Flexible combined transport of people and freight

A method for the flexible transport of passengers and freight using at least one transport and a traffic infrastructure, the at least one transport including interchangeable passenger and freight units, wherein a determination to transport at least one of passengers and freight is performed by a coordination system comprising a calculation unit, a memory unit and a communication unit, wherein the method, performed by the coordination system, comprises the steps of:

• recording passenger transport demand determined by a number of passengers to make use of passenger transport in a predetermined location during a predetermined time period;
• registering freight transport demand from a logistical system configured to communicate a freight transport demand to the communication unit of the coordination system, the freight transport demand determined by a size of freight to be transported from the predetermined location during or around the predetermined time period, the size of the freight determined by at least one of volume, size and shape of the freight;
• retrieving from the memory unit, which comprises a database containing data related to the at least one transport, a passenger capacity of the at least one transport present or expected to be at the predetermined location during the predetermined time period, the passenger capacity determined by a number of spots available in a passenger carriage of the at least one transport;
• retrieving from the database, an expandable freight capacity of the at least one transport, the expandable freight capacity determined by a size of space capable of being added for the transport of freight;
• calculating a residual capacity of the at least one transport determined by a difference between the passenger capacity and the passenger transport demand;
• calculating a transformation capacity of the at least one transport determined by a size of the residual capacity that can be transformed for the freight transport demand;
• calculating a freight capacity of the at least one transport determined by the transformation capacity of the expandable freight capacity;
• communicating the freight capacity to the logistical system by way of the communication unit;
• and
• physically reducing passenger seating in the at least one transport to decrease passenger carrying capacity and increase freight carrying capacity based on at least one of the freight transport demand, the expandable freight capacity of the at least one transport, and the transformation capacity of the at least one transport;
• wherein the method is implemented via at least one of a road infrastructure and a rail infrastructure;
• and
• wherein the method is implemented in a public transportation vehicle to allocate capacity in the public transportation vehicle to transport passengers and/or freight based on passenger and freight transport demand.