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Since 2012, the London public transport body has allowed external programmers to access the real-time data from the same IT provider via an open interface. Here Budapest is following the example of Transport for London (TfL). In the future, all developers will be able to draw on the data from the external IT provider in order to produce their own programs and solutions for passenger information. The inclusion of Google Maps is only a first step in the comprehensive open data strategy of BKK. A last advantage of integrating these services into a globally used app is that tourists who do not speak Hungarian can access the information on the Google Website in their own language, without the need to download a local app.
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The smoother transit experiences help to encourage repeat users, supporting increased use of public transportation, and hence improved mobility. The transit authorities can give advance notification of service delays, which helps to reduce inconvenience to transit users. First and foremost, riders get up-to-date arrival and departure time info, allowing them to plan their trips even more efficiently.
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The system shows the fastest way to travel from the point of departure to the destination address in the Budapest city area at any time of enquiry, taking into account the situation as it is at that exact moment in time.Īdding a real-time feature to complement the city's existing static feed significantly enhances users’ experiences with Budapest's transit services. Users now receive recommendations for connections on the basis of the latest traffic situation.
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This makes Budapest one of the first cities in Europe to offer live timetable information via the Google service.īy linking up with the real-time BKK feed, Google Maps can now show passengers info like whether a bus is running late, or a train is ahead of schedule. These attached systems now include Google Maps in addition to the local dynamic passenger information service, digital stop displays, smartphone apps, and the BKK Website. The IT provider processes the incoming data, calculates updated departure times and passes these on via an interface to attached systems. These include not only the buses, trams and trolley buses but also the boat services operating on the River Danube and the historical cog-wheel railway. The passenger information system of the Budapest public transportation authorities (BKK) - supported by an external IT provider - bring together all the positional data that the operational control centre continually receives from some 2,200 BKK vehicles in Hungary’s capital city.
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