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Passenger information by mobile phone (PR)
Berlin, 23 September 2008
Passenger information by mobile phone
IVU and BVG present mobile Internet information at Innotrans
More than 2 million people every month visit the Website of the Berlin Transport Utility BVG (www.BVG.de) to check timetables, the location of stops and stations, and the departure times of buses, trams and U-Bahn trains in Berlin. In future, the number of users will increase, because the service is now no longer restricted to computers but is also available from Internet-capable mobile phones. This means that all the data offered by the familiar information platform BVG-fahrinfo-online can now be accessed anywhere and at any time. At the Innotrans trade fair in Berlin this mobile solution developed by IVU Traffic Technologies AG was presented as part of a Get Together at the stand of the Berlin software company.
Whether passengers are looking for route information, tips about stops and lines, timetable changes due to construction work, or scheduled and realistic departure times – with the information portal BVG-fahrinfo they are able to find detailed information so that they can choose the best way to get from A to B in Berlin.
In order to be able to help its customers even after they have left home, BVG has now introduced a new mobile service. Via http://mobil.BVG.de, users with an Internet-capable mobile phone can access all the information provided in BVG-fahrinfo round the clock and wherever they are. This offers passengers much more flexibility, and they can rearrange their plans whenever necessary, for example if a visit has taken longer than was expected. It is also possible to check the actual departure times of buses, trams or U-Bahn trains simply by entering the name of the stop or station. The times of the next departures from that stop are then displayed, and passengers can judge whether they will be able to catch the next bus or tram. Information about the stops can also be displayed, for example the location and the operational status of escalators and lifts, or the location of stops on a city map, so that passengers can see on the mobile phone display how to proceed to their final destinations. In addition, the mobile service helps with orientation, by allowing a targeted search for a streetname and number. The address is then shown on a section of street map on the display.
Fully mobile information
The new mobile service operates with the same database as BVG-fahrinfo, which is also maintained by the developers at IVU. This ensures that all the information and route proposals on the mobile phone are displayed in the way that users are familiar with from their home computer. The user interface design will also be familiar to users of BVG-fahrinfo, with the entry options adapted to the keypad of a mobile phone. As with BVG-fahrinfo, the names of any stops or stations can be entered for a trip route to be calculated or in order to view information about the stop. When requesting information about actual departure times, it is also possible to enter the number of a stop – as with the existing text message service offered by BVG. It is estimated that 60 percent of mobile phones in Germany have internet-capability.
There is nothing new to learn before using the new service, and the functions are the same as before. The new feature with mobil.BVG.de is that all the information from BVG-fahrinfo is available at any time and any place: at the bus stop, when you are shopping, in the restaurant, or at a friends. Simply enter http://mobil.BVG.de and you can check when the bus will be leaving or how you can get to your next destination.
Contact:
Renate Bader
Head of Corporate Communications
IVU Traffic Technologies AG
Bundesallee 88, 12161 Berlin
Tel +49.30.85906-800
E-mail: renate.bader@ivu.de |
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Klaus Wazlak
Press Officer
Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG)
Holzmarktstr. 15-17, 10179 Berlin
Tel +49.30.256-27901
E-mail: pressestelle@bvg.de |
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