New rules in public transport as a consequence of the current Covid-19 pandemic have imposed major changes in the organization and functionality of the public transport sector. This primarily refers to the mandatory use of protective masks, maintaining a safe distance between passengers, and an increased level of disinfection of vehicles per day. One of the key factors is the reduction of the number of passengers in public transport vehicles per ride, all as a preventive measure in the further spread of the epidemic.
One of the most important issues for both users and public transport operators is the total number of passengers in vehicles per ride, shown in real-time. The answer to this problem was given by Novatronic in a recently finished project which was implemented in cooperation with the public transport operator JGSP Novi Sad, where it successfully implemented a solution that informs public transport user over information displays about the total number of passengers in the vehicle.
The entire system works on the basis of data obtained from automatic passenger counters, which are located above each door in the vehicles, recording both boarding and alighting of the passengers. After gathering, the data are processed in the software, and the final inscriptions are created on the passenger information displays that show the level of occupancy of the vehicle in real-time. The obtained data are presented in percentages, expressed in several categories, from empty to full.
In this way, passengers are informed in a timely manner about the occupancy of vehicles on certain lines and are thus able to better plan their trip.
The obtained data can be distributed to other services (web services, SMS services) providing a comprehensive solution for a large number of public transport users.
