After 3 years of intensive work, the comprehensive implementation of the SDIP 2 system for the Metropolis GZM has been completed. General Contractor – DYSTEN, has finished one of the largest Passenger Information Systems in Europe.
The system integrates 56 cities and municipalities, 460 communication lines, 7,000 stops, 532 passenger information boards and 1,500 vehicles: buses, trams and trolleybuses. The maintenance phase begins and will last 66 months.
Passenger portal and smartphone application
Passengers can plan their journey by public transport thanks to the Passenger Portal, which presents real-time arrival information for each stop and line.
Smartphone users have the same functionality thanks to the dedicated application. The system dynamically calculates all delays, taking into account traffic jams and other traffic difficulties.
Passenger information boards at stops
Dedicated, always up-to-date information is displayed on dynamic passenger information boards produced by DYSTEN.
– The introduction of new functionalities that facilitate the use of public transport is one of the most important activities that has consistently been realized by the Metropolis since its launch. The development of information channels with real-time of departure of nearly 1 500 buses, trams, and trolleybuses that traverse the streets of our cities and communes every day is one of the key elements of this system – says Jacek Brzezinka, Member of the Board of the GZM Metropolis. –Stationary electronic boards supplied by DYSTEN are systematically installed at the stops with the highest number of passengers.
High-quality, advanced LED technology
All boards are adapted to be mounted on various supporting structures. They automatically reduce the brightness at night so as not to dazzle drivers. Each device has an integrated high-resolution monitoring system. Amber LED arrays have high brightness (over 5000 cd / sq m) and very wide viewing angles. The anti-reflective windows are flush with the housing, which is V-shaped when viewed from the side. The displays are inclined towards the passenger and very easy to read. The system monitors the operating status of the boards with the use of built-in sensors and transmits the status and preview of the currently displayed content from the boards to the dispatch centre.
Easier travel for disabled travellers
People with various degrees of disability also use public transport. With the needs of visually impaired and partially sighted people in mind, visual information is supplemented by voice information. Each display is connected to the TTS (Text to speech) system, activated by a backlit key, which reads aloud and clearly all information from the display.
– Facilitating travel by means of public transport, including by providing efficient, reliable, up-to-date, and widely available passenger information, is the priority of the Metropolitan Transport Authority – says Michał Wawrzaszek, Head of the Press and Passenger Communication. –That is why we have opted for a number of modern solutions. Among them, there are digital information boards located near public transport stops. They, along with the entire system created by DYSTEN for us, encourage passengers to use public transport and facilitate travel by public transport for various groups of passengers among others – for people with disabilities.
The Metropolitan Transport Authority (ZTM) is responsible for the organization of public transport in the Metropolis GZM. The task is complex due to the specificity of the metropolis.
Metropolis GZM – the scale of the passenger information system
In order to understand the scale of the challenge, it is worth remembering that the metropolitan area covers 2.5 thousand square kilometres and is inhabited by almost 2.5 million people. Regional companies generate 8 percent of Poland’s GDP. Due to the high population density, passengers of a tram or bus do not even notice that they have crossed the borders of several cities. It’s perfectly normal for someone to work in a city other than their home. City boundaries can be identified mainly by information boards. The whole thing is, to put it simply, one large urban organism. Before the COVID pandemic, 30 million people a month travelled by public transport. The ZTM analyzes indicate that public transport increases after the pandemic, especially taking into account city centres.
Thirty years ago, the enormous coal mining and emission of pollutants made you see what you breathe, and nobody cared about the climate. You waited for the bus because it will finally come. Today, the comfort of travel and the ease of its planning are unimaginable compared to those experiences. Soon almost 1/3 of the means of public transport will be powered by electricity. It is a different era – in each area – for the resident, passenger and tourist.