Optibus’ new ‘Passenger Billboards’ automates service information design

Optibus’ one-click conversion of complex service data into information displays is already improving passenger communication in Austria with bus operator Dr. Richard

Optibus is excited to unveil ‘Passenger Billboards’, its latest solution for enhancing the passenger experience on public transportation. This quick and easy-to-use design automation tool simplifies the workflow of converting complex service data into modern, streamlined passenger information displays with just a few clicks, and works in any country with a standard timetable dataset. The result is a more reliable mobility network and fewer operational pains related to time and cost.

Too often, passengers experience frustration with public transportation due to outdated or unreliable service information, including routes and timetables. Public transportation providers want to accurately communicate services, but traditional methods involved in converting service data into print displays and keeping those materials up-to-date across the network are time-consuming, resource-intensive, and prone to errors that can incur unexpected costs. When display design is outsourced, the process can also become costly and result in loss of project control.

Through automation, Optibus Passenger Billboards streamlines the process of creating and updating static information displays at transportation stops, reducing work time from days to minutes. The solution suggests optimal layouts for schedules, enabling transportation professionals of all backgrounds to click and transform service data into visually-striking, custom service displays. The result is smarter, faster work processes for operators and agencies and more reliable information for passengers. 

Dr. Richard Linien, one of the biggest bus companies in Austria, is upgrading its bus displays in Villach, Austria, using Optibus Billboards

With Optibus Passenger Billboards, transportation providers benefit from features and benefits including:

• Reliable Data: Display up-to-date departure and arrival times, as sourced from Optibus Planning.
• Visualization Optimization: Leverage a toolbox of key terms, icons, pictures, and colors to effectively communicate your message.
• Design template customization: Tailor your billboard templates to suit specific operational needs and personalize your billboards with hand-picked elements. Adjust colors, fonts, and other elements to match brand guidelines
• Multi-Language Support: Make services accessible to diverse passengers by providing information in multiple languages.

“Converting a static file within a planning system into something that passengers can use to jump on a bus can be time consuming, frustrating, and expensive. Even more so if there is an error in a print run for a thousand bus stops because a small data point is overlooked. Optibus removes these pains through automation, creating a better work experience on the operational side and a smoother passenger experience,” said Amos Haggiag, CEO and co-founder of Optibus.

With Passenger Billboards, Optibus users can unlock a range of benefits, including cost and time savings, brand unity, collaboration, data centralization, and an enhanced passenger experience. The solution is currently on the ground in Austria, where Dr. Richard Linien, one of the biggest bus companies in the country and the largest owner-managed operator in the German-speaking region, uses it to create information displays for passengers in the city of Villach.

Select a report template, customize, and export quickly and easily with Optibus Billboards

Passenger Billboards also connects with Optibus’ newly released Strategic Planning product. Create optimized, impact-driven plans in Strategic Planning, then use Billboards to convert those plans into communication materials and print. Any future service changes in Strategic Planning are automatically transferred into Billboards, so you can turn updated services into updated signage in one click.   

For more information about Passenger Billboards and other Optibus passenger information products, click here.

Further Reading:

• Webinar: Discover Optibus Shuttles: Dynamic Routing and Optimization in Action
• Case Study: How CamTran Transformed Data Management, Achieved GTFS Certification, and Redesigned Their Network with Optibus
• nph chooses Strategic Planning for service redesign in Germany