Manufactured by 21st Century, with software developed both in-house and in conjunction with SmartNe, the new iPoint uniquely combines fully integrated, real time travel information (road travel news, bus and train timetables) with local points of interest.
Users can fully plan their public transport journeys across the county by using the giant touch screen to select their departure and arrival points, filter the results by bus types and times, and even view the walking route and estimated time to their selected departure stop.
The robust outdoor display also shows the latest travel news and details on local amenities such as toilets and car parks, and even allows users to “see inside” key buildings such as shopping centres, highlighting the location of each shop.
The first iPoint of its kind is located at the bus stops next to Worcester Cathedral. Its unique content also includes historical facts and figures about the famous landmark, and other heritage sites in the county.
Worcester County Council believes that the iPoint, and others like it to be installed across the region in the coming months, will encourage use of local passenger transport by making it easier for local people and visitors to plan journeys. It is part of a wider initiative to increase the availability of information points, and the Council also has plans for an app.
All the content for the 21st Century iPoint system is fully customisable and managed by the council, meaning that it is kept fully up to date and reactive to local developments, such as roadworks or route changes.
Russ Singleton, Chief Executive for 21st Century, commented: “Worcestershire are at the cutting edge of developing the platforms that give the public the information they require to easily move around urban spaces and we were delighted to be involved in this project.
“As a first in the UK, it shows the benefits that can be realised from bringing in data from a number of sources and presenting it to the user through an easy-to-use interface.
“Worcestershire’s new Information Point and solutions like it are a meaningful and purposeful step towards making journeys passenger-centric and set the pace for evolving the transport and movement of people through our towns and future smart cities.”
The aim is for users of the 21st Century iPoint to shape future content, by providing ongoing feedback. To encourage this exchange of information, Worcester County Council is running a competition for users to win an iPad.