Information dissemination concerns the processes of conveying information via ITS applications from the operator to other partners – such as the regulator / agency – and to passengers. Correct and timely dissemination of information is essential for exploiting sales opportunities, for maximising operational efficiency and for minimising the effects of disruption (and their associated cost).
The more that passengers become aware of the application and potential of ITS public passenger transport information, the higher their expectation of the operator. This results in more the damage to the public image of the operator or the agency when things go wrong if relevant and timely information is not provided. (see Traveller Services)
Information dissemination systems within the vehicle can provide travel information to bus stops and passenger terminals and to the internet and wireless devices.
The technical robustness of communications infrastructure and technology are very important - particularly in relation to the demands of a moving vehicle and the limitations imposed by changing reception and transmission capabilities. Just as important, though sometimes neglected during project planning, are the robustness of the systems, protocols and processes for conveying information - both within departments of the same organisation and between departments and different organisations.
The quality of the raw information is key - and in a multi-operator or multi-agency environment, the challenge is integrating data from different sources. Information to passengers will often be integrated in a multimodal environment - with bus service information being shown alongside that for rail, metro and ferry services and private modes. This creates additional challenges in relation to the processing and display of information.
Information dissemination is often seen as an activity that is ‘nice to have’ but not essential to the business of operating public passenger transport – and can be seen as a saving when reacting to cost pressures. However, the counter argument is that they are critical to the maintenance and growth of revenue from passengers - and effort should be focused instead on making processes and technology more efficient, particularly in the area of automation.
Standards organisations such as ISO and CEN are critical to the process of information dissemination as they determine the operating environment. National community interest groups in public passenger transport information technology are also key as they are listened to by governments, provide a forum whereby manufacturers and users (purchasers of systems) can come together, promote solutions and disseminate best-practice. In the UK relevant bodies are Intelligent Transport Systems UK (ITS UK) and Real Time Information Group (RTIG).
There may also be national travel information delivery bodies that are critical to the process - such as the National Transport Authority in Ireland, Traveline in the UK, and Samtrafiken in Sweden. Vehicle manufacturers also have a central role since they determine the operating environment within which ITS applications can function and this is particularly relevant for communication standards.
Information disseminated through smartphone and tablet apps depend on the release of APIs (application programme interfaces) – and the facilitating role of organisations responsible for releasing these is more and more important as smartphones and tablets increase their market share. These may be national travel information bodies or regional bodies such as Data GM in Greater Manchester in the UK and Transport for London. By releasing a wide range of data - these bodies offer developers opportunities to creatively integrate public passenger transport data with other data to produce information of real value to travellers.
The controllers of the smartphone and tablet operating platform application stores (such as. Apple and Google) are also important players as they provide application developers and providers with access to the marketplace.
The Road Network Operator has the job of maintaining safety on the road network and the safety of drivers and other road users. In providing communications to roadside equipment, a concern will be potential interference from communications with other road ITS applications. The road operator will also need to ensure that digital signage for passenger transport information does not conflict or interfere with the requirements of other road users. To do this it will:
The effective operation of in-vehicle systems relies on the interoperability and trouble-free connectivity of equipment. Leading the way here has been the European Bus System of the Future (EBSF) project. Its IT architecture is open and interoperable, meaning that operators and organising authorities can use public transport data, anywhere in Europe, using common mechanisms, standard rules and protocols.
With standardisation the process of installing and configuring new equipment is automatic and makes maintenance and daily operations much easier. This translates into lower costs – of investment, installation, operation, maintenance and scalability. Tenders can be opened to more competitors - which helps generate better prices. Installation and maintenance of new applications and IT devices is quick - effectively plug and play.
Interoperability, standardisation and holistic planning reduce energy consumption. As ITS devices consume a lot of energy inside the vehicle - a feature of new systems is smart power management. Standard power management rules help to maximise a vehicle’s battery life and reduce the environmental impact. (See In-vehicle System)
Care should be taken to compare the features and component connectivity and interoperability offered by different vehicle manufacturers.
European Bus System of the Future (EBSF) incorporates a number of new features relating to passengers – such as lights indicating free passenger seats and entrances to the bus with the least congestion. Other features include advanced electrics enabling the charging of mobile phones. Increasingly common is wi-fi connectivity on buses and express coaches – and this can be a key selling feature of the public passenger transport experience.
