Public Transport in Switzerland: Pilot project on compensation for delays - with technology from Hacon
On behalf of Alliance SwissPass, the SBB has conducted a pilot test on delay compensation. The pilot ran from the end of September to the end of October 2020; 300 test customers were involved.
The pilot project was also a first for a new Hacon product: The HAFAS Time Machine supports transport companies in efficiently managing passenger rights. With the HAFAS Time Machine, it is possible to check quickly and easily whether the individual trip of a passenger was feasible on time. New about this: For the first time, not only isolated segments but also complex connections with several changes can be checked within a few clicks. Potential alternative connections are also checked automatically. The challenge: Routing suggestions (including alternatives) vary depending on the daily traffic and timetable situation and are therefore hard to analyse in retrospect. However, the HAFAS Time Machine makes the complete connection information - as it would have been displayed to the passenger on the day of travel - accessible on the basis of historical data.
Starting in January 2021, the regular compensation rules will be in effect in Switzerland. These compensation rules apply to all public transport riders. Passengers receive (partial) refunds for delays of 60 minutes or more. The HAFAS Time Machine will be used to check the claims.
Further information on the HAFAS Time Machine can be found here in our product video.
And the Winner is… Hubi!
German Mobility Award for HUB CHAIN project with autonomous DRT service "Hubi"
The HUB CHAIN project proves that Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) can seamlessly supplement public transport. Under the leadership of Stadtwerke Osnabrück, the research project was honored with the 2020 German Mobility Award: The “Germany – Land of Ideas” initiative and the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure awarded HUB CHAIN as a flagship project for intermodal mobility. In May, the project had already received the Real Laboratory Innovation Prize by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs as an exemplary source of inspiration for Germany as a location for innovation.
Together with several other partners, Hacon is part of the HUB CHAIN project team. As such, we implemented an information and booking platform for the autonomous “Hubi” minibus, which is being field-tested in various test scenarios in the Osnabrück area. The HUB CHAIN app shows the current location of the bus and can also be used to reserve seats for the journey. HUB CHAIN aims to interlink on-demand and regular traffic in order to better connect suburban and rural areas to urban centers.
In addition to Stadtwerke Osnabrück and Hacon, the HUB CHAIN project consortium includes: German Aerospace Center (DLR); Institute of Transportation Systems (DLR); Dornier Consulting International (Dornier); Institute for Climate Protection, Energy and Mobility (IKEM), Kompetenzzentrum ländliche Mobilität, an institute within the Forschungs-GmbH Wismar (KOMOB). More information: www.hubchain.de
Interviews
COVID-19 and its impact on our industry
The mobility industry faces new challenges as a result of COVID-19. At the beginning of the crisis, pragmatic solutions had to be found quickly. The focus has shifted over time: Now, the main task is to regain the passengers' confidence in public transport. Our CEO Michael Frankenberg explains how this can be achieved and what opportunities lie ahead.
Demand Responsive Transport (DRT)
DRT could become a game changer for public transport. Operators are complementing their services with demand-responsive offers. Above all, when urban outskirts and suburbs are no longer served in the evening or at night, DRT offers a new alternative to the private car. Grégoire Bonnat, CEO Padam Mobility, explains the growing importance of DRT for public transport.
Big Data Calling
According to industry analysts, the "digital mountain range" is growing steadily – by 2020, six terabytes of data are expected to be stored per capita, equivalent to a text volume of approximately three million books. Dr. Christian Schwingenschloegl, Head of Mobility Data Analytics at Siemens, explains in our interview why it is worth taking a closer look at HAFAS data.
COVID-19: We Support You!
Information to our customers and partners
COVID-19 is a growing global challenge and it is likely going to impact each one of us for weeks to come. Whether it is in our personal or business lives, everyone is trying to contribute to limiting the spread within our communities. In order to protect our employees and our customers, HaCon has taken measures throughout our organization. These actions protect the health and safety of all parties involved while ensuring the continuity of operations.
We are actively monitoring the developments and will continue to adapt our structures for support based on the situation and prognosis of the various locations. These measures are based on the local and global health official recommendations and supported by a Siemens Task Force.
To minimize the risk of community spread, almost our complete staff works from home. Futhermore, we have eliminated nearly all business trips and reduced social contacts to the absolute minimum. HaCon fully supports remote workplaces and home office. Internal and external communication is secured by the use of several different channels. Virtual team and management meetings take place on a daily basis and ensure a close communication.
We have processes in place to support your operations with prompt and pragmatic responses. Our commitment to your projects is ongoing. At the same time, we are committed to work on new ideas and projects. To mention one advantage, our various virtual tools for communication make it easy to have online meetings on short notice and to include our experts in a conversation. Please reach out to your designated point of contact any time at your convenience.
