The Missed Opportunities Retailers Don’t Even Know About
It’s still surprising how many retailers fail to understand the importance of traffic...
Jun 19
As a public transport manager, when things are running smoothly, there’s very little that you have to worry about. However, when things go wrong, the knock-on effects of even the smallest accident or delay can be disastrous. This is why public transport hubs require constant management and optimisation – to ensure that you’re providing the best possible service to your passengers.
In this blog, we’ll look at five areas where you can increase efficiency, which will in turn boost sales.
Customers can get annoyed or impatient if they have to wait too long for a train or bus, or are simply unsure of when the next train or bus is set to arrive – especially if they’re in the rain or on a quiet street. To address this, transport hubs should improve the frequency of their schedules and ensure that these times are communicated to customers. In the case of delays or service interruptions, it’s imperative that you inform customers ahead of time to prevent any frustration or inconvenience on their part.
An easy and effective way for transport hubs to improve their transportation efficiency is through their use of fare systems. For it to be effective, a fare system should be quick and practical, and allow for the fastest possible loading and unloading of passengers. This is why on-vehicle ticketing systems — where passengers must pay the driver — are frowned upon. If a passenger has forgotten their wallet, or doesn’t have enough money to cover the fare, they only discover this when they get to the driver, slowing down the boarding process.
An off-vehicle fare system avoids this problem entirely by ensuring passengers pay before they get on.
You can also improve the process by increasing the number of doors people have for boarding and alighting, although this system is only truly effective with an off-vehicle payment system.
Modern data analysis tools exist that can help you assess the impact of an accident in realtime. This not only allows you to predict delays an accident will have on other vehicles in the system, but also how it will affect other parts of your system. For example, what will the impact be on overcrowding on other transport vehicles? Take advantage of these tools to limit the impact of unexpected events and improve the efficiency of your public transport network.
The latest generation of people counter tools, like Blix Traffic, go far beyond simply measuring the number of feet through your doors. By tracking the anonymous WiFi signals generated by your customers’ smartphones, you’ll be able to measure how your customers move within your transport hub, which areas see the most congestion, the route passengers take to get from A to B, and how long passengers spend waiting for trains or buses. This data will give you an accurate idea of how busy transport hubs are at any given time and on any given day, and allow you to optimise layouts and schedules.
Blix Traffic gives transport operators and traffic managers all the data they need to optimise the operation of their transport hubs, increase service efficiency and, ultimately, drive more sales. To find out more about Blix Traffic, visit the product page.
