German digital public transport specialist Ioki is launching a new product which it says will simplify navigation for buses and rail replacement services. The new Ioki Route system is being developed together with Berlin city operator Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG).
Ioki says its new software is designed to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing the public transport industry, namely reducing accidents and going the wrong way. Measures can be implemented on an ad-hoc basis, it says, as is often necessary in rail replacement services, helping to guarantee reliable operation on unknown routes.
The system consists of an app for drivers and a separate control centre system. Initially developed for the German market, the firm says the software is set to be rolled out across Europe during 2024.
The system has been designed to provide drivers with precise navigation and route adjustments in real time, which it says will simplify training and ensure increased safety for drivers on new routes. In addition, the company says it can help to avoid accidents involving obstacles such as low bridges.
The app runs on all commercially available Android smartphones, and the software for the control centre enables routes to be created and changed. “Ioki Route is a real game changer for transport companies and their employees. We want to make it as easy as possible to use – simply download the app, select the bus type and route and bus drivers will be able to travel comparatively safely through traffic,” said Managing Director Dr. Michael Barillère-Scholz, summarising ioki’s latest development.
“We are convinced that digital public transport increases the attractiveness of everyday mobility for passengers, employees and transport companies. With Ioki Route, we are implementing this maxim in scheduled services.”
The app is the result of a research and development project together with BVG, which has been working with Ioki to optimise the app and will soon be using it on bus routes in Berlin’s complex network.
Operator DB Regio Bus Mitte has also been using the sofware in the Rhineland-Palatinate city of Speyer since December. It operates nine routes with a team of 200 drivers.
