THEY CATCH THE BUS STOPS ONE BY ONE - €420,000 FOR RECORDING THEM AND PROVIDING CORRECT INFORMATION TO PASSENGERS - Filenews 23/10 by Andreas Athanasiou
The Department of Public Works is proceeding with the registration of about 9,000 bus stops throughout Cyprus, with a tender of €420,000.
The aim is to put the data of the stops in order, to correct incorrect information that reaches the passengers and to record the interventions made in the context of the construction and installation of new shelters.
The whole process also includes about 3,700 student bus stopping points, which, as stated in the tender documents, have not yet been electronically imprinted in the Telematics System.
The tender comes at a time when passenger information is one of the serious problems of public transport. It is characteristic that in the recent online survey by Filenews, in collaboration with Prime Market Research & Consulting Ltd, in which 3,221 readers participated, 94% of those who answered the relevant question stated that they do not easily find the information they need for their travels.
In the same survey, 43% of those who answered about the reasons for not using buses reported that there is no suitable route, 30% cited the sparse routes and 28% the unreliability in keeping the timetables.
According to the tender documents, the general objective is to record "all interventions at bus stops", for the proper operation of the Telematics System, to "provide correct information to the public" and to create an integrated infrastructure management system resulting from the construction and installation of new shelters.
The recording concerns, according to the Department's estimates, about 5,300 stopping points of the regular service and another 3,700 used for the transport of students.
From screens to graffiti
The list of checks that will be carried out at each stop is quite detailed. According to the documents, stopping point mapping will include, among other things:
i. Exact Position (coordinates) with an accuracy of 30 cm. or less. The stopping point is taken by the pylon with the bus stop signage.
ii. Canopy type,
iii. Existence of a stop number and correctness,
iv. Existence of an attitude name and correctness,
v. Name status on the top pillar wing,
vi. Existence of an electronic screen and whether it works correctly (it presents correct information and the audio announcement works and is heard correctly in Greek and English), or the existence of printed information for the customer to download the MOTION application and the FIXCYRPUS application.
vii. Existence of information on routes and timetables,
viii. Existence of an advertisement for the THALIA Program,
ix. Canopy condition (clean, graffiti, damaged, open doors),
x. Condition around the canopy (sidewalk, illegal parking, equipment that had to be removed – e.g. old stop sign, etc.),
xi. Net available width from pillar to front pavement lines,
xii. Existence of a pedestrian crossing or traffic lights;
xiii. Existence of bicycle stands or existence of bicycles without bicycle stands,
xiv. Access to a rear area,
xv. Date and time of recording.
xvi. Photographic Material covering the above,
Telematics System
In addition to recording the infrastructure, the contractor will also undertake the digitization of the data of the stops, so that there is correct numbering, naming and connection with the bus routes.
The data will be transferred to the QGIS Gnosis Geographic Information System of the Department of Public Works, while in collaboration with the company GMV Sistemas there will be a monthly update of the Telematics System to correct the exact location of the stops, their nomenclature and their connection to the routes.
The documents also provide for the creation of an electronic tool for recording data in the field, suitable for Android mobile phones and tablets, with automatic transfer of information to a central database.
At the same time, the contractor will consult with the bus companies for possible changes in the names of stops, taking into account local names or important buildings and services recognized by passengers.
Eight-year contract
The contract will have a total duration of eight years. The first three concern the recording and digitization of data, while for the next five maintenance and updating of the data are foreseen.
Of the €420,000 of the estimated budget, €350,000 concerns the initial implementation and the remaining €70,000 the maintenance services, which will be provided following instructions from the Department of Public Works.
The documents also make special reference to the risks of delays in the execution of the contract. As noted, a possible delay may affect the main project of construction and installation of shelters, causing financial losses for the Republic of Cyprus, but also "continuous presentation of incorrect information to the public using Public Transport".
