User Interface - Human factors in e-bus deployment

Thematic Working Group 3

User Interface

Human factors in e-bus deployment

Contents 1. Introduction 3 About the eBussed project and the project consortium 3 About the Thematic Working Groups and good practice exchange for e-bus deployment 4 About this report 4

2. Background of the topic “User Interface”

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3. Overview of TWG3 work

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The concept of “User Interface” in general 5 User interface in this context 5 Meaning of user interface in gaining public acceptance for e-buses 5 Working methods 7 Way of gaining information and knowledge 7 Surveys conducted 8

4. Implementation of surveys 9 5. Comparison of survey results

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Drivers 13 Passengers 18 Service personnel 20 Additional questions for drivers in Utrecht 21

6. Good Practices, lessons learned, recommendations 26

Turku 26 Hamburg 28 Gozo 31 Livorno 32 Utrecht 33

7. Discussion and concluding remarks

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What did we learn? 35 What do we want to emphasize to different stakeholders? 35

1. Introduction About the eBussed project and the project consortium Transitioning from a region with public transportation based on diesel buses to a region with e-bus fleets requires ample expertise in different fields. A wide range of themes must be covered to initiate and support e-bus development. The Interreg Europe eBussed project concentrates on the exchange of experience between partner regions at different stages of e-bus operation development, thereby serving regions struggling with this highly technical and fast-developing field. As no partner region has entirely settled their e-bus transitioning path, new ideas, solutions and technologies can still be introduced to their development plans regardless of their current e-bus status. eBussed supports the transition of European regions towards low carbon mobility and more efficient public transport. It promotes the uptake of e-buses in new regions and supports the expansion of existing e-fleets. eBussed project contributes to the Interreg Europe programme Specific objective 3.1 “Improving low-carbon economy policies” by encouraging regions to develop and deliver better policies related to the deployment of e-buses. The project also facilitates the integration of electricity production based on renewables and low carbon electrified public transport. Through new ideas and better policies, the project promotes both the demand and supply side of electricity from clean renewable sources and the subsequent transitioning towards a low carbon economy. eBussed engages regions from all directions with and without practical experience on e-buses. In addition to this report and three other thematic good practice reports, the project will deliver six regional action plans and policy recommendations to be used in each partner region. The project increases capacities and knowledge among its partner regions via a multi-level exchange of experiences and cross-regional pollination of ideas to better support the transition towards fully electrified bus fleets and low carbon mobility.

The consortium that forms eBussed comprises of the following partners: • Turku University of Applied Sciences, Finland (Lead Partner) • Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Germany • Ministry for Gozo, Malta • Province of Livorno, Italy • University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, the Netherlands • Province of Utrecht, the Netherlands • South Transdanubian Regional Innovation Agency, Hungary 3

The main idea in forming the project consortium was to find project partners at different stages of e-bus development to maximize the knowledge exchange potential between the partners. The benefits of having a consortium consisting of regions familiar with e-buses and regions with less experience on the topic are evident. As no single or one-size-fits-forall solution is currently available for e-buses, knowledge exchange is extremely fruitful to all partners despite their different development stages.

In addition, e-bus technologies, charging solutions and business models are in a constant flux of development, with many competing solutions and models currently available. New, more advanced technologies and solutions continuously enter the market. Consequently, all regions benefit from the experiences gathered and shared before, during and after the project.

About the Thematic Working Groups and good practice exchange for e-bus deployment The project utilized a thematic approach based on four key issues recognized in previous studies on the subject: 1. Drivers and barriers (i.e., the total cost of ownership, noise/emission reduction, upfront costs, scalability, flexibility), 2. Technological aspects (i.e., buses, batteries, data collection, electricity production based on RES, grid requirements), 3. User interface (i.e., driver education and experiences, passenger perceptions, uncertainty drivers), and 4. Business models and procurement.

Correspondingly, four thematic working groups were set up to develop the regions’ expertise while taking into consideration the regional context. In addition, the necessary interplay between the sub-topics (i. e. geographical, societal, technological and contextual factors as well as policy level drivers) have been explored.

About this report This report summarizes the work done by Thematic Working Group 3 (TWG3) on “User interface” for e-bus deployment. It further analyses the various good practices collected by project partners with a reference to the above aspects. This report takes the policy learning one step further and sheds light on regional similarities and differences in practices that have been found functional and worth spreading.

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2. Background of the topic “User Interface” The concept of “User Interface” in general In the industrial design field of human-computer interaction, a user interface is a space where interactions between humans and machines occur. The goal of this interaction is to allow effective operation and control of the machine from the human end, whilst the machine simultaneously feeds back information that aids the operators’ decision-making process.

Generally, the goal of user interface design is to produce a user interface that makes it easy, efficient, and enjoyable (user-friendly) to operate a machine in the way which produces the desired result (i.e. maximum usability). Each application including the operating system is provided with a specific user interface for effective communication.

The user interface in this context The eBussed “User Interface” Thematic Working Group 3 covers topics such as driver education and driver and passenger experiences, passenger perceptions and uncertainty of drivers which are instrumental when considering e-bus deployment. The theme “User Interface” was defined within the project roughly as the personal, both man-machine and emotionally related experience of the individual users and user groups utilizing e-buses.

Meaning of user interface in gaining public acceptance for e-buses The issue of greener public transport is a challenge faced by all European regions. eBussed goes into detail as regards the multifaceted issue of electrification of bus fleets.

In terms of the user interface, methodology development for measuring the opinions/ satisfaction of drivers, passengers and maintenance staff was carried out.

Within these three respondent groups, both individuals that already have, and those that do not yet have e-bus experience were handled as separate groups. Surveys were then collected and analyzed. Based on the lessons learnt, the main intervention directions are elaborated, in support of enhanced e-bus utilization of the three distinctive groups.

Also, during this work, the individual issues arising around user perception were debated 5

at project level events. These issues include e.g. how one region addresses passengers with a message of deployment of e-buses, or how the training of the e-bus drivers is carried out in different eBussed project regions. These issues all are necessary once eBussed project partners start compiling messages to impact the professional and public awareness on the acceptance for e-buses.

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3. Overview of TWG3 work Working methods In terms of the working methods applied within TWG3, one important aspect worth emphasizing is to find out what particular factors are increasing or decreasing the satisfaction level of interest among the user groups. These groups include drivers, passengers and maintenance staff. For this, purpose-dedicated questionnaires (one for drivers, one for passengers and one for maintenance staff) were prepared, and a professional discussion on defining the last version of the questionnaires was organized.

It was also very important to select the right “platform” to be used to implement the surveying. As a result of this thinking, the Google Forms worksheet was decided at the project level to be used to obtain the information needed. Some regