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Dear colleagues I am investigating the economic optimisation of public transport planning, subject to prescribed "customer" service levels. These service levels include the usual internal issues as well as external issues like pollution, subsidies, congestion control and so on. My present question relates to vehicle replacement. My perception of the matter is as follows: Public transport vehicles, (buses, trains, aeroplanes, etc,) are subject to wear and tear like any other form of machinery. Over time, vehicles will require increasingly more maintenance, which will cost increasingly more money and reduce their productive time. These are standard components of economic vehicle replacement cycle analysis. In public transport, in addition to the maintenance cost and productive time factors, there is also a question of perceived utility, measured in terms of the vehicles age, condition, appearance and other attributes, such as noise, ride comfort, safety, and so on. The implication of this is that a major refurbishment of vehicles may not offer the same benefit as say, refurbishing a refuse disposal truck. Can anyone give me references for work done in evaluating the influence of user, and potential user, perceptions of public transport vehicles on the determination of replacement cycles? Thanks Wayne Duff-Riddell Institute for Transport Technology University of Stellenbosch South Africa Tel: +27 21 808 4647 Fax: +27 21 808 4361 e-mail (work): [log in to unmask] e-mail (home): [log in to unmask] %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%