An examination of the public transport information requirements of users

This paper focuses on the provision of public transport information in Dublin. It examines both existing and potential methods of accessing information, with particular focus on the implementation of various intelligent transport systems (ITS) applications. One of the main objectives of this research is to examine the stages a passenger experiences when deciding to undertake a public transport trip, and examining in what form they require information at each stage. The paper defines these stages as ´pre-trip to destination´, ´at-stop´, ´on-board´ and ´pre-trip to origin´. Each of these four stages is examined in this study. A Web-based survey was used to collect data on passenger preferences, and describes the methods of information delivery each passenger requires at each stage. The survey also details results of passengers´ opinions of the different information provision formats such as call centres, mobile phones, the internet and paper-based methods. The paper concludes with the results of this exploratory research.