Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
- the travelers' queries (which mode of transport will take me from place A to
place B? Which bus timetable should I use? What are the fares for this route? At
what time is the next connecting train/bus?, etc.);
- the places where information is made available (at the traveler's home, at the
station or on the bus, etc.);
- the media and usable mediums (paper for timetables or network maps, internet
for remote access, mobile telephones or mobile objects such as personal assistants,
tablets, displays, loudspeaker announcements, face-to-face conversations with
transport personnel).
More specifically, the different types of travelers can be characterized according
to their intentions with regard to public transportation:
-
Potential travelers
, with no intention of traveling: it is necessary to suggest
destinations or motives for travel to them, combined with public transportation
services. For example, “to visit that museum, take tramway line B towards the
hospital”.
-
Travelers in a situation of modal choice
: these travelers have a choice of
several modes of transport to reach their destination. It is necessary to increase the
chances of public transportation being chosen over other means, and therefore to
present the comparable advantages.
-
Travelers “wanting to use public transport”
:
these are regular users of the
network, but it is nonetheless necessary to help them program and plan their
occasional journeys.
-
Travelers in transit
: it is necessary to help them carry out their trips, by
guiding them, giving them landmarks and reassuring them throughout their journey.
This is achieved, for example, via clear and coherent signage, pictograms and the
use of colors that can easily be noticed.
There are many places where information is available and they are not just
confined to transport network offices:
-
public places
: in public areas, such as the street, where an arrow will be placed
pointing towards the metro stop;
-
private places
: at home, at the work place, in hotels, in a person's own car
where information could appear on paper (timetable) or digitally (on a screen);
-
town/transport interface
: at the bus stops with the network map and times,
outside trains with the direction of travel and carriage number, at the entrance of
stations with the name and destinations they are going to, etc.;
