Monitoring of urban freight flows distribution considering the human factor

Abstract The intensive growth of urban freight transport leads to an increase in the amount of transport links, which causes problems such as traffic congestion, an imbalance between the transport services demand and the actual capacity of roads, and the negative impact on the environment. This leads to advanced requirements for urban industrial infrastructures. To optimise freight flows, it becomes necessary to determine the patterns of how drivers choose their routes between the origin and destination points. Drivers participate directly in the transportation process. From the driver's perspective, decision-making about the current route is predicated on the technological parameters of the transportation process (speed, time, etc.), the traffic load of the urban roads, and traffic safety, but also on the level of influence of urban freight flows on the environment. The environmental impact of transportation processes is directly related to the quality of life of city dwellers and increasing of the city sustainability level. This research paper aims to determine the patterns of urban freight flows generation while considering the human factor. The choice of route parameters is significantly affected by individual characteristics of the drivers, which are dependent on the properties of the central nervous system. These properties are grouped by type of temperament. Traffic parameters on different routes have various effects on drivers of dissimilar temperaments. Having estimated the influence of each parameter on the drivers, it is possible to identify preferences of choosing a driving route from among many alternatives. The results of the survey made it possible to determine the parameters of the routes chosen by the drivers moving between the points of departure and arrival of goods, considering the age and temperament of the drivers. The results of the research study described the models for changing the share of origin-destination trips of freight transport, which is performed by drivers of different temperaments along each of the possible routes. This information can be used in modelling of freight transport flows within a city. It could significantly influence the quality of life in the cities and make cities more compliant with social expectations.