„Save Sofia“ proposes the implementation of a unified system for managing and distributing information on public transport and the metro in Sofia. The report has been submitted to the Sofia Municipal Council and provides for the automatic generation of timetables, route materials and announcements about traffic changes.
The idea is that information on repairs, temporary routes and new lines will be updated simultaneously in different places - at the stops, in vehicles and at metro stations. „Save Sofia“ indicates that this will reduce the dependence on the manual preparation of individual stickers, sheets and schemes.
Changes to reach passengers in real time
The system must use the GTFS emission of the Center for Urban Mobility. This is a structured digital format that contains data on routes, stops and timetables. According to the proponents, its use will allow a change to be reflected simultaneously in different information channels and to be directed to specific lines and vehicles.
„Currently, stickers with routes and timetables at stops, as well as lists of metro timetables and schemes of connections with ground transport are prepared manually, one by one“, said municipal councilor Gergin Borisov. According to him, during repairs this requires updating the information in dozens or hundreds of places.
„Imagine that tram 27 informs you that from tomorrow it will have a different route due to repairs, instead of learning it tomorrow when it does not come to the stop.“They plan to use ready-made software solutions
The proposal does not necessarily require the development of an entirely new platform. It includes the possibility of implementing existing software solutions that can be linked to the data of the Urban Mobility Center.
Another emphasis is the fuller use of information screens in vehicles and the metro. “Save Sofia“ indicates that when the screens are available, they should primarily display messages about transport changes, and not just advertising content.
As an expected result, the proposers indicate faster updating of information, less manual work for municipal transport companies and easier orientation of passengers. The proposal does not specify a specific deadline for implementing the system, nor a cost for its implementation.
Sources: news.bg, paragrafa.com