Kuwait took a revolutionary step by implementing an Real Time Passenger Information System in its public transport. Citibus, which is the country’s largest public transport operator, announced the implementation of this new system.
It is to benefit the public bus users with an overall service enhancement so that they can plan their journeys accurately. Citibus stated that this new and advanced technology would change the passenger's perceptions towards the utilization of the public transport system.
Another reason for implementing this new technology is to address the concerns raised by the public concerning their traveling experience. With this new technology, there’s a complete transformation in Citibus's operation model.
Now, there's an improvement in situation awareness, command, and control as the operator is capable of providing accurate information to passengers on a real-time basis. The operator said, they already equipped around 85% of the buses with this new IoT tracking technology devices.
The data will be captured from these devices and processed using the smart mobility platform. In this back-end platform, real-time passenger information and transit management are combined to get meaningful arrival predictions with quality data.
Citybus’s Systems and Service Delivery Manager, Alvin Lewis, said, “Bus travel is now a stress-free experience for the people of Kuwait, who previously arrived at a bus stop with zero service information. We are reaping the returns with a 5 percent increase in ridership thanks to the accurate real-time information generated and disseminated by LIT systems. What’s more, we have significantly better operational control, with a future-ready platform that enables demand-responsive transportation. We have captured market share with new routes and scheduling enhancements, while significantly improving operational efficiency. Overall, passenger journeys are up 12 percent in the first year.”
Citybus further reported that there is an improvement in their operational efficiency level after the lauch of this new technology. Now they can use their bus fleet and respond instantly according to customer demand.
It is also possible to maintain traffic conditions and operational insights daily. It helps the operator further to plan fleet diversion and schedule tweaks effectively when there are heavy demands.
The operator also spoke about their plan of taking this technology platform to the next level. The new developments will include advanced features like passenger counting, ticketing, etc. It will unify the fleet operation and reduce overheads.
