The Importance Of Frictionless Digital Signage For Public Transport
At the recent ITS UK Annual Review, the Chief Technology Officer for Transport for London, Shashi Verma delivered an interesting talk on the history of implementing contactless payments for TfL.
Looking back over the history of ticketing across TfL, Shashi took us on the TfL payment journey, beginning with on-bus conductors and ticket machines at tube/train stations to the pivotal introduction of the Oyster card in 2003 and the subsequent roll-out of contactless payments.
Shashi identified two core objectives behind these ticketing innovations; firstly, how to ensure maximum ticket revenue and secondly how to reduce friction within London's transport network.
Ticketing friction in public transport equals a negative customer experience as it generates queues and delays in customer journeys. It's hard to envisage now but it wasn't too long ago when every tube station across London experienced early morning queues for the ticket machines as commuters attempted to purchase their paper tickets, or perhaps you're old enough to recollect the service delays caused by multiple people paying the bus driver (often in cash) for their tickets as they attempted to board.
In short, removing friction in the customer journey to one where you can proceed through the modal access point without slowing your pace not only means happier customers but also means more revenue and in the majority of cases, fewer delays.
At Passageway, we believe frictionless thinking also applies to the digital signage across the public transport network, particularly at bus shelters and other public transport modal access locations where there remains a lack of easy-access RTPI. But what does frictionless digital signage for bus shelters, mobility hubs and other public transport modal access points look like?
Here are are our top 3 frictionless digital signage recommendations:
1. Always on. Expecting customers to undertake any action to view RTPI naturally adds a hurdle when compared to the casual browsing of information displayed on screens. An always-on approach, with helpful information, supported by QR codes (or NFC tag) for App or other deeper information access not only reassures waiting customers but also helps advertise public transport to the wider audience, encouraging more potential customers into the conversion funnel.
2. Information for the many, not the individual. Personal journey planning is much better undertaken via a mobility app or other web-based approach on a personal device. Digital signage information should be non-interactive (to reduce crowding), be obvious to interpret and easy for customers to act upon.
3. Forewarning empowers customer choice. Displaying disruption notifications and onward travel status helps people make better choices, meaning a more positive experience by reducing customer anxiety.
Of course, not every bus stop or shelter can have a screen (there are 18,000 plus in London alone), but where screens are unavailable then consideration should be placed on how customers can most efficiently access RTPI. If people are required to download, register/login for a mobility app then this will have a significant impact on the number of people who do so, due to the hassle involved especially for those who are low digital users or are digital excluded. If customers can be offered the option of simply scanning a QR code or using an NFC tag at the stop to open RTPI for that stop on their personal device then more people will do so.
It's worth noting that for customers who are digitally excluded, the choices of accessing RTPI are much reduced, leading to the necessity of retaining printed timetables at stops. However the placement of digital signs within the community, in locations such as schools, hospitals, retirement homes and post offices that display RTPI for all local services goes some way to alleviating the disadvantages of the digitally excluded experience.
A final note - you may be interested in the Intelligent Transport Systems ‘Manifesto for the Future of Transport’