Establishing a travel information centre

Summary

Improving the provision of passenger information is a valuable way of promoting public transport use in Aalborg. This has been achieved by the installation of information kiosks in the city and the creation of an e-mail information service and tourist information offices.

Implementing sustainable mobility

In parallel with other measures being implemented in Aalborg, such as bus priority and automatic vehicle location, which were designed to increase demand for public transport, there was a clear need to improve the efficiency and quality of services offered to public transport users by providing real-time passenger information.

The Travel Information Centre was created to:

• improve information supply to public transport users;
• partially transfer information services to a computer-based system; and
• contribute to improving the image of public transportation in the city.

Progress

The Travel Information Centre was created as part of an integrated package of measures in Aalborg, including the provision of real-time passenger information, the introduction of bus priority at certain intersections, and the creation of an automatic bus location system. 

The key stakeholders were Nordjyllands Trafikselskab (NT), the company responsible for the regional bus service, and the Technical Department of the City of Aalborg, responsible for local bus services.

The target group was mainly public transport passengers, although users of the coach terminal facilities (tourists and shoppers visiting the area) also benefitted.

The most popular kinds of information provided by the TIC are:

• itineraries;
• timetables;
• e-mail services;
• tourist information; and
• walking planning.

Outcomes

The new information technology measures were positively received by the public. Members of the public were well aware of the new opportunities, as demonstrated by the number of passengers using the self-service information kiosk installed at the terminal facility. A total of 24,000 pages were activated monthly at the terminal, with itinerary and schedules being the key search items.