Real-time bus information has transformed the convenience of what we offer bus riders – but we must keep pace with technological change, writes CPT President Paul Lynch
I’ve been in the bus industry a long time and I can see there’s a great deal that hasn’t changed.
It is still a people industry and the key service we provide for customers of journeys at set times on set routes is essentially the same, notwithstanding flexible services such as demand-responsive transport.
Having said that, there is inevitably a great deal that has changed. The buses are better for drivers with power steering, automatic gears, cameras for mirrors and anti-lock brakes.
There have been onboard innovations for customers’ convenience, accessibility and security, too, such as next-stop displays, CCTV, low floors and space for wheelchair users.
Then there’s the fact that the environmental impact of the vehicle emissions is in a different league compared to a relatively short time ago.
People are no longer impressed that they can see where their bus is before it arrives; they expect to be able to do so
There is one area that has been utterly transformed, however, or should have been if we are getting it right, and it gives us the opportunity to grow our customer base like never before.
It used to be the case that potential customers were put off or excluded by a lack of knowledge about bus services. “Where does the bus go?”, “what time does it go?”, “how much will it cost?”, “will I need the exact change?”, “how long will it take?”, “how will I know where to get off?”, “will I get a seat?”. All of these were common concerns.
Yes, there were paper timetables, but for the irregular or new customer, anxiety or just lack of knowledge over one or all these questions was a real barrier.
Using buses was fine if you’d worked it all out and were a regular, but if you weren’t then there was a good chance you just wouldn’t bother.
I never imagined years ago that technology would one day enable all of these uncertainties and more to be answered and also transform payment methods and ticketing possibilities.
When it started to happen, I remember my excitement at the potential all this gave us to increase ridership – the removal of these key barriers in informing and attracting new customers offered huge opportunities and still does.
Something else I didn’t anticipate, though, was that once the technology appeared then expectations about it quickly changed too.
People are no longer impressed that they can see where their bus is before it arrives; they expect to be able to do so.
What they are doing, consciously or subconsciously, is comparing the ease of access of our key information, its user-friendliness and accuracy, with everything else they do and use, including other transport options.
In turn this means that, if we don’t present this information, or don’t do it well enough, then we could be actively putting people off using our services rather than attracting them.
On balance though, it is a huge plus that we can now positively address these customer needs and concerns and that the technology has become available for all operators, no matter their size.
However, we must be honest and say that, while there are plenty of good examples of apps, journey planners, fare finders, websites, etc, from operators, authorities and third parties alike, there are some surprisingly poor ones too.
If we’re to harness the potential and opportunities presented, this must change.
Of course, no solution is complete. What about those who don’t yet have access to this technology?
They still need to be looked after. Improved information and sales also don’t help us run our services on time despite the technological advances in some aspects of that too – but at least now most customers can see that their bus is delayed.
Big barriers to customer growth have been removed. We need to make sure we are grabbing the resulting opportunities.
