Inter-Nodal Association of Bus Services

Geographers constructing inter-nodal association patterns are generally utilizing flow volumes as a means for interaction. Instead of representing interaction by a demand component, the inter-nodal association pattern in the present study is based on the supplied opportunities for travel. The study suggests two indices, one representing supply of bus services in a complex transport system, and a second determining service adjustment priorities. An interesting finding is the high positive correlation between car-ownership rate and the demand for public transport services. On the other hand, distance appears to be the least contributing variable in explaining that demand, because of the small geographical dimensions of the State of Israel. The discrepancies between supply and demand are explained by two factors. The first is the nodal location within the service transport network, and the second is subsidy provided by the Ministry of Transportation in order to maintain a reasonable level of service in sparsely populated areas¹⁷). Results of the residual analysis with regard to over-supplied nodes and the adjustment priority index may be used to optimize the allocation of sudsidy in order to meet better social and economic goals.