages have a numeric value next to the #Public- Operator Messages column on the Detour screen: [e.g. 2-2- means 2 operator and 2 public messages have been built. 0-0 indicates messages have not been rebuilt/ sent] Passengers are not informed in this case
    • Saved messages display on myStop applications ( based on publish date)

Supporting Documents

Related SOPs 

1. SP-001-01 Planner - Schedule Data Management and Implementation 
2. SP-011-01 Dispatch - Pull Out/Start of Shift  
3. SP-013-01 Dispatch - Pullin/End of Shift 
4. SP-050-01 Road Supervisor - Road Supervision