Innovations

Supporting Euro Bus Expo 2016 technology exhibitors

Inside...

Issue 35 Autumn 2016

In partnership with

Get smart, get to EBE

It’s going to be an exciting few days at the NEC next month, when Euro Bus Expo comes back for another excellent networking and business opportunity.

The Technology Zone has long been one of the most vibrant areas of the show.

Every two years at EBE there’s a host of ever-changing gadgets to see, as well as a line-up of dynamic presenters in the Master Class Theatre sharing invaluable best practice – invaluable, yet free of charge.

Where is the technology of your business heading?

You might be considering smarter ticketing, a new fuelling system, passengerenticing infotainment, or just better ways to store data from CCTV. You might be thinking about your coach customers’ increasingly high expectations, or wondering how to kick-start modal shift. The answer to all your questions will be at the NEC, where you can see the new developments in action and ask the experts for advice.

More efficient ways for operators to do business is always a common theme in the Technology Zone.

There’s always a high proportion of technology suppliers who have firsthand experience of operating coaches or buses, and as a result they have operators’ needs at heart.

As for the Master Class speakers – plenty of them are current operators. They’ll be talking about some of the hottest topics in the sector, including the Bus Services Bill, Brexit, devolution, and smart ticketing. Technology plays an important role in each of those.

Jessamy Chapman Innovations Editor 2 innovations // XXX

‘Differentiate your business’ with USB

Slimline version is ideal for seatbacks

Power converter specialist Alfatronix has introduced PowerVerter USB chargers to its range of high-quality voltage converters and power supplies, allowing passengers to charge their phones and tablets on the move.

They can be installed in the wall of the vehicles or retrofitted into a pod underneath the seat in front.

A slimline version is also available, requiring only 20mm rear space, which can be easily installed in seatbacks.

Thanks to Alfatronix’s years of experience in DC power, the design is “superefficient” and has an exceptionally

low off-load (quiescent) current, so battery drain when the charger is not in use is negligible.

Managing Director Keith Reilly says: “In this highlycompetitive market, these USB chargers are an ideal way for bus and coach operators to differentiate their service from the competition.

“Mobile devices are increasingly becoming part of our daily routines, and for passengers on board public transport, they are today the most popular form of activity while travelling.

Many operators are now offering free Wi-Fi on their vehicles, and onboard charging completes this service.” www.alfatronix.com Stand T130

In partnership with

L-R: Chris Conway, Chris Hazzard and Owen Griffith

Single solution for SEN transport GEP Tec will launch its new development at Euro Bus Expo: An integrated vehicle and passenger transport service management solution, ITMS. ITMS (Integral Transport Management System) has been developed in conjunction with the London Borough of Camden, thanks to a strategy to facilitate personalisation of adult social care, SEN and looked-after transport for the residents of Camden.

ITMS creates an integrated environment to replace disparate legacy systems with a single solution for service users, transport providers and service managers.

It provides a flexible choice of transport by using a range of services provided by councils’ own fleet as well as commercial operators and

community transport groups where appropriate. ITMS offers the use of a currency called Care Miles (CM), which represent clients’ personal and travel needs. CM focuses on the needs rather than the monetary values. It’s designed to avoid changing the budget entitlement, and is optional.

A user registration tool has also been developed to monitor service use via a smart registration terminal located at the service organisations, to create an audit trail for transport service delivery.

ITMS can be used by local authority transport fleets, or larger transport providers managing internal and external fleets. www.geptec.co.uk Stand B87

Infrastructure Minister Chris Hazzard has announced a £45 million investment programme that will deliver a modernised ticketing system to Northern Ireland.

It is hoped it will increase the number of people using public transport, in line with a key Executive Programme for Government commitment.

Mr Hazzard says: “The new Programme for Government envisages increasing the number of people using public transport.

“A high-quality public transport infrastructure is fundamental to encouraging people to use our buses and trains. This innovative ticketing system will deliver long-term benefits and transform how we access public transport across the region.