Vehicle standardisation is very helpful in reducing costs, but the developments in Europe with EBSF and similar developments are unlikely to feed through to developing economies for some time. A key reason for this is the much harsher and more variable road conditions in cities within developing economies and the general variability but simplicity of much passenger transport equipment.
However, vehicle purchasers in developing economies should be aware of the extent to which their potential suppliers are able to adopt standards and systems - particularly those which serve to reduce purchase and operating costs.
Care should be taken in planning how new-generation and holistically-designed vehicles are deployed within the fleet, particularly in relation to older vehicles, and in considering whether there are issues relating to driver training.
Connectivity of the bus stop to the general travel information electronic network is essential in order to ensure accurate and meaningful real-time information for the passenger. Whilst delivery of information over the internet direct to the passenger is becoming more common many passengers do not have mobile devices - so electronic displays at the bus stop are their only means of receiving real-time information. (See Internet/Wireless and Kiosk)
At individual stops en-route communication between the bus and the stop sign may be direct, whereby the bus communicates directly with a communication device at the stop or it may be provided via a control centre - so the bus communicates with the control centre and the control centre communicates with the bus stop. Direct communication is usually more reliable as it involves one less risk of error.
Pre-scheduled information may also be conveyed electronically via signs at the stop - and this is usually the default display if the real-time information system is not working properly for any reason. In bus terminals, particularly large ones where there are large numbers of services, electronic display of scheduled information can be a very effective way of providing information about services. Destinations, route numbers, operator name and departure bay are all helpful information in addition to the scheduled departure time.
Care should be taken to ensure that running costs are known and budgeted. In recent years, unsustainable operating costs have resulted in some local government authorities in England switching off their bus stop real-time information displays.
Low-cost and solar-powered systems may be used to display electronically at the bus stop only those services highlighted by passengers
Electronic stop signs are not usually recommended for developing economies. This is partly because the value of the information may be less - depending on the value placed on time and how rare scheduled bus services may be. However, where these considerations do not apply - a compelling reason for using internet / wireless systems rather than electronic bus stop signs is the rapid penetration of internet-enabled mobile phones. This type of communication platform also shifts much of the operating cost from the operator or agency to the passenger.
Communication of information to passengers may be via SMS on mobile phone, internet enabled smartphones or tablets - using specific public passenger transport apps - or via social media apps. Information can also be conveyed to office or home-based devices such as PCs and laptops using public transport and social media websites.
This information exchange can be combined with GPS in applications to identify the location of the user and the nearest bus stops - or for booking vehicles such as taxis. In this case the booking system can be accessed via a call centre or through apps which identify the user’s location and the nearest available taxis. In a similar way, mobile systems can book time slots to hire ‘shared use’ cars or bicycles and to link to systems which unlock the vehicle for use by the recognised hirer.
Whether the technology is Internet, mobile telecoms, GPS and booking / reservation systems – the key to successful applications is accurate datasets – of the road network, bus stops, bus schedules, taxi ranks, car club parking bays and cycle hire stands. (See Location-Based Services)
There is a large and growing community of developers who are producing mobile apps for better interrogation of public passenger transport timetables. At the same time there are standard offerings of public transport information available such as Google Transit. Agencies and operators need to understand the requirements of the various offerings in terms of data provision and maintenance - and their passenger benefits.
The number of cities across the world offering wireless and internet access to scheduled and real-time information is increasing all the time. Service providers should investigate what’s available in similar cities before launching their own offering.
Social Media (such as Facebook and Twitter) is of as much interest in urbanised parts of developing economies as in the more developed world - particularly where there is a young population. However communications networks - and therefore access to them - may be not provide good coverage or speed. Internal communication channels and the processes used by operators and agencies for conveying up-to-date information about alerts and incidents may be less strong. For cultural reasons, particularly where information is largely conveyed by word of mouth, false rumours regarding incidents on the passenger transport network may also spread quicker and with stronger repercussions than in well-developed economies It is therefore important that the operator’s processes for conveying accurate information work effectively before they adopt social media.