How bus next stop displays and crossings can be made fun:
Bristol has long been known for its people, their jolly manners and fun loving approach towards life. But this new bit of news will be a shot in the arm for those who believe there is no place bad enough (or, in this case, mundane enough) to be having fun at! Very soon, you may have funky digital signals for the normally standardized bus next stop displays and signs. This all part of an effort being made by local authorities who say that they want people to make the most of their journeys. The innovative ideas were presented as part of the Watershed initiated Playable City Project. The forth yearly installment of this initiative saw artists, designers and architects from around the world coming up with ideas to instill the idea of 'play' into the daily routine of the city, based upon the theme of 'journeys'.
The contest saw 81 entries from over 34 countries around the world, including the United States and Japan. Some of the quirkier ideas were swings at bus stops to break the monotony of metal seats and bus next stop boards which mimic and interact with commuters who stare into them.
This follows close on the heels of Montreal city designers placing a collection of swings near a bus stop, to bring some zest into the everyday bustle of the city. The idea was to incentivise people to move in order, by playing soothing tunes when the 21 swings installed moved in unison, in a particular order.
One of the entries in the Playable City Project, the Stop Wait Dance Walk idea presented by Hirsch and Mann Ltd. UK transforms the zebra crossing into a short, 30 second extravaganza. When someone presses the pedestrian crossing button, a mechanism is activated, flashing LED lights, playing music and converting the otherwise common place crossing into a party.
We have spoken of the fun bit of it. Now let us take a look at the functional aspect of innovative bus displays, solving problems and making commutes much easier. let us look at how LED signals can be made commuter friendly:
Innovative Bus Next Stop displays and bus transit signs:
Some of the features of the collection of led bus transit displays that make the products so attractive to bus fleets are:
- an internal memory of over a hundred routes with about a hundred stops for each route
- GPS enabled programming, WiFi compatible
- voice announcements that are in sync with the displays
- the driver need not be the one controlling the display system, which is completely self controlled
- can display messages in many languages
- works fine under various light conditions
- sturdy, durable and cost effective
- easy to use user interface
This unique technology can be incorporated seamlessly into bus next stop boards as well, making the bus stop more user friendly than ever before.
Bus displays are not an add on to bus fleets and bus stops these days, they have become a necessity. It is important that fleets install these systems on their buses as they not only ensure a smoother, easier commute, but ensure the safety of the passengers.