“The current ticketing system was introduced 15 years ago and serves around 80 million passenger journeys every year. This programme will deliver a modern, efficient and convenient ticketing system that will benefit passengers and lead to greater efficiencies.

It will improve the passenger experience.”

The Minister also announced that Parkeon, a global leader in this industry, has been awarded the contract to design and deliver the new ticketing system.

Chris Conway, Translink Group Chief Executive, says: “This is a key milestone in our plans to transform public transport and make it your first choice of travel.

“We are looking forward to working closely with Parkeon to introduce modern ticketing technologies that will create easier, integrated ticketing options offering customers more choice and convenience.

“Exciting enhancements will include the acceptance of contactless payment cards on bus, e-purse payments like the London-style Oyster Card, ticket vending machines, gated rail stations and an online app for customers to manage their accounts and top up their smartcards.”

Implementation should start in 2018 with the new bus rapid transit system, with contactless payments for Metro and Ulsterbus services introduced in 2019.

Owen Griffith, Managing Director at Parkeon, says: “As specialists in transport ticketing solutions, Parkeon has a deep understanding of how the technologies that Translink has selected for this project can bring significant benefits in terms of convenience and easeof-use for passengers.” www.parkeon.co.uk Stand T168

DILAX helps turn vehicle data into knowledge DILAX will be launching DILAX Citisense, brand new software that enables bus operators to manage and aggregate data such as passenger counting, occupancy and weather.

This means that it will now be possible to forecast expected system and transport situations, helping operators turn data into knowledge and

provide a good passenger experience.

DILAX’s systems also include automatic passenger counting, dwell time, seat occupancy management and reporting, all of which can be seen and discussed at Euro Bus Expo. www.dilax.com Stand T192 Innovations // Autumn 2016 3

Innovations // Industry News

Northern Ireland invests £45m in modern ticketing

Innovations // Industry News

In partnership with

Diagnostics for all vehicle types Eclipse Automotive Technology’s innovative Test Pad Extreme tablet, ruggedised for the workshop environment, together with industry-leading Jaltest software is the product of choice for many coach and bus operators.

The Eclipse Testpad Extreme is a rugged 10.1in handheld PC tablet which links to the Jaltest multiplexer unit, which is in turn connected to the vehicle using a cable.

The software supports Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Optare, Irisbus, Neoplan, Optare, Setra, Van Hool and many more. It also supports a wide range of key vehicle systems such as gearboxes

(Allison, ZF and Voith), engines (including Cummins) and other vehicle systems, including suspension and brakes.

Jaltest is easy to use and provides engineers with indepth fault code diagnosis, plus all the necessary system and component information including full wiring diagrams where necessary.

The depth of the Jaltest system analysis will also enable the user to validate individual components, thus avoiding unnecessary and costly replacements that would normally be part

of a traditional process of eliminating potential fault causes.

Eclipse provides a comprehensive training package, cover from its telephone-based Technical

Support Service, and constant updates to the Jaltest software to reflect new models and new information. www.eclipse-tech.co.uk Stand A109

Infotainment as a service Passengera launched the first version of its vehicle infotainment system in 2012.

The following year, CEO Jan Kolar said at a conference: “Wi-Fi on board is just the beginning. The future is in services available on board.”

Nowadays, when transport vehicles are heavily installed with Wi-Fi, there are more opportunities than before.

Wi-Fi itself, mostly used for passenger’s internet access, costs providers and does not generate adequate value, says Passengera.

Its infotainment platform was designed for delivering benefits to both passengers and transport operators just by allowing passengers to use it. Passengera is an on-board

interactive infotainment platform, which opens new communication and business channels between operators and passengers.

It can be used for advertising to customers, demographic analysis, or proposing more relevant services. With Passengera, operators just choose what content they want to put out (movies, music,

ebooks, travel guides, news, games, timetables etc.), and Passengera manages the platform as a part of the service.

However, if the operator has their own content provider, the platform is self-manageable.

Passengera can be integrated with existing

Wi-Fi or delivered as an all-in-one service with Wi-Fi included. Operators benefit from detailed statistics for vehicle locations and fleet management.

