Читать книгу Passenger automobile transportation economics and organization. Textbook - Vadim Shmal - Страница 3

Information support in passenger automobile transportation is as much an obligatory element of the service as rolling stock, route network or timetable. The passenger makes a decision about the trip, chooses a route, evaluates the travel time and the risks of delays based on the information they receive before the trip, on the way and at the time of transfer. The quality of this information depends not only on convenience, but also on safety, as well as the actual attractiveness of public transport compared to a private car. Interaction with passengers includes not only the transfer of information “from top to bottom”, but also feedback: complaints, suggestions, fixing problems that allow you to adjust the organization of traffic and improve the quality of the system as a whole.

Information related to transportation is conventionally divided into several levels. At the strategic level, it is important for passengers to understand the overall network structure: which areas of the city and suburbs are served, where the main transfer hubs are located, what types of communications exist and how they are interconnected. At the tactical level, interest is focused around a specific route: the route layout, the list of stops, the line’s operating hours during the day, approximate intervals during different periods of the day, and service features on weekends and holidays. At the operational level, it is crucial to answer the questions “when will the next bus arrive”, “are there any delays” and “what to do in case of a malfunction”: this requires current, frequently updated information about the actual movement. Along with this, a layer of regulatory information is important: the rules of carriage, requirements for behavior in the cabin, the procedure for using benefits, the conditions for refunding funds, and the specifics of transporting hand luggage and baggage.

The placement of information in space and time should correspond to the logic of the passenger’s movement. Before leaving home, he usually chooses the general scheme of the trip: at this stage, electronic maps, route search services, timetables in a convenient format, and the ability to estimate travel time in advance, taking into account transfers, are in demand. When approaching a stop, clear signs, mnemonic diagrams and visual timetables are needed, allowing you to effortlessly determine the right line, direction of travel and estimated waiting time. At a stop, there should be enough information for a person who is not familiar with the system to be able to make a decision on their own: where a particular route takes, what interval should be expected, and where it is more convenient to transfer. Inside the bus, the information is supplemented with the names of the current and next stops, a reminder of safety rules, an indication of places for people with limited mobility, and information about the possibilities of transferring to other lines.

The clarity of information is of particular importance. Even if there is a large amount of data presented in complex language or small print, the practical benefits may be minimal. Therefore, when designing schedules and schedules, the main principle is accessibility for perception: large, readable font, contrasting and non-aggressive colors, logical grouping of routes, understandable symbols. Diagrams should not copy a geographical map with excessive detail.; It is enough to convey in a simplified form the location of the main streets and lines, with an emphasis on the connections between districts and transfer hubs. Consistency is important: the design of different stops, buses, and official information materials should follow a single style so that a passenger, having learned the rules of reading the diagram in one place, can easily apply this experience in another.

Information support should take into account the needs of people with different perceptual abilities. For passengers with visual impairment, voice announcements of stops, tactile signs at bus stops, contrasting designations of doors and handrails are necessary. For people with hearing impairments, light displays are required that display the names of stops, route numbers, and important messages. Simplicity of language is also important: avoiding complex phrases, unnecessary abbreviations and special terms that are not understandable to a layman. Information about the rules of transportation and safety should be presented in such a way that it can be understood by a person without special training, including teenagers and elderly passengers.

A separate area of information support is dealing with deviations from the normal mode. In real conditions, traffic is inevitably disrupted due to road accidents, repairs, adverse weather, mass events, and technical malfunctions. In such situations, prompt and honest information is especially important: recognizing the fact of a delay, indicating the approximate arrival time of the nearest flights, and offering workarounds, if any. It is easier for a passenger to tolerate a delay, which they are aware of and which they can take into account in their plans, than sudden and unpredictable uncertainty. Consequently, notification systems at stops, in the cabin, and through electronic channels must be configured so that fault messages arrive in a timely manner and are understandable even to those who do not use digital services.

