IBI Group has been at the forefront of delivery of intelligent transport technology and systems for more than 30 years, introducing innovation and new technologies throughout that time. In recent years, IBI has been in investigating the use of electronic paper (e-paper) as a new means to improve the accuracy and accessibility of on-street travel information available to passengers and to transform their travel experience by making the transport network easier to understand and use. Since the introduction of public transport, the generally-accepted method for presenting timetabled information has changed very little and to this day, passenger transport executives, councils and bus operators continue to manually update paper timetable information across their region on a regular basis. This is labour intensive, has high operational cost and can be onerous to manage. Furthermore, the technologies used for the provision of real-time information on street have not evolved with changes in technology, and the information is similarly limited. In November 2012, Centro (West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive) commissioned IBI Group to undertake a trial of an e-paper public transport information system. The trial, in which IBI designed, developed, manufactured and installed the system, has demonstrated the potential to deliver efficiencies and cost savings and to reduce carbon emissions. Moreover, it has also provided a platform for delivering an extensive real-time system to provide a much broader range of information across many platforms, supporting greater user convenience and mobility. The prototype system has been operational since August 2013 where it is has been subject to extensive field trials. In addition to describing the concept and the results from the trial, this paper also sets out the future prospects for what could be the next generation solution for public transport information. (Author/publisher)
Abstract