New passenger counting feature built in to Ticketer system
Ticketer has launched a new passenger counting feature to help drivers accurately record passengers getting on and off a bus. In just under two weeks, Ticketer developed, tested and implemented a new capacity measurement enhancement that allows drivers to keep a total count of passengers, measured against capacity thresholds defined per vehicle.
The counting is done on the Electronic Ticket Machine and removes any pressure on the driver to decide if it is safe for passengers to board.
Operators can set passenger capacity on a vehicle-by-vehicle basis via the Ticketer Portal and the live capacity data can be made available to operator apps to make sure that passengers also have access to the information.
Following a successful development in partnership with First Bus, rapid rollout has commenced across other operators.
Alex Hornby, chief executive officer, Transdev Blazefield, says: “All of us at Transdev congratulate Ticketer for working at pace during this critical time for our customers’ and colleagues’ safety. The ability to record customers on board is something that our drivers have found incredibly helpful and reassuring, and we embrace how this information can then be opened up for users to view available seats via our Transdev Go app and website.
“This is all something we have wanted for a while, as a company so obsessed by looking after its customers, but is now a positive legacy of lockdown and extremely helpful as we rebuild our bus networks for the better.”
Graham Pether, project manager, Go-Ahead Group, adds: “Within hours of launching the new Ticketer Passenger Counting feature, we have received lots of great feedback from our drivers that it’s working really well, giving them confidence that they can manage their bus and service safely, and easily.”