The public transport system is responsible for the displacement of a large part of the population, particularly in developing countries. This fact makes it relevant to evaluate the performance of public transport to provide an efficient and effective service. The purpose of this study is to conduct a performance evaluation of the public transport operation in the Metropolitan Region of Fortaleza (MRF), in the State of Ceará, Brazil. The analysis is based on DEA and the Malmquist index, based on three inputs (total operating time, fleet age, and the mileage traveled) and two outputs (fare revenue and number of passengers). Data were obtained through automated fare collection systems (AFCs) that were implemented in the MRF. Although there were no major fluctuations in performance during the analyzed period, the results indicate that the system’s performance declined in certain years. In addition, the analysis enables a better understanding of route performance, considering the operating company or the area of operation, which helps to diagnose and comprehend the operation more effectively. By analyzing the operational performance over time, the proposed approach provides an additional contribution by offering a comprehensive overview to the involved stakeholders, fostering decision-making processes based on evidence.

This article reviews recent literature on data collection and analysis procedures regarding modal choice in university travel. The review method included the search, selection, and critical analysis of studies published in indexed journals in the bibliographic databases between 2018 and 2023. While most studies utilized online questionnaires, there was some adherence to in-person surveys. Strategies such as social media promotion and prize incentives have been employed. Regarding analysis tools, it was observed that most studies employ quantitative approaches, including statistical tests, discrete choice models, and integrated and latent variable models. In addition to commonly used variables such as socioeconomic or behavioral factors, there has been an inclusion of variables that explain the effect of the global pandemic scenario on the travel behavior of the academic community.

ScintPi is a series of alternative ionospheric scintillation and total electron content (TEC) monitors. ScintPi monitors have been built by combining single‐board computers (Raspberry Pi) and commercial off‐the‐shelf (COTS) Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers. Their development was motivated by the necessity of low‐cost monitors for use in various research and educational projects. Here, we introduce and present results obtained with the fourth version of ScintPi (ScintPi 4.0). ScintPi 4.0 uses the Septentrio Mosaic‐X5 GNSS receiver, which increases the number of signals, sampling rate, and the carrier‐to‐noise density ratio (C/No) resolution compared to previous ScintPi versions. After initial tests in the lab, we deployed two closely spaced ScintPi 4.0 monitors at the low‐latitude site of Fortaleza, Brazil (3.74°S, 38.58°W, 8°S dip latitude) for field tests. Additionally, one of the ScintPi 4.0 monitors was collocated with a commercial ionospheric monitor (PolaRx5S). The results show that ScintPi 4.0 can provide amplitude scintillation indices (S ₄ ) and TEC measurements that are in excellent agreement with those provided by the collocated PolaRx5S. Additionally, we introduce two measurement capabilities that were not available in previous ScintPi versions: First, Mosaic‐X5's multi‐frequency capability allowed estimates of ionospheric TEC using L1 and L5 signals transmitted by geostationary satellites. Second, despite using a lower cost, less stable clock compared to commercial monitors, ScintPi 4.0 was able to produce accurate estimates of phase scintillation indices (). Finally, we present examples of irregularity drift estimates obtained using the spaced‐receiver scintillation technique and measurements made by ScintPi 4.0.

Understanding the variability in citizens' travel behavior within a city is essential for comprehending urban mobility. However, obtaining daily data on these journeys through traditional methods is expensive. Although alternative methods, such as using social media data, are widely employed in the academic community, they have contributed little due to the low representativeness of the data and the lack of efforts to understand user behavior. This study fills this gap by analyzing travel variability in Fortaleza using social media data from platforms like Instagram and Twitter. Employing empirical and parametric statistical techniques, such as box plots and statistical tests (ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, and Tukey), hypotheses based on a literature review analysis were validated. The results revealed patterns similar to those observed in daily life and also yielded unexpected conclusions about the phenomenon. Despite limitations regarding data representativeness, important insights were obtained for understanding daily travel patterns in Fortaleza.

This paper reports the advent and the development of public transportation services using motorcycles, operated like taxis, in Brazil. It is named mototaxi and the first organised system was implemented in 1996. Although the use of motorcycles (with 2 or 3 wheels) is common in some Asian cities, in Brazil it is a recent phenomenon and it is gathering a good part of the users preference. One of the main differences of the Brazilian mototaxis and the similar ones used in Asia is that normal motorcycles (with no special adaptations) are used. From the beginning in the Northeast of Brazil, this service is now used all over the country, mainly due the lower cost, when compared to a normal taxi, and the higher average speed and route flexibility when compared to a bus system. Surveys carried out in the cities of Fortaleza and Campina Grande considered mototaxi as a modal choice although, at that time, the service was not regulated yet. An interesting aspect of this service is that the demand is increasing in small cities and also in medium and big ones. It is present in the poorest areas of the country and in the richest as well. In some places it is the only transport service available to the majority of the population. The research reported in this paper was carried out considering not only the technical reports and legislation, but also the news and reports published in magazines, newspapers and the Internet, revealing the society point of view about the service.