Reverse Journeys and Destination Control

When a passenger gets into a lift, he or she expects to be taken in the direction of their destination. A reverse journey, where the passenger is initially taken up when the call is in the down direction, or vice versa can be disconcerting. Reverse journeys can be avoided with destination control, but only if the system is allowed to refuse calls. Refusing calls, with a “no lift available, please try again later” message or indication is frustrating for passengers. This paper explores why destination control systems are susceptible to reverse journeys and how lift planning affects this issue. Where accepting a reverse journey is the best compromise, appropriate indication can help to avoid passenger confusion. Allowing reverse journeys has an impact on handling capacity and quality of service. These factors are investigated using simulation.