Further actions taken include:
- - Nearly all of our staff is working from home
- - Close communication with all parties involved
- - High standard of office hygiene for the small number of employees still working in the office
- - Installation of an intranet page with up-to-date information regarding COVID-19
- - Avoiding business trips which can be replaced by video conferences or can be moved to a later date
- - Cancellation of all participation in exhibitions
- - Cancellation of all external education events
- - Quarantine process for employees returning from risk areas
The transport industry is doing a terrific job in providing mobility to the public in these difficult times. We are grateful for your service and proud to be part of this community.
Please stay safe and healthy. Together we continue to work on safe and sustainable mobility solutions.
Press & Media
Product news, success stories and more
Smart Algorithms for Safe Distancing: RMV Introduces Occupancy Forecast
September 10, 2020. Based on big data technologies and self-learning algorithms, HaCon and Siemens Mobility have joined together to develop software that predicts passenger numbers. The first customer, the German transport association Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV), has implemented the system.
Let’s talk MaaS! HaCon und eos.uptrade welcome the public transport community
February 27, 2020. For the first time, HaCon und eos.uptrade teamed up to present trends and technologies related to Mobility as a Service at the HAFAS User Conference. The conference featured guest speakers François Bausch, Luxembourg’s vice-president, and Dr. Volkhardt Klöppner, CEO of the Hanover transit operator ÜSTRA.
Trip and Train Planning from a Single Source at Irish Rail
December 2, 2019. The Irish railway operator Iarnród Éireann will soon benefit from the comprehensive portfolio of HaCon solutions: In addition to offering an updated HAFAS-based trip planner to its passengers, Irish Rail will be using TPS for its train and capacity planning.
Check-in/Be-out (CiBo) with Best Price Guarantee
First Implementation in German Public Transport
Premiere in Osnabrück: For the first time, a Check-in/Be-out (CiBo) ticketing system with best price guarantee will be put into live operation in public transport in Germany. HaCon subsidiary eos.uptrade is implementing the innovation for users of the intermodal routing app VOSpilot powered by HaCon.
A live test run of the project began on January 14, 2020. Staff members of the city of Osnabrück in north-western Germany are testing the new system in a productive setting. Check-in/Be-out (CiBo) is an innovative, simple and fast form of ticket purchasing that enables passengers to travel for the best possible price – the system is fully automated and does not require users to have an in-depth knowledge of fares.
Check-in/Be-out makes using public transport easier than ever before
With the innovative ticketing system, public transport becomes easier and passenger comfort increases. Buying a ticket before the start of a journey is no longer necessary. Passengers simply check into the bus with a swipe in the local public transport app VOSpilot. As soon as they leave the bus, the CiBo system automatically checks them out. The best possible ticket price is then calculated.
The VOSpilot App: Routing, Car Sharing and Best-Price Ticketing in one hand
The VOSpilot app for Android and iPhone scores big with numerous popular HAFAS features, including commuter push, departure boards as well as pedestrian, bike and car routing from door to door. Users also enjoy the possibility to book a “stadtteilauto” (car sharing vehicle) directly via the app.
Additionally, mylola, the local last-minute “hot deal” portal, is integrated into the app, offering a vast variety of deals from dining to nightlife, shopping and more. Users can plan their trips to the respective locations and receive immediate routing information to make grabbing their deal a breeze.
VOSpilot is fully available to visually impaired and blind passengers for barrier-free use. Optimized for gesture-based screen readers, i.e. the voice-over technologies of iOS and Android, the app can be easily controlled and all contents are translated into speech.
More News
Intermodal Mobility Platform for Andorra
Forces Elèctriques d'Andorra, FEDA in short, has selected Siemens, HaCon and eos.uptrade to deploy an intermodal mobility platform for Andorra. The project aims to support the country’s sustainability goals, such as reducing CO2 emissions and promoting multimodal transport.
Update: Ingolstadt’s Trip Planner Introduces Google Pay and Apple Pay
By integrating new payment systems, the latest app update of “INVG Fahrinfo” simplifies the process of buying public transport tickets even more. New personalization options enhance the app’s usability.
DART Testing Intermodal Trip Planning with New On-Demand Service Pilot
With its latest update, the HAFAS-based MyDART app now provides riders with intermodal trip planning, connecting them to DART’s bus network via multiple on-demand services.
Multimodal Mobility Platform for Zurich – Using New Mobility Smartly
A new multimodal mobility platform, developed by HaCon on behalf of the city Zurich, will soon help residents and travelers find and choose the most efficient means of transportation.
Efficient Disruption Management with HIM 3.0
With the updated HAFAS Information Manager HIM 3.0, HaCon has created a highly efficient solution for disruption management.
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