Live demos are available at Euro Bus Expo. www.passengera.com Stand D84

Passengera can utilise existing Wi-Fi for extra services

4 Innovations // Autumn 2016

Innovations // Industry News

Icomera has connected tens of thousands vehicles to the internet

Icomera to unveil next-generation Wi-Fi Icomera will be showcasing the next generation of its industry-leading mobile internet solutions for passenger WiFi, entertainment and other onboard applications at Euro Bus Expo.

Icomera connects millions of passengers to the internet every week. Its in-vehicle cellular routers utilise patented software for combining multiple networks to provide the fastest, most reliable connection available for road passengers

and systems. At the show it will unveil its new range of hardware, designed to meet the business requirements of coach and bus operators on any scale.

Dave Palmer, Managing Director of Icomera UK, says: “The demand for passenger Wi-Fi is clearer than ever.

Internet is expected everywhere and people are increasingly becoming more and more used to being connected wherever they are.

“Icomera recognises that

‘Revolutionary’ ticketing from INIT INIT will be showcasing its revolutionary ID-based ticketing solution, which helps operators offer passengers more convenience while streamlining their sales.

Unlike traditional cardbased ticketing systems, ID-based systems hold the customer data in the backend. This approach makes the ticketing system much more flexible.

The open architecture approach of INITs MOBILEvario

allows the easy integration of various sales channels and multi-modal offers.

Open payment can be added, allowing passengers to not only use e-ticketing media provided by the transport companies but also media they already possess, like EMV-based contactless credit or bank cards or NFC smartphones. www.initag.com Stand T100 INIT systems allow contactless and other payments

while all public transport operators are looking to meet this demand, no two operators will have the same technology requirements. The ability to offer a range of hardware options allows us to tailor the foundations of the solution to best fit their immediate and longer-term needs. This ultimately reduces the total cost of ownership of the solution.” www.icomera.com Stand T122

Sightseeing advances Budapest’s view from the Danube is impressive enough, but with sightseeing, the experience reaches a new level.

If tourists can immediately find out more about a particular monument, they are aware of the layers of history unfolding before their eyes.

Budapest-based IntegraBus’ Atlas audio guide system offers such an experience on the sightseeing boats of Európa Group, cruising the Danube.

The multi-lingual onboard entertainment and information tools are perfectly suited to tour work and are already proven in coaches and buses.

Operating in ships, the potential is even clearer, and the finished GPS-based audio guide system has been enhanced for Európa Group.

The biggest advantage of the “automatic tour guide” system is the access for targeted information. Tourists do not get general information on

various attractions, but always hear specifically about the one the vehicle is currently passing.

Besides audio content, a video helps tourists to get more information on the monitors installed on boats, making it much clearer for them at what point they should pay attention.

Customisable background music is available. Tours are available in English, Hungarian, French, Italian, German, Korean, Japanese and Mandarin, and a new development will allow multilingual groups to hear the same tour in their preferred language.

IntegraBus Atlas is activated by the departure of the vehicle, and commentary is triggered by each location it reaches, regardless of speed or itinerary. www.integrabus.eu Stand T190

In partnership with

Existing Ticketer customers get coupon service for free

Ticketer has developed a facility for operators to add bespoke coupons to tickets as they are printed from the Ticketer Electronic Ticket Machine.

It has been designed to give operators the ability to incentivise and reward passengers at no additional expense.

The coupons differ from the traditional money-off coupons, typically printed on the back of tickets, because they can be tailored to the time of day, day of the week and even to the route or ticket type. They are available now to all existing Ticketer operators through the Ticketer back office, enabling them to set the coupons up themselves, instantly.

Offers can feature local businesses that are on a specific bus route, and can be tailored so that they are relevant at a specific time of day, such as promotions for breakfast or Sunday brunch.

Ticketer is the only ticketing company that offers these bespoke coupons, through a new, simple-to-use facility in the Ticketer back office.

Operators simply log on and access a new page to set up the parameters for issuing the coupons, set the wording and even include logos.

