Today there are various ways in which passengers can receive information on the scheduled time table (e.g. by time table leaflets, posters at stops, telephone hotlines). Information on actual delays is, however, usually not available so the passengers waiting at these stops do not know when the next bus is coming and delays result in connections being missed. Particularly in rural areas where the service is provided with low frequency, this substantially reduces the attractiveness of the public transport, finally leading to a reduction in the number of passengers and a deterioration in efficiency. The improvement of the public transport service and thus a lasting transfer from car to public transport can only be achieved by a detailed and reliable passenger information. In this connection, the passenger information has to be dynamic; that means that not only schedule data but also real time data have to be indicated. Furthermore, the information has to be at the passenger's disposal at any time and everywhere. The real time information about the expected departure times should not only be obtainable at home or train/bus stations but also everywhere en-route. For this the use of Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) mobile phones is very practical. On the one hand, the existing hardware and data communication can be used, on the other hand the mobile phones become more and more common. This paper discusses real experiences with real time pre-trip passenger information via mobile phone.
Abstract