Feedback is an important part of passenger interaction. Complaints, suggestions, acknowledgements, and comments received via telephone, electronic receptions, and calls to the customer of the service and the dispatch service serve as a source of data about problems that are not always visible through formal indicators. For example, there may be situations where it is inconvenient for passengers to use a stop due to poor lighting or slippery pavement, when the schedule is formally followed, but the transfer turns out to be too risky or inconvenient, when the driver does not formally violate the rules, but behaves rudely and creates an atmosphere of malevolence. The system of interaction with passengers should ensure not only the reception of requests, but also their analysis, classification, transfer to responsible departments and informing the applicant about the measures taken. Only in this case, feedback turns from a formal obligation into a real quality management tool.

Information support is closely related to the work of the dispatching service and navigation systems. Data on the actual position of buses, the timetable, and the time of passing checkpoints allow not only to control traffic, but also to generate messages for passengers about the arrival of the next flights and possible delays. At the same time, it is important to separate internal and external information. The internal one is aimed at dispatchers, engineers, and managers and may contain detailed technical information, event codes, and service marks. The external one, on the contrary, should be as simple and end-user-oriented as possible. For example, if it is known from internal data that a breakdown has occurred on a section of the route, it is enough for the passenger to inform about the delay, its approximate duration and the expected course of action (wait, use another line, go to the next stop).

Information openness also affects trust in the system. A passenger who sees that the schedule and the actual movement coincide in most cases, that messages about delays appear on time, and that requests are reviewed and lead to changes, forms a stable habit of using public transport. On the contrary, frequent cases of inconsistencies between announced and real information, lack of explanations when traffic is disrupted, and rude treatment when trying to find out the reason for the delay destroy trust and encourage people to switch to private cars or avoid certain routes. Thus, information becomes not only a technical task, but also part of a long-term policy of creating sustainable demand.

Information support plays a special role in the organization of transportation of socially vulnerable groups of the population: schoolchildren, senior citizens, people with limited mobility. For them, not only the route layout and schedule are important, but also additional information about the availability of an accompanying person, the conditions of boarding and disembarking, possible options for rescheduling the flight, and the rules for using a discounted ticket. In these cases, information is often supplemented by individual channels: memos, explanations in educational and social protection institutions, and preliminary briefings for parents or guardians. Thus, the unified information system is complemented by targeted formats targeted at specific groups of passengers.

The information component is closely related to the legal and economic aspects of transportation. The rules of carriage, tariffs, benefits, conditions for the exchange and refund of tickets, the procedure for reviewing claims – all this is legally relevant information that must be communicated to the passenger in an understandable and accessible way. If information is hidden, presented in complex language, or placed in hard-to-reach places, this creates the basis for conflicts, distrust, and legal disputes. At the same time, transparency of rules and tariffs, uniformity of wording and design, clear deadlines for reimbursement and the order of treatment increase the sense of security and predictability, which is an important element of service quality.

The development of digital technologies opens up new opportunities for information support. It becomes possible to see the location of buses in real time, build optimal routes taking into account transfers and delays, receive notifications about disruptions and schedule changes, and pay for travel without using cash and paper tickets. However, the implementation of such solutions requires a careful approach: one cannot rely entirely on electronic channels alone, ignoring those who do not use them. Therefore, digital services should complement rather than replace traditional forms of information at stops and in the cabin. At the same time, the content and format of messages in different channels should be consistent: the route number, the name of the stop, and the departure time should not differ between the scheme at the stop, the announcement in the cabin, and the information in the digital service.

Ultimately, information support and interaction with passengers form the image of the passenger transportation system. The willingness to put up with the inevitable restrictions and temporary inconveniences depends on how clearly and respectfully transport talks to a person – through the display boards, announcements, diagrams and live communication of employees. Moreover, high-quality information makes it possible to better use the existing potential of the network and rolling stock: to reduce empty runs, equalize line loading, and reduce the risk of conflicts and incidents. Therefore, when designing and modernizing the transport system, information support should be considered not as a secondary superstructure, but as an equal element affecting the safety, economy and social efficiency of passenger road transport.