ESTRERA, ROYELINE NICOLE A.

BS ARCH3A

OUTPUT NO. 1

1. What is a Bus Terminal, what are planning considerations in a Bus Terminal?

A bus terminal, or terminus, is the point where a bus route starts or ends, where

vehicles stop, turn or reverse, and wait before departing on their return journeys. It’s also

where passengers board and alight from vehicles. It also often provides a convenient point

where services can be controlled from. (World Bank Group and PPIAF, 2006).

In general, the four basic planning criteria for planning of terminals are –

1. Need – Need of the terminal arises with increase in the demand. An organized bus

terminal should meet the following requirements:

• Accessibility • Safety

• Comfort and convenience • Easy processing

2. Size – The following factors are considered to characterize the size of the terminal

and its functions:

• Flow of traffic • System characteristics

• User characteristics

3. Location – The selection of the location should satisfy the following criteria

• It should form a component in the hierarchy of transport systems

• It should be a component in the hierarchical system of transportation

terminals

• It should be located such that as a point of coordination and integration

between inter-city and intra-city transport

 4. Design – Following points should be kept in mind for efficient workability of terminal

1. Segregation of bus and non-bus traffic

2. Segregation of pedestrian and vehicular movement

3. Elimination of vehicular traffic conflict

4. Segregation of pedestrian flows

5. Minimum processing for the buses

6. Segregation of transportation and no-transportation activities

2. What are Space Requirements in a Passenger Bus Terminal?

Space requirements in a Passenger Bus Terminal include the following:

Public Seating

Seating in any of the terminal types may be provided in the form of a separate

waiting room or, in a more open plan, in the form of a simple seating area within a larger

public space. This function should be directly accessible to the concourse area and

should be provided with drinking fountains, trash baskets, ash urns, and clocks. The

amount of public seating varies depending on individual circumstances, terminal type,

and economic priorities. As a general rule of thumb, however, an allowance of one seat

for every three passengers would be adequate for an intercity terminal. The passenger

quantity is calculated by multiplying the number of loading berths by an average bus

capacity of between 35 and 37 people. A 10-berth loading platform therefore, would

result in terminal seating of between

117 to 124. In a high-volume

commuter terminal, seating

accommodations may be reduced

considerably since in-terminal

waiting time is much less. This

would also hold true for the

Zvonarka Central Bus Terminal
suburban interstate terminal.

Ticketing Facilities

The trend in ticketing facilities in the modern terminal, regardless of the type, is
terminal
toward open counters in contrast to the antiquated caged windows. In the larger intercity

terminal, where more than one carrier may operate, separate self-contained glass-walled

ticket offices may be provided, each housing their individual open ticket counters. The

number of selling positions or agent stations varies with the individual operations policy

of the carrier and the particular terminal type. Perhaps the greatest number of selling

positions are required in the intercity terminal. On the average, one position should be

provided for each 25 to 30 waiting room seats. The lineal feet of counter space depends

on individual carrier operation and the type of ticketing equipment used and may vary

between 3 to 5 ft per position and/or about 50 to 60 sq ft per position. The height of the

counter is usually 42 in.

 Araneta Center Bus Port

Baggage Boom

Baggage room requirements vary significantly with terminal type and operation. In

the intercity terminal and the airport city terminal, the baggage handling problem is more

severe. Ideally, in both cases, the sooner the departing passenger and his baggage are
terminal
separated, the better. In the airport-

city terminal this usually occurs at

the ticket counter where the

baggage is sent by conveyor

directly to the loading platform or to

a staging area or baggage room,

where it remains before it is placed

on board the bus. In the intercity

Baggage room at Canberra Bus Terminal
bus terminal the baggage is normally

hand-carried directly onto the bus or to the baggage room, and from there it is placed on
the bus. The baggage room should be accessible from both the public area and the

concourse and have an area equal to about 10 percent of the total building or contain

about 50 sq ft for each bus loading berth, whichever is higher. The baggage room

should also be equipped with standard metal racks about four or five tiers high for

baggage storage A portion of the baggage room may be used for a package express

service, which and should function without interfering with concourse traffic. A separate

package express counter should be provided. The length of the counter depends on the

scope of the operation, which varies with each location.

Public Lockers and Telephones

Lockers and telephones

are revenue producing, and the

quantities to be provided

depend to a great degree on

their potential earning capacity.

Lockers at Jeonju Express Bus Terminal

terminal
Dispatch Office

The dispatch office controls

all bus movement and

consequently should be located on

the concourse so that it can

observe all loading berths. The size

of the dispatch office may vary

anywhere from 50 to 150 sq ft.

Dispatch Building in Veszprém railway station

Offices

All terminals regardless of type

require a certain amount of office space.

The specific area to be provided depends

on the terminal size and type. Although

terminal
usually offices for the terminal manager,

passenger agent, and switchboard are

sufficient, in larger terminals more

elaborate facilities are required.

Office in Chicago Bus Terminal

terminal
 Rental Space

The amount of rental space

to be provided for stores, shops,

concessions, ate., depends

primarily on the earning potential

involved and the amount of space

available.

Rental Spaces in Preston Bus Station

3. Other considerations and requirements

Principles of Terminal Planning & Design

Principles governing how to approach the planning of bus terminals are focused

towards ensuring enhanced passenger experience and level of service. These have been listed
terminal
below, and may be applied during the design development process.

Access and approach

Traditional bus terminal facilities fail to provide convenient access to public buses; their

closed confines make access extremely difficult for passengers. Current attempts to improve bus

based public transport access are only concerned with improvement of street infrastructure,

and focused mainly on pedestrian facilities and bus stops.

