5.1 Impact on system reliability

Transport system reliability is about the user being able to count on a similar travel experience on the transport system when travelling under the same conditions (for example at the same time of day with the same mode). This includes knowing that a bus will arrive at the time scheduled or knowing it will take a certain amount of time to drive to a destination at the same time of the day. Reliability means the journey is as expected, taking known normal variations into account, such as expecting a trip to normally take longer in peak times than in off-peak periods. In this way, it is related to benefit 10.1 Impact on user experience of the transport system.

10.1 Impact on user experience of the transport system

Reliability can be influenced by factors that are not part of the land transport system, such as port logistics, workforce or goods arrival, and therefore investments may not be able to resolve all reliability issues.

Reliability is about day-to-day variation, rather than disruption, which would be more closely associated with benefit 4.1 Impact on system vulnerabilities and redundancies.

4.1 Impact on system vulnerabilities and redundancies

Investments and programmes that contribute to this benefit might include ongoing state highway and local road network improvements and operations, and public transport programmes.

This benefit can impact all users of the transport system, especially those who access the system for economic reasons. 

Quantitative measures aligned to this benefit include the punctuality of public transport, travel time reliability and delay, and number and duration of road closures, some of which may also be relevant to other benefits. Monetised benefits include the calculation of journey time reliability.