[access-uk] Re: Accessible real time bus information systems.
- From: Christopher Maule-Oatway <c.maule@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2006 18:56:45 +0100
Hello Jim,
About five years ago a real time bus information system was installed along
routes going from Norwich City centre out to the West of Norwich. Norfolk
County Council and the major bus company in this area arranged for a
company to install a Talking Bus Stop at one of the stops with real time
information, as well as a system in one of the buses to speak the name of
the stop the bus was about to reach and, once the bus had left the stop, to
announce the name of the next stop. I have forgotten the name of the
company involved, but remember only that they had already installed
speaking bus information systems in Birmingham and Cardiff.
A test was carried out with representatives from the County Council, the
bus company and blind and partially sighted punters, of whom I was one. We
travelled from the depot to a talking bus stop, a journey of about ten
minutes or so as I recall, stayed at the bus stop for about five minutes to
listen to it doing its stuff, and then returned to the depot. The test was
a fiasco, because the system on the bus pronounced all the stop names in
Welsh, and the company's rep seemed incapable of programming it to use
English pronunciation!I believe that a few more tests were carried
out. The drivers didn't like the system, because it was too loud and too
repetative, (I would certainly agree with that), and the people living near
the talking bus stop complained because the bus stop was too loud! After a
month or so the project was abandoned, with the County Council, who were
funding it, saying that the company and its product just weren't up to scratch.
Now we have more real time bus information systems throughout Norwich, but
no sign of any of them talking. I don't know how easy they are to see, but
will ask around.
Let's hope that things improve on this front for all of us.
Cheers,
Chris
At 14:01 05/04/06 +0100, you wrote:
HI all,
Would people on this list help me to gather some information about the
Real Time Bus Information Systems currently being used in some
Cities/Towns in the UK and let me know if your City/Town is using these
systems and whether you find the access technology (if they have it)
useful or not?
Just in case people on this list are not aware of Real Time Bus
Information Systems, they are monitors in bus stops that tell sighted
people when the next bus is due. At the moment, they are installing these
systems in York, but they are not making them accessible to visually
impaired people because, they are saying the technology is not proven to
be of use to blind and partially sighted people, I would like to disprove
this assumption, so I'm looking for useful information regarding the
usability of these systems if anyone has use them or come across them on
their travels. I would be grateful for your input.
Regards.
Jim.
MSN Address
jim.doc@xxxxxxxxxxxx
SKYPE Address
jimdoc
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