Profit generated by operating the "Dial-a-RUF" system
It is estimated that about 1/3 of the passengers descend at the station, while the remaining passengers continue their journey via the road network. This means that about 2/3 of 1280 = 853 MAXI-RUFs depart from the station every hour. An average trip will last 23 minutes. This means that 327 MAXI-RUFs are travelling in the district at the same time. Based on this assumption the 100 districts will require 32,700 MAXI-RUFs.
The MAXI-RUFs can be coupled so that one chauffeur can drive up to 3 MAXI-RUFs. It is assumed that the average length of a MAXI-RUF is equivalent to 1.5 MAXI-RUF. The number of active chauffeurs at any time (12 hours/day) is approx. 22,000.
If the chauffeurs are effective 70% of the time taking into account waiting, rest, holidays, etc., 31,400 chauffeurs are needed. With a working day of 8 hours, the operating company needs to hire 31,400 x 12/8 = 47,100 chauffeurs.
The district is divided into 60 streets of 3 miles = 180 miles. 327 MAXI-RUFs form articulated busses with an average length of 1.5 MAXI-RUF. 218 units will travel with an approximate distance of 0.83 mile. At 18 mph this will correspond to an interval of 2.8 minutes (typical waiting time 1.5 minutes). Standing at a street corner the user's options will be doubled, so that the typical waiting time will be less than 1 minute. It will often be irrelevant which station the passenger is taken to, if the passenger continues his journey along the rail system.
As "Dial-a-RUF", the MAXI-RUF is also estimated to have a 50% occupancy rate.
At an occupancy level of 50% the trips per hour amount to:
327 (MAXI-RUFs) x 5 (passengers) x 2.6 (trips/hour) x 100 (districts) = 425,000 trips an hour in the streets. Based on this assumption 425,000 trips/hour for 12 hours/day for 345 days/year will provide 1.7 billion trips/year.
The average fare is $1.5. Energy and maintenance is calculated to $0.5 per passenger-trip. $0.3 per trip is set aside for renewal of rolling stock. This will amount to 1.7 x 0.3 = $0.51 billion/year for renewal of 32,700 MAXI-RUFs over a period of 3 years.
A surplus of $0.7 is accrued.
The income amounts to $0.7 x 1,7 = $1.19 billion/year.
From this amount salaries, etc. for 47,100 full-time chauffeurs of $50,000/year all inclusive should be deducted. This will amount to $2.4 billion/year
The "Dial-a-RUF" system thus generates a "profit" of 1.19 – 2.4 = $-1.21 billion
On top of this, a number of passengers will use the MAXI-RUF as a normal bus between destinations within the district. This will add some extra income to the system operator.