Bus Stops as Interactive Touchpoints: Improving Engagement and Use of Public Transport

Abstract

Bus stops are key touchpoints to improve the quality and engagement of citizens with public transports. Despite their ubiquity in modern urban landscapes they are seldom considered a key design/technology element in improving the public transport experience. This paper describes a design case study where different teams attempted to improve bus stops using interactive technologies. The resulting concept prototypes were designed to provide citizens and tourists with (i) safe, attractive and accessible public spaces, (ii) attractive, accessible and efficient public transport; and, (iii) smart traveller information tools and services for sustainable mobility. Our case was set in Madeira, a medium sized European island, where tourism widely contribute to the local economy and buses represent the only available public mean of transport. We present the research insights and the design concepts leading to improve engagement and use of public transport.