Information for Mobility Support in Porto
IMS - Information for Mobility Support - is a solution that supports all kinds of decisions involving public transportation. It helps the users to plan and decide their trips based on real time information from different operators whose services are available in the respective area.
The users can access - for example through an LCD screen - timetables, routes, destinations, stops and the waiting time for the next service, all based on real time and planned information.The experimental solution was developed by OPT, and tests were implemented trough the integration of information from three different operators - Metro and STCP for urban services, and ANTROP for uptown services. It was designed to receive information from all the operators working in the area. Since July, the IMS displays’ prototypes have entered the final testing round, operation and information presentation from all partners, on the LCD equipment at hospital de São João (HSJ).A second LCD, to be placed at faculdade de medicina da universidade do Porto (FMUP), will be ready for installment in September to begin the test period. This kind of niche mostly involves students, so the partners have decided that this needs to be kept in mind where the analysis of data is concerned. One of the most innovative aspects of the project in Portugal is the fact that it combines information gathered from more than one operator, which ensures the intermodal concept. The main challenge was to combine their requirements with users needs, as these must view the service as a valuable asset to ensure the success of the project. So far this has been accomplished.
Author: Sara Meireles
