Page 32 - TT mag April 2024 Digital Edition

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

passengers so it is important connection details specific to that With three rapid routes and
that they arrive with a regular stop. The right combination of eight frequent routes shortlisted
cadence. Nothing annoys services and information works for Sydney, and 10 rapid routes
passengers more than having a and today, each of Zurich’s and 27 frequent routes confirmed
long gap followed by multiple inhabitants uses a bus, tram, or with NSW in the short to medium
buses arriving nose to tail. An ferryboat more than 500 times term, it is good to know that
effective headway management per year. This is more than twice technological solutions to
tool will pace the buses, the trips per capita in Europe’s passenger pain points are already
maintaining the planned gap largest cities like London, Paris, deployed elsewhere. Tshwane
between services, when possible, and Berlin, and represents one of in South Africa runs a modern
despite unplanned events like the highest per-capita usages of BRT with dedicated access and
heavy rain or an accident. public transport in the world. efficient stations loaded with
Giving buses automatic traffic At a more advanced level, passenger information. London
light priority through at-grade connection protection will and Singapore track thousands
intersections will help them speed tell the driver of a connecting of buses in real time, providing
through the network and minimise service to wait until the BRT bus passenger information and
passenger inconvenience. It is arrives, making the interchange service compliance. These cities
also important for passengers frictionless and minimising run a combination of scheduled
to know what is happening. On passenger delays to improve the services and headway managed
board travel times to upcoming overall journey for passengers. high frequency services across
destinations helps with this, We see this in Zurich and many the city.
as does information on available German cities, but connection
transfers. protection is not a panacea and There are also regional variants
Showing this information has its limitations. It cannot hold of BRT systems in Australia
but the scale of BRT planned
to passengers is technically up high frequency services like the for NSW and Sydney is what
viable, and many passengers BRT, and contractual issues can pushes it to the next level. With a
across Europe already receive also get in the way as delaying a commitment to make it work and
this on every trip. In the canton bus departure for passengers to
of Zurich, there are over 2,000 connect to a service may clash the right tools to accurately track
multifunction displays on buses with the contractual need to buses, manage operations and
and trams to inform and direct run to a timetable. More work is inform passengers, the vision of
passengers. The displays show needed by transport authorities BRT as Sydney’s public transport
connecting services at each stop. to address this if we are to backbone can be a reality.
When the bus approaches the move to the next level in Source: ITS Australia Newsletter; https://
stop the displays change to show passenger service. trapezegroup.com.au/resources/sydney-brt-lio-its/ TT

32 TRAFFICINFRATECH / April 2024 / www.trafficinfratech.com