User-centered design of passenger information systems

For reducing environmental pollution, ridership in public transport has to be increased. Hence, a modernization of this sector and an improvement of its image are necessary. Professional communication in terms of usable passenger information systems can make valuable contributions in this context. These systems are promising means to increase passenger comfort and also user acceptance. This paper presents an empirical study, which is the first step of a larger project dealing with the design of an intermodal passenger information system. The study itself deals with stakeholders´ feedback about the quality of existing passenger information to identify information gaps, shortcomings in visualization and potential for innovation. 15 bus drivers and service clerks were interviewed. The data was interlaced with results from an earlier passenger survey. It was found that passengers appreciate self-service applications for informational, and particularly for confirmatory reasons. Thus, the benefit of using passenger information systems must be increased, which could be achieved by implementing further features such as social media. Finally, trust-related aspects have to be explored in future studies.