Passenger info system on buses will tell you about the best offers at shops, malls near your bus stop
Passenger info system on buses will tell you about the best offers at shops, malls near your bus stop
Curious to know the latest discounts in Phoenix Mills? Just hop on to your BEST bus. BEST is installing a passenger information system (PIS) in its buses that will not only announce the next stop, but also give information about various shops and malls in the surrounding area. While the system currently operational also screens advertisements of stores, the new system's unique feature is that it will be locality-based. It will be ready by the end of this month.
AV system
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The system will include a 23" LCD screen, which will screen the name of the next stop and display information about shops and malls near the stop that have just opened or are offering great discounts. It will be supplemented with audio announcements in English and Marathi. The facility will include all the 4,000 bus stops in the city. According to sources, the software will be first installed in 50 King Long buses and then in the 4,027 BEST buses. Using GPRS and RFID technology, the announcements will be made 100 metres before the stop, to give passengers enough time to disembark.
Passengers won't have to pay extra for these facilities as BEST expects to make up the difference through advertisement revenues. Dilip Patel, chairperson of BEST, confirmed this saying, "We want the common man to make the best use of these technologies without paying a paisa for it." He added that BEST is getting 1,000 more buses with this software. During the monsoon, route changes and other public information will be announced on the screens. When MiD DAY contacted Anil Peswani, proprietor of Equifone Solution, he confirmed that his software company had tied up with BEST, but refused to divulge details.
Tushar Gandhi, a PR executive who regularly travels by BEST buses, is excited about this technology. "The locality-based information will be beneficial to locals as well as tourists who are visiting Mumbai for the first time," he said.
Bluetooth buses
BEST is going to install the Bluetooth enabled facility known as Mobilji in its buses. The system will help commuters get information about routes, stops and bus schedules on their cellphones. "The common man can save time as they will know where the bus is through their Bluetooth," said Patel. The facility will be introduced first on longer routes like the air-conditioned Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) and then on shorter routes.
Butlers Buses, a 40-year-old family bus firm in Cork, Ireland, has installed a free Bluetooth-based internet service on its buses so that passengers can use Bluetooth-based mobile phones to surf the Internet while they are travelling. It is the first Irish bus company to make this facility available for its passengers. The owners expect the facility, to be operational from this month, will really distinguish their company from their competitors.
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Bus stops in Sofia, Bulgaria, have bluetooth enabled billboards that will soon allow passengers waiting for their bus to download the latest songs, video clips and even lay bets while waiting for the bus.
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