Offering a high degree of good onboard connection for electronic devices can be key for operators in trying to attract passengers from other forms of transport, according to specialist supplier Alfatronix.
The business’s new range of PVPRO USB A and C, C only and Dual C chargers on coaches and buses for mobile equipment, tablets and even some laptops was demonstrated at Euro Bus Expo.
Given they eliminate the need for mains, Alfatronix says they are safer to use and easier for operators to install themselves without engaging specialist technicians.
Claire Phillips, Sales Director of the supplier, which was established in 1979, says: “We anticipate rolling these out on all coaches on longer journeys and buses where operators want to attract a different clientele, a different demographic — so potentially the commuter, or you might see these on a university bus. We’re trying to give the operator the potential to attract a different type of passenger.”
Onboard connectivity may even enable coach and bus to gain an advantage over trains, which often offer mains-only power or no means of charging at all. Ms Phillips says the pace of change is quicker in coach and bus compared to rail.
She also notes: “Someone told me recently that, when passenger has some means of connection, maybe a phone or tablet, when delays do happen, they are much calmer in the way they handle the situation because they’ve got something else going on, they can get on with their work, they can keep in contact with loved ones, they can rearrange their plans.”
