Real-time bus arrival information panels & Key bus services map
I've come to a realisation that this transport blog is too boring: text, text, and more text. In an effort to spruce things up, I've posted some photos. Pardon for the poor photography skills though.
(A) Real-time Bus Arrival Information Panel
Passengers will be able to know when their next bus will arrive with the new real-time bus arrival information panels. Two panels are already up at bus stops outside Delfi Orchard and Le Meridien Shopping Centre. A total of 30 bus stops will be fitted with LED panels by August 2007 -- 20 in Orchard; 5 in Ang Mo Kio town, and another 5 in Yishun Town.
Real-time bus arrival information panel @ Delfi Orchard
Panel @ Le Meridien Shopping Centre
Bus 700 is clearly approaching the bus stop. Why is it the panel showing next bus is 12-min away? Basking in bright daylight, the LEDs fade into the background, leaving passengers squirming their eyes over the bus services number in green. To improve service delivery, they can consider enhancing the LED contrast, or change the font colour. How useful are these panels? Take a poll on your right to voice your opinion!
(B) Key Bus Services Map
Key Bus Services Map will be installed at 36 bus stops around Orchard Road by August 2007. It will provide graphical information of selected key bus routes calling at the bus stops and the routes they cover. Measuring 1m x 1m, they are housed in specially designed and installed tampered proof glass panel.
Key Bus Services Map will be installed at 36 bus stops around Orchard Road by August 2007. It will provide graphical information of selected key bus routes calling at the bus stops and the routes they cover. Measuring 1m x 1m, they are housed in specially designed and installed tampered proof glass panel.
Key Bus Services Map
Bus routes are differentiated by colours and labels
Look! "You are here!"The key bus service map looks uncanningly familiar to an equivalent London's map. London's version is so much more elegant. Our own version is living demonstration to our failed attempt to copy the initiative.
Don't get me wrong. The map is a good initiative. Perhaps what LTA needs to do is to engage a better design agency that can produces a map with better layout, better typography, and a design that is more consistent with their public transport signal guidelines. It would help greatly if they replace the meaningless shopping malls logo with one that reflects the architecture of the building. Oh? No unique architecture for shopping malls in Singapore? It's not LTA's fault then. Pardon me. May the new ION Orchard and Orchard Central shopping malls add some spice to Orchard Road architecture.
[Post note: Softcopy of Key Bus Services Map is now available]
Don't get me wrong. The map is a good initiative. Perhaps what LTA needs to do is to engage a better design agency that can produces a map with better layout, better typography, and a design that is more consistent with their public transport signal guidelines. It would help greatly if they replace the meaningless shopping malls logo with one that reflects the architecture of the building. Oh? No unique architecture for shopping malls in Singapore? It's not LTA's fault then. Pardon me. May the new ION Orchard and Orchard Central shopping malls add some spice to Orchard Road architecture.
[Post note: Softcopy of Key Bus Services Map is now available]
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8 comments:
Oh yes, the photo shots do spice up your blog a little bit, I am getting excited and overwhelmed by all your informative news and comments on the public transport landscape in Singapore. What a way to start off by putting up photos on Singapore "1st" Real Time Bus Arrival information panel.
C'mon LTA/MOT, you guys who are paid million dollars salaries with helicoper vision are definitely more "capable" to come up with new inititaives than just reviving these once (or was it twice?) failed project on the bus arrival system. I do not know how reliable is the arrival time shown for SBST Services, but for SMRT buses, i am skeptical and have absolutely no confidence in their arrival time being displayed. I think the S/700 case is a classic example. Their IBOS is a joke (i will not do into details), and how can the predictive algorithm works if IBOS as the mainframe is full of gitches. Whats more, though the concept on the bus services map was originated from London, it was actually SMRT who 1st adopted and introduced this idea. I even heard that they actually presentated it to LTA. So now we know who is the copier? looking at the map, i am truly loss in the sea of lines. I give credit to their faciful design, but is completely useless to me as a commuter.
I got one suggestion to LTA'S Public Transport Promotion Board and that is, its time to do away with those rusty galavanised bus stop poles and number plates, totally unsightly and not presentable. Get the basics improved 1st before you look into value added services.
Paul
The new information panel is, IMHO, way too fanciful and cost inefficient for its purpose. A more useful albeit less high-tech way is to put up a timetable of the bus services. Remember the story about the space pen invented by NASA versus the pencil used by the Soviets to solve the problem of writing in space? I wonder what in the world motivated them to indulge in this wasteful experiment.
I think environmentally it's not very sound...think of all the electricity used to power the LED boards (yea, unless they come out with some equally fanciful idea of using solar panel to power the whole setup).
Hi Daniel, enjoying reading your blog, like the photos....
I wanted to get your take on Google Transit and whether you knew of any initiatives in Singapore to utilise it for Public Transport information?
If you wish you can email me at singeo(at)singeo.com.sg
Regards
Singeo
I kind of feel that this "real-time" bus arrival info is useless. More often than not if you're travelling a long distance you would only have 1 choice of bus to take so it wouldn't matter how long the bus takes to arrive since you have no other choice but to wait.
Then again if you want to take the train you would have to make that decision beforehand because once you are at the bus-stop you would already have decided to take the bus and still have to wait.
In addition, as some people have noticed, even the train arrival information is not accurate so you wouldn't want to depend on the bus arrival information being spot on too.
First, the real time thing is trying to show the world that we are world class (AGAIN!). Second, someone in the company runs out of ideas. So, he comes out this idea to waste money. The whole thing looked like a rush job. Deadline coming up, just chuck something out and do not care about the quality.
The routes graphics is the worst design ever. Ask older people to read it and see the reactions you will get. If there are 50 different buses passing that road, the bus stop will have to be extended to accommodate the super large routes map.
PS: the photos
Let's ask the question "why is this needed in the first place?"
If it is to let the commuters know when the next bus in arriving, a timetable that drivers can stick to will do much better.
If it is just information for those who needs it, why don't we use the mobile phone since almost everyone has a mobile phone. Allow a free inquiry service via sms or voice for commuters who need to know.
If more effort is put into getting bus drivers to keep to their schedule, such information will not be necessary. Taking a cue from Japan, where the airport limousine rarely depart or arrive late, I am fairly sure that this can be done. Providing information for the sake of providing information do not improve service.
Why provide information when the correct and proper solution is to get public transport drivers to keep a proper schedule along its route?
The money spend in such a display can be better utilised to improve our roads and the buses plying our roads.
This brings back memories of the huge display we have on our expressways. The million dollars information system that is suppose to provide information on traffic conditions are slowly but surely turning into the largest electronic greeting card system in the world. Not to mention the most expensive.
While LTA is probably net revenue earner as a government department, it is irresponsible to spend large amount of public money on ideas such as these which provide little value or service to road/transport users that it is supposed to serve.
no wonder our bus fare kept on increasing
No matter how we Singaporeans grumble n complaints.. Current situation wont improve either.. it's really short sighted way of soln..so what we trying to welcome foreign talents, want to increase population size in few yrs time. Are they going to squeeze with us in the bus or train? *faint* Can assure there wont be traffic congestion with increase popluation size? or adding more gantry by then?
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