Enhancing Urban Logistics Through Integrated Public Transit Vehicles and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Urban logistics, merging the collaborative dynamics of public transit systems and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), heralds a new era in door-to-door delivery services. This innovative collaboration leverages the widespread reach of public transit and the flexibility of UAVs to increase delivery efficiency and reliability. UAVs adeptly handle the first/last mile, circumventing urban congestion and drastically cutting down delivery times. This cooperation not only drives a reduction in logistics operations’ carbon footprint but also marks a major step toward in sustainable urban development. This study delves into the first/last mile logistics challenge, proposing a framework where the regularity of public transit systems is harmoniously intertwined with UAVs’ flexibility. The numerical simulations indicate that this cooperation significantly bolsters delivery efficiency while concurrently reducing dependency on conventional urban delivery vehicles, achieving substantial energy and cost savings.