The first sa国际传媒 Transit buses equipped with automated announcing systems have hit the streets. It has been a controversial issue, but the matter of calling out bus stops for visually impaired passengers is well on its way to being resolved, and it appears everyone involved is happy with the solution.
The GPS devices were put into 25 buses this week and will eventually be installed on all the vehicles in the 280-bus Greater Victoria fleet.
It is the first in what could be many steps that use technology to enhance transit service.
Too often, automated services merely replace people to save payroll costs. Too often, what results is a pale imitation of good customer service, and 鈥測our call is important to us鈥� only adds insult to injury.
But in this case, the calls involved are truly important to visually impaired bus passengers, for whom the service will enhance their independence and mobility. They are important to the drivers, who will not be forced to choose between good passenger service and an order they thought created unsafe conditions.
And the new system could help other passengers, such as those who might doze off and miss a stop.
The issue goes back at least 15 years when advocates first called for such a system. Three years ago, a sa国际传媒 Human Rights Tribunal ruling directed sa国际传媒 Transit to make next-stop announcements in response to complaints from people with impaired vision.
That didn鈥檛 settle the issue. The company ordered drivers to make the announcements with a handheld microphone. Some drivers refused to follow the order, and the union representing the drivers said that practice was distracting and unsafe.
The union made a good point. Why add another task to a job that already requires the driver鈥檚 full attention? On the other hand, many visually impaired people depend on public transit, and knowing what stop is coming next makes all the difference.
The automated system is the ideal solution. It doesn鈥檛 replace people, but helps drivers do their job better. It adds value to the existing service. There will likely be some quirks and glitches, but those can be worked out. This isn鈥檛 a new concept 鈥� many transit services throughout the world offer this service.
But why stop there? Technology has immense potential for improving service and streamlining operations.
Smartphone apps spring to mind. Again, that鈥檚 not a new idea 鈥� other transit services have apps and other means to provide passengers with instant information on such things as where the nearest bus stop is and when the next bus is coming.
sa国际传媒 Ferries uses highway signs to alert motorists as to sailing times and capacity; sa国际传媒 Transit could offer similar information.
The easier it is to use transit, the more people will ride the bus and the fewer cars will be on the road.
These aren鈥檛 necessarily big-ticket items. Not long ago, it was estimated that an automated announcing system would cost the Greater Victoria transit system $1.2 million to $5 million, but the actual cost is likely to be less than $400,000.
It would be better to get ahead of the technological curve rather than trying to play catch-up.
