Reykjavík Grapevine - 24.09.2010, Blaðsíða 8

8
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 15 — 2010 Hey, do y'all remember that Kriss Kross song, 'Missed The Bus'? Boy, that was a fun
song. Anyway, it's cool Strætó is doing something about their service. If you've got more
improvement tips for them, write us a letter and we'll pass it along.
Over the last week, commuters
on Strætó bs, the public transport
company that operates the buses in
Reykjavík, have been getting used
to the sound of a new automated
service announcing the name of
each destination along their route.
The new service is part of a recent
redevelopment program by the
company, aimed at improving in-
formation relay to passengers and
to generally make taking the bus
a much more efficient and user-
friendly experience.
This might seem an unnecessary
change for many regular users who al-
ready know where they are going, but
could be viewed as a welcome addi-
tion for many others that don’t. Grape-
vine spoke to project manager Bergdís
Eggertsdóttir to find out what these
changes will really mean for both reg-
ular users and shiny new passengers
alike.
CH-CH-CH-CH-CHANGES!
The primary change to the fleet has
been a switch over to GPS equipment
from the current radio system, which
involves calling each driver individual-
ly, much like that in a taxi company. “A
major benefit of being linked by GPS
and satellite is that the whole fleet and
the control centre will be on the same
time,” Bergdís informs me. Installed on
both the buses and in Strætó’s control
centre, the system means that all the
drivers will be working off the same
time, on the same schedule and can
be traced anywhere along their route.
This sounds useful when you consider
that before this, each driver was com-
pletely dependent upon the time on
their mobile phone or watch, resulting
in various discrepancies.
“We knew our system was outdated
and needed to be revamped, so this
upgrade has been part of an overall
strategic plan,” Bergdís tells me. When
asked whether any of the new changes
had been introduced in response to
customer feedback, she added that
they do receive emails and calls and
log any customers complaints: “The
intention has been to create a platform
upon which we can integrate these
suggestions”.
The announcement system, which
informs passengers of their next stop,
has been introduced on 50 of the 120
buses in the fleet, and the company
plans to have both these systems in
place on every Reykjavík bus by late
November. This could be a welcome
change for many tourists and out-of-
towners that have no way of finding
out where their stop is, other than ask-
ing the driver.
WAy Of THE fuTuRE
Staying on the theme of improving in-
formation provision, Bergdís outlined
the company’s plan to install visual
signage on board all buses in the com-
ing months. “Similar to bus systems
in other countries, the Strætó fleet will
be fitted in the coming months with
scrolling electronic signs that display
the name of each stop as the bus
approaches it”, she explained, add-
ing that this will benefit the hearing
impaired, those who missed the an-
nouncement, were unable to hear it.
Or just plain couldn’t make out what it
was saying in the first place.
Another development down the line
is to introduce information updates via
mobile phones. According to Bergdís,
plans are also afoot to make real-time
information available to passengers
waiting at bus stops via their mobile
phones, so they can keep themselves
informed as to when their bus will ar-
rive. “As 99% of people have a mobile
phone, it is an effective way to stay up-
to-date,” she adds.
yEAH, BuT WHAT WILL IT COST?
Now introducing sweeping changes
is one thing, but all too often this can
mean a price hike for the end users
of the service. How does Strætó plan
to avoid the cost of these redevelop-
ments being passed on to passengers?
“There is currently no plan to increase
passenger fees as a result of these
changes,” says Bergdís, “actually they
have stayed the same since 2007, ap-
proximately. The cost of the upgrades
have been absorbed by building upon
the existing communication system, as
well as negotiating competitive pricing
agreements with contractors.”
Which brings us round to the is-
sue of ticketing. Many of us have been
in the following scenario. It’s raining,
you’re waiting for your bus and you
suddenly realise you’ve no money. So
you run to the cash machine before
dashing to the corner shop to buy
some gum in order to get the neces-
sary change. As you race back, the
bus rushes past, drenching you with
a puddle of water for good measure.
So, are there any steps being taken
to make paying for your journey more
convenient? Happily, Bergdís informs
me that the company is currently re-
searching the implementation of a
credit/debit card payment system for
passengers. “We are still in the plan-
ning stage with this, as we need to find
a system of processing payments that
won't cause unwanted delays for cus-
tomers. But we recognise the impor-
tance of this issue and it is something
that we are developing and intend to
roll out in the coming months.”
GOING GREEN
Encouraging people to choose pub-
lic transport over cars makes pretty
good environmental sense. I asked if
the company had any specific plans to
roll out more eco-friendliness down
the line. “Alongside internal recycling
policies, we currently have two buses
running on methane bio-fuel, and are
looking at various methods of increas-
ing this number,” Bergdís replied.
Possible solutions mentioned were
hybrid models or the introduction of
electric buses, the latter being a solu-
tion Iceland should be in a very strong
position to develop given its natural
resources.
Strætó’s official mission statement
seeks to encourage people to take the
bus, seeing it as a more efficient, envi-
ronmentally friendly and quicker solu-
tion than using a private car. Will these
changes enable the company to deliver
on its ambition? This remains a case of
wait and see. “We've had mainly posi-
tive feedback, although a few people
have voiced their annoyance at the an-
nouncements. The system is still being
tested and we are working on finding
a good medium for everyone,” Bergdís
told me. She also believed that while
many might be slow to embrace these
changes, they would greatly benefit
many regular and new passengers,
as well increase accessibly for those
with hearing and visual impairments.
“We can’t address all of these issues
overnight, but this is an important first
step and we firmly believe that it is a
positive one for many in the long term”.
In the drive to reduce traffic con-
gestion, encourage ‘greener’ transport
options and generally just get from A
to B with a little less hassle, let’s hope
so.
Article | Public transport
Taking The Pain Out Of Public Transport
EIMEAR fITzGERALD
HöRðuR SVEINSSON
Jumping on board with Strætó’s new changes
MEDIEVAL MANUSCRIPTS – EDDAS AND SAGAS
The Ancient Vellums on Display
ICELAND :: FILM – Berlin – Copenhagen – Reykjavík
Icelandic Filmmaking 1904-2008
ICELANDERS – AN EXHIBITION OF PHOTOGRAPHS
The spirit of the Icelandic nation in words and images.
EXHIBITIONS - GUIDED TOURS
CAFETERIA - CULTURE SHOP
The Culture House – Þjóðmenningarhúsið
National Centre for Cultural Heritage
Hverfi sgata 15 · 101 Reykjavík (City Centre)
Tel: 545 1400 · www.thjodmenning.is
Open daily between 11 am and 5 pm
Free guided tour of THE MEDIEVAL MANU-
SCRIPTS exhibition Mon and Fri at 3:30 pm.