John Clarfelt, Managing Director of Ticketer, says: “We are constantly working with our clients to find ways for them to get the most out of our ETMs, and to help drive more passengers on bus.

“The new coupon facility is all about giving the operators more tools with which to run their business and add value for their customers with offers that are tailored to them.

“And the great thing is it costs our clients absolutely nothing to do it.” www.ticketer.co.uk Stand T170

Innovations // Autumn 2016 7

Innovations // Industry News

Bespoke coupon printing available now

Innovations // Industry News

Crosskeys switches to web-based fuelling Folkestone-based Crosskeys Coaches has switched to web-based fuel management, installing a Merridale Auditor GS integral pump and fuel management system.

All fuelling transactions are now polled using GPRS telemetry for processing by the web-based Merridale FuelWorks service.

Crosskeys Coaches Operations Manager, Nigel Matcham, says: “We like the idea of fuel management as a service, because it means that as the key equipment supplier, Merridale has a commercial interest in the ongoing reliability of our depot facilities.

“We are literally connected over the internet and the equipment status is an important part of the management reporting process.

As well as the office computer, any other authorised personnel can access the information whenever necessary.

“Our depot fuelling equipment

Master Class speakers announced The popular Master Class Theatre is back for 2016 – this year featuring top bus operators Jeff Counsell, Mark Fowles and Martijn Gilbert.

At the NEC, Birmingham on 1-3 November, the Master Class Theatre will see Trent Barton MD Mr Counsell speak on marketing; Nottingham City Transport MD Mr Fowles discuss partnerships; and Reading Buses CEO Mr Gilbert talk about retaining staff.

Sponsored by SmartDrive Systems, the Master Class Theatre will also see the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT)’s Director of Policy Development Steven Salmon talk about ‘Life after the referendum’ and potential post-Brexit legislative issues.

CPT President John Birtwistle will join Mark Fowles in discussing ‘Making partnerships work’.

8 Innovations // Autumn 2016

is crucial to the efficiency of our business.

As a transport services provider, we depend on our reputation for reliability which has been built up over many years.

“If for any reason we cannot fuel our vehicles, this will impact our customer service, as well as the additional costs and inconvenience.

This risk became clear as the support for our previous system was becoming increasingly patchy.

“On experiencing a particular failure, we found that we were pretty low on the suppliers’ service priorities.

The software was ageing and we had other issues, such as the loss of data after power cuts, which had eroded our confidence in using the system for management reports.

“After the decision was made to upgrade, we visited a trade show to see what was on the

market. As a result the Merridale FuelWorks service was selected together with a new pump and integral data processing/ communications facilities.

The package included 30 off-vehicle proximity datatags covering each of the fleet coaches and the engineering support vehicle.

“The new system has been well received in operation.

Should we have any queries, Merridale provides a telephone support service. Ongoing administration, such as updating the fleet database, is very easy and the fuel usage reports are scheduled once a week.”

Crosskeys Coaches provides its own programme of UK and European tours, plus private hire and seasonal work for holiday tour operators. This includes excursions and local support for the Dover cruise ship terminal.

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

1 November 11.00 – 11.30

www.merridale.co.uk Stand T173

2 November 10.30 – 11.20

Bus Services Bill Stephen Fidler Deputy Director, Buses & Taxis Department for Transport, UK

Marketing your business effectively Jeff Counsell MD, trentbarton, UK

12.30 – 1.20

Attracting the best talent Martijn Gilbert CEO, Reading Buses, UK

Making partnerships work John Birtwistle President, Confederation of Passenger Transport, UK Mark Fowles MD, Nottingham City Transport 2.30 – 3.00

Life after the referendum Steven Salmon Director of Policy Development, Confederation of Passenger Transport, UK

Correct at time of going to press.

