Method and system for increasing the safety in the boarding area and for optimizing usage of the capacity in transport means which comprise at least one locally fixed boarding area

A method for increasing safety in the boarding area (A, B, C) and for optimising usage of the capacity in transport means which comprise at least one locally fixed boarding area, said method comprising the steps of:

• dividing the boarding area (A, B, C) of a transport means into at least two gates (1, 2, 3), the maximum person capacity of which corresponds, respectively, to the maximum capacity of the largest transport means that can be accessed via the boarding area (A, B, C), wherein entrance into the gate (1, 2, 3) is effected through at least one separating device that is coupled with a control system for the purpose of data communication and wherein entrance into a gate (1, 2, 3) is blocked by the separating device once the number persons in the gate (1, 2, 3) specified by the control system is reached or while the persons inside the gate (1, 2, 3) board the transport means;
• determining the number of persons in a gate (1, 2, 3) specified for the current boarding operation by means of the control system in dependence upon the transport demand in subsequent intermediate stations ahead of an end station, if such intermediate stations are present, and of the free capacity of the arriving transport means;
• for the current boarding operation, assigning the persons inside a gate (1, 2, 3) to an arriving transport means;
• detecting and forwarding to the control system the current number of persons inside a gate (1, 2, 3) by means of the at least one separating device;
• and
• once the number of persons inside a gate (1, 2, 3) specified for the current boarding operation is reached, or a specified timer corresponding to a specified time window has expired, and a transport means arrives to which the persons currently inside the gate (1, 2, 3) are assigned, requesting the persons inside the gate (1, 2, 3) to board and setting a counter for the number of persons inside the gate (1, 2, 3) to zero.