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Concept
There are mobile services for public transport users already, but there is no single service that would cover all the information needs at every step of a journey. Passengers and cyclists need a service that would give information and reliability in all situations. The service should be usable like a car navigator: the user can just go out without pre-planning and still trust he/she will get seamlessly into destination even though there might be traffic disruptions or planned changes.
The service finds the optimal route according to personal preferences. It stores the route and keeps track of most-visited places. Before the departure time, the service informs and reminds the user. It should be possible to set timers and alerts for searches.
The navigator gives the user turn-by-turn instructions and information: how to walk to the bus stop, when does the next bus go, how to change from a line to another, what to do if there is a traffic disruption, how to change from a car or bicycle to public transport etc. Instructions can be visual, audible or tangible: maps, text, augmented reality annotations, speech, audio signals, vibration.
Users are also information providers. They can report if road work has cut off a bicycle lane or escalators are out of order at a metro station. They can score routes, for example, ranking the most scenic route option. Device location and acceleration can be tracked to collect data about the fastest or most convenient routes.
The service records statistical information and can tell the user e.g. money consumption, calories burned, as well as how much their CO2 emissions have diminished compared to driving a private car.
- Open-source development
- Service is targeted to all passengers (diverse user population)
- Has to work in all major mobile platforms
- Mobile device needs to have positioning ability
- No centralized, manually updated spatial information. Utilizes external data sources like Helsinki service map, OpenStreetMap etc.
- User-generated content
- De facto API standards
- Helsinki region is the first pilot area
The primary user segment contains people who might change their habits in favor of public transport. The main obstacle currently is that the public transport system is too complex and unpredictable to give the user a reliable feeling, especially to passengers who are not so familiar with using it. Occasional users need a service that gives them the same feeling as a private car: the feeling that they are in control. Users need to know where and when the next bus is coming and they can trust that the system helps if there are unexpected changes on the way. The business reason is to increase the public transport mode share but the navigator service would also improve existing customers' user experience.
HSL information solutions currently use the Finnish road data ("Suomen tiestö"), Digiroad and additional material from the municipalities. However, there are always changes in the real world but the data update routes via the official channels are way too slow. There needs to be basic official data but additional realtime information is needed. Users can generate information but they need a simple way to do so. There are services like OpenStreetMap and FourSquare where users can update spatial information, but for the average user these often require too much learning and involvement. HSL Navigator has to make things easier.
Public transport route navigation needs a lot of spatial information. HSL currently keeps and updates some spatial information but in the case of the navigator service that would require too much resources. The service must rely on external data sources like Helsinki Service Map.
The user population and client devices are diverse. The goal is to serve all customers. The technologies must be chosen so that relevant features can be implemented with the best possible platform coverage.
The service will be based on de facto standards. The project has to develop ways to provide local information in standard formats.