Future options for public transport passenger information.

There has been considerable interest in the development of realtime passenger information (RTI) systems for public transport users in the UK, with approximately 20 local authorities operating and several others currently implementing systems. Most of these authorities have RTI on a single route and around six authorities have progressed to more than one route. The RTI systems provide Bus Stop passenger information, usually in the form of time to arrival/departure of the next few services. Some systems also provide on bus information, such as announcement of the next stop and some audio information is provided for the visually impaired, often through a special key access on street. There are two main types of system, those based on Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) systems, and those based on roadside beacons to locate the position of the vehicles. Cheaper RTI systems have been developed which `piggyback' the traffic management system by the use of enhanced bus Tags to provide the additional information to the SVD loop processor. Bus arrival and route information is then used to drive bus stop displays further along the route. Key concerns of those responsible for providing these RTI systems relates to their costs for provision and ongoing maintenance and the priorities in making future investments. Centro (West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive (PTE)) and South Yorkshire PTE collaborated in a research programme to assist them in planning for future RTI investment. Centro covers the West Midlands Conurbation, centred on Birmingham, in the heart of the UK, and South Yorkshire PTE provides the same functions for the urban area further north in the UK, centred on Sheffield. Centro has been involved in the provision of RTI at bus stops since 1998. The first provision was on Bus Showcase Route - Line 33. Halcrow were commissioned to undertake market research into the extent to which RTI was useful to the travelling public. A wider aim of the research was to enable the PTEs to establish if RTI could be self-financing by generating additional patronage and where it would be most useful if the number of locations where it was to be provided were to be limited.