Blockchain-Enabled Mathematical Modelling of Urban Passenger Transport

Abstract

This paper proposes a mathematically grounded framework for organising urban passenger transport that couples classic transit modelling (assignment, headway control and capacity analysis) with a permissioned blockchain for trusted, auditable data exchange among agencies, operators and users. We formalise the problem as minimising generalised passenger time and operational cost subject to fleet, capacity and service constraints, while enforcing the integrity of ticketing, vehicle telemetry and control actions via smart contracts. The contribution is threefold: (i) a demand–supply modelling layer based on transit assignment and holding control; (ii) a data and governance layer using a consortium blockchain with role-based consensus; and (iii) a set of measurable performance indicators and deployment guidelines for multi-operator cities. The approach targets reductions in headway variability and excess waiting, improved fare integrity and transparent inter-operator reconciliation, while meeting throughput and latency requirements of large networks.