 Access to the terminal should be convenient, barrier free and facilitate streamlined

internal circulation. Additionally, the ingress and egress points should be so located that they

are not in conflict with traffic circulation at the peripheral road network (Planning Department

Hong Kong 2014). One way of achieving this is by creating alternative access/egress points by

integrating multi modal facilities with the bus terminal; this can further convenience commuters

by providing access/egress choices.

Location

Locational characteristics make for the key factor attracting passengers using the bus

terminal (Trans Link Transit Authority 2011). Centrally located (core city areas) bus terminals are

desirable for operational efficiency and passenger convenience, as they provide ample

interchange opportunities. Additionally, they are potential candidates for using terminals as a

vibrant city space. Peripheral terminals, when integrated with depot functions, work best in

minimizing dead mileage.

Operational parameters

Planning and designing of bus terminals is significantly influenced by the terminal’s

operational attributes. Several operational parameters bear upon a bus terminal’s

requirements. These include the number of routes served and their peak frequency, volume of

waiting passengers, spaces for bus stacking (idle parking), the mix of terminating and passing

services, and passenger circulation (Trans Link Transit Authority 2011). Thus, it is essential to the

terminal planning and development process that the operational parameters are fully

understood and accounted for.

Existing capacity and future demand estimation

In addition to operational requirements, terminal planning and designing should also

factor in the estimates for existing capacity and future (horizon year) demand. The

considerations for redressal of potential short-term and long-term capacity constraints, and

future expansion on the basis of estimated horizon year demand should be incorporated early in

the planning stage (Trans Link Transit Authority 2011).

Enhanced level of service

The basic premise of the Level of Service (LOS) framework is that passengers are

sensitive to the amount of space surrounding them. When this space is compromised by

crowding, they perceive it as a deterioration of service (Transportation Research Board 2011).

LOS is an indicator of how good the present situation in a given facility is, and helps determine

the environmental quality of a given space based on the function it is serving. To plan for critical

LOS requirements for a terminal (as listed in different standards), one must first understand the

entire journey of a passenger through the facility. Each activity planned for the

passenger/commuter needs to offer a baseline level of service as per space standards and area

allocation.

Integrating multi-modal accessibility and feeder infrastructure

Integrating provisions for feeder modes—like cycle rickshaws, auto rickshaws, buses,

private vehicles etc.—in the facility design, ensures improved accessibility and conflict free

circulation. Planned allocation of space for such modes helps reduce delays, and improves level
of service for passengers. The aim is to facilitate seamless transfers, in order to create the

impression that the journey is continuous (and without breaks).

Crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED)

Passenger safety is fundamental to the attractiveness and increased use of public

transport. A commuter should feel safe using public transport at any time (of day and night) and

at any location (Trans Link Transit Authority 2011). CPTED promotes the notion that it is possible

to apply creative urban design principles to reduce incidence and perception of crime. This

includes better urban planning, including effective lighting, barrier-free circulation, enhanced

visibility, signage and way finding, integrated commercial activities (formal or informal) to avoid

dark or inactive corners etc. Integrating CPTED shall ensure better connectivity as well as

enhanced and attractive usage.

Integrating universal design

It is highly suggested that public infrastructures should be barrier free for all. This

implies that bus terminal facilities should be inclusive and accessible for all, including differently-

abled people, people carrying luggage, pregnant women, children, people travelling with infants

(in hand or stroller) etc. All passengers should be able to cover their journey in a seamless

manner with minimum effort. The BP 344 of the Philippines provides guidelines for the

consideration of Persons with Disabilities and offers general provisions for the minimum

requirements to be integrated into a design which is accessible for all. Furthermore, PWD

considerations must be present in the overall design for a bus terminal so that all commuters

will be able to have a seamless experience despite some underlying conditions.

Integrating sustainable development practices

Infrastructure plans and development practices should consider green building

technologies to reduce the overall carbon footprint and adverse impact on the environment,

both during the development and operational phase. Construction practices may employ

material (and techniques) with low embodied energy, while energy requirements for the

terminal’s operations may be met through sustainable means and use of efficient technologies.

This may include use of solar energy, efficient LED lighting, passive cooling/heating measures,

higher reliance on natural lighting etc. Additionally, techniques for noise control, solid waste

management, waste water re-cycling, use/re-use of waste water, and rain water harvesting

should be integrated in the proposal during the planning stage.

REFERENCES

Books

DeChiara, J. P. (2021). Time-Saver Standards for Interior Design and Space Planning

(2nd Edition). McGraw-Hill Professional.

Journals

SGA Architects. (2015). BUS TERMINAL DESIGN GUIDELINES. Published.

Articles

Planning Considerations for Bus Terminal Design. (2021, February 14). Planning Tank.

https://planningtank.com/transportation/planning-considerations-for-bus-terminal

Bus Stations and Terminals. (2006). The World Bank Group and PPIAF.

Https://Ppiaf.Org/Sites/Ppiaf.Org/Files/Documents/Toolkits/UrbanBusToolkit/Assets/3/3.

1/35(Vii)a.Html.

Public transportation - Wikitravel. (2018). Wikitravel The Free Travel Guide.

https://wikitravel.org/en/Public_transportation

Own, C. M., Lee, D. S., Wang, T. H., Wang, D. J., & Ting, Y. L. (2013). Performance

Evaluation of UHF RFID Technologies for Real-Time Bus Recognition in the Taipei Bus

Station. Sensors, 13(6), 7797–7812. https://doi.org/10.3390/s130607797