Starting in October 2024, onboard travel announcements will become mandatory across Britain’s bus network, with full compliance expected by 2031. The new legislation, known as the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations, aims to enhance accessibility for all passengers, particularly those with disabilities.
Compliance with these regulations will require significant adjustments in the way bus services operate, especially in integrating new audio-visual announcement (AVA) systems. Bus operators will need to ensure they can effectively extract and format data from their scheduling system for successful AVA system implementation.
Bridging onboard announcements gaps
Currently, there is patchy provision of onboard travel announcements across the country, which poses a significant barrier for disabled people seeking to use public transport.
In England, approximately 46 percent of the 31,000 buses provide audio and visual information, but this availability is concentrated heavily in London, where 98 percent of buses offer these services. In contrast, outside of London, only 25 percent of buses currently provide AVA, and many of these may not yet fully comply with the new regulations.
The regulations aim to standardise service quality nationwide, mandating that operators provide route, stop, diversion and final destination information in both audible and visible formats, ensuring accessibility for all passengers.
Challenges in extracting and formatting data
Bus operators collaborating with Talking Bus system providers, such as McKenna Brothers, face the challenge of extracting and formatting data from their scheduling systems. This data is necessary for inputting accurate stop information into the AVA systems, ensuring that the right announcements are made at the correct times.
The difficulty lies in creating a repeatable, straightforward export process that eliminates duplicate trips, as the AVA system requires each journey and stop to be listed only once.
How we can help
Our GTFS Exporter has been enhanced to produce outputs compatible with AVA systems. This tool seamlessly integrates with our scheduling suite of products, providing an out-of-the-box, turnkey solution. The GTFS export tool simplifies the data extraction process, ensuring that only the necessary journey and stop information is included, free from duplicates.
Our solution ensures:
- Regulatory compliance: Operators meet the new accessibility regulations and enhance service inclusivity.
- Efficiency: Reduces manual effort and minimises errors associated with manual data handling.
- Cost-effective: Provides a cost-effective solution by minimising the need for bespoke development work and reducing operational disruptions.
- User-friendly: Easy to implement and use, requiring minimal training for staff, which accelerates the adoption process.
As the deadline for onboard announcements approaches, bus operators must take proactive steps to ensure their services are accessible to all passengers, regardless of their location or needs.
Contact us today to explore how our GTFS export tool can simplify your transition to onboard travel announcements systems. Partner with us to elevate your service and ensure a more inclusive travel experience.