12.00 – 12.30

Future prospects for buses & coaches in London Leon Daniels MD, Surface Transport, Transport for London, UK 2.00 – 2.45

Panel discussion: The role of bus and coach operators in the new devolved structures Moderator – Lynda Waltho Area Director for Midlands, Confederation of Passenger Transport, UK

THURSDAY 3 November 10.30 – 11.00

Expanding the low emission bus market in the UK Gloria Esposito Head of Projects, Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, UK 11.15 – 11.45

Introducing the new 12-sided £1 coin Julie Mason Industry Communications Manager, The Royal Mint, UK Rhodri Ryland Industry Liaison Manager, The Royal Mint, UK 12.00 – 12.30

Rolling out contactless payments – the journey so far 2.00 – 3.00

Accessing our cities – Park & Ride, making them work Richard Smith Bath & NE Somerset Council; UK Nichola Phillips Bristol City Council, UK

In partnership with

Innovations // Industry News Innovations // Autumn 2016 9

Innovations // Industry News

Omnibus brings the myDAS Touch Omnibus launched the myDAS Touch app at last year’s Coach & Bus Live, and this year’s Euro Bus Expo will give Omnibus the opportunity to showcase the enhancements that have been made since the original launch. myDAS Touch is an integral part of the OmniDAS driver self-service myDAS module, linking drivers directly with the OmniDAS depot allocation system. myDAS Touch allows drivers to access all their own details, including rota and holiday details, from their phone while out and about, or other devices when at home.

Drivers can use the myDAS Touch app, or the company intranet, to view their upcoming shifts, as well as used and available holidays.

They can also submit requests for holidays, shift swaps and overtime. The secure myDAS Touch app can be installed on all iPhone and Android smartphones.

Working closely with customers, Omnibus has developed the facility whereby

staff use the operator’s own intranet to access their information, which means current OmniDAS users can now select to access myDAS via their own intranet or through the myDAS Touch app.

Peter Crichton, Managing Director of Omnibus, says: “Since the launch at the NEC last year we have been working closely with customers to enhance myDAS Touch based on their real-world feedback. These enhancements are making the depot allocators’ lives a whole lot easier and giving drivers a greater level of control over their own shifts and personal information. “myDAS Touch is giving drivers easier access to their own data and enabling them to communicate with their depot from wherever they are.

The driver no longer needs to be at the depot to see what is going on at work, it is all there with one touch on their phone.” www.omnibus.uk.com Stand T144

Data storage has advanced, and will go further Memory and data storage has come a long way over the past 10 years, and is about to evolve further with the introduction of the next generation of NAND Flash, says memory and storage specialist Simms.

Hard Disk Drives, or HDD, have long been the standard for data storage. However there will come a time where manufacturers will stop making HDDs altogether.

In Europe there has been a significant shift in data storage with SSD (Solid State Drive) outselling HDDs for the first time during 2016.

At present the price of HDD is lower than SSD. Prices range drastically, but the price of SSDs 10 Innovations // Autumn 2016

SSDs are smaller and lighter than predecessor

is coming down quicker than anticipated.

So how does this affect the coach and bus market? There will come a time when the use of SSDs will be standard in applications that need to record vast amounts of data, notably on-board CCTV and monitoring systems.

The benefits are: SSDs have no moving parts, unlike HDDs During a lifetime of a system the HDD may be replaced over four times compared to one SSD Most SSDs come with a selfmonitoring system where you can check the health of the SSD SDDs do not ‘run hot’ as there

are no moving parts SSDs consume less power, are smaller, lighter and are highly customisable Writing data to the NAND Flash rather than a spinning disk is more secure.

SSDs will replace HDD devices in the coach and bus sector, with some companies already having made the transition.

But be warned, buying off the internet is not always the best option.

For this kind of technology, you are best off speaking to experts to ensure the right fit, form and function. www.simms.co.uk Stand T133

In partnership with

Zeta Automotive has joined forces with Grayson Thermal Systems to help coach and bus operators cut emissions and reduce costs.

Grayson, a leading manufacturer of cooling, heating and air conditioning products, has signed an agreement with Zeta to market its ‘EconoSpeed Connect’ product, which automatically adjusts driver acceleration for optimum engine performance.

The partnership will also look to explore natural synergies between both product ranges, with trials currently underway with operators to use complementary technologies to minimise environmental impact while improving passenger comfort.

“It was during the development of E-Drive that we first realised that the two companies had products that could be integrated together to

deliver a single solution to the end user,” says Stuart Hateley, Grayson’s Managing Director.

“The electric fan we used to replace the power-sapping hydraulic system meant we created added power at the flywheel and we needed a way to control it, which is where EconoSpeed came into its own.

“It quickly became clear that there was a natural synergy between the products, a synergy that delivers reduced operating costs, weight and noise on operator vehicles.”

Zeta Automotive’s John Lawrence adds: “Grayson’s experience in the bus and coach sector is second to none and we are very excited about our partnership, possible product combinations with EconoSpeed Connect and the extended team of service engineers now available to us.” www.zetaautomotive.com Stand H69

Innovations // Industry News

Grayson and Zeta join forces for economy

Grayson’s Richard Harris with Zeta’s John Lawrence

Innovations // Autumn 2016 11

In partnership with

Bringing the bus and coach industry together Venue: Hall 5, NEC, Birmingham Opening hours: 1 November: 0930-1700hrs 2 November: 0930-1700hrs 3 November: 0930-1600hrs Open to trade visitors and press only Contact: Martin Laverton Group Sales Manager t: 01733 405735 e: mlaverton@divcom.co.uk www.eurobusxpo.com

Jessamy Chapman Innovations Editor t: 01733 405744 e: jchapman@divcom.co.uk Daniel Lunn Sales Manager t: 01733 405734 e: dlunn@divcom.co.uk Steven Black Senior Sales Executive t: 01733 405731 e: sblack@divcom.co.uk Dan Roberts Sales Executive t: 01733 405733 e: droberts@divcom.co.uk Phil Robinson Graphic Designer

Diversified Communications UK Ltd, Unit 4, Minerva Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6FT www.divcom.co.uk © Diversified Communications UK Ltd 2016

21st Century goes to Specsavers To promote greater use of public transport, Nottingham City Council has launched an initiative with Specsavers HQ to provide real-time information screens.

They are supplied by passenger information specialist 21st Century, using the company’s core Electronic Passenger Information software.

Specsavers employs 350 people at its NG2 Business Park office, which has a shortage of parking spaces. To encourage staff members to leave their cars at home the company has installed a 21st Century 46in LCD display screen in its reception that streams live

traffic and public transport updates. The initiative is in conjunction with Nottingham City Council, which has invested £8,500 on the technology and software from funds raised through the workplace parking levy.

The Council has been a customer of 21st Century for a number of years and already has outdoor versions of the screen at various locations, including both the Victoria and Broadmarsh Bus Stations.

Specsavers is the first employer to install a 21st Century EPI screen, but Nottingham City Council is planning to extend the initiative to other companies

on the site, as well as other business parks with good transport links. Councillor Corall Jenkins, Executive Assistant for Transport at the council, says: “Nottingham has awardwinning transport providers and a network that has a track record for quality, integrated and frequent public transport services, and this is something that we want to see more commuters making use of.”

21st Century has also developed a simplified version of the EPI software, which is currently being installed with another employer on the same business park.

The company is in talks with other potential users of the system around the UK, including hospitals, shopping centres, leisure centres and railway stations. www.21stplc.com Stand T80

EPM introduces incident mapping Control rooms across the UK use the Bus Incident Reporting Screen from EP Morris to record on-the-road events in real time.

Information is captured at source and shared with other modules within the EPM Depot Performance System (DPS), as well as other downstream systems, ensuring that accurate data is captured efficiently.

Senior management can be alerted to incidents by automated email, while

the insurance department have immediate access to information to ensure that claims are handled costeffectively. Insurance claims can also be costed and managed through the system; however, a reduction in the number of incidents is the key objective for operators.

The risk analysis tool now has Incident Mapping; an interactive screen translates incidents onto an easy-to-use map. This allows

operators to interrogate their incident history to: Quickly identify ‘hotspots’ Filter their view of the data by 25 categories, including weather conditions and vehicle type Analyse risk factors, identify driver training requirements and educate drivers on route specific risks. www.epmorris.co.uk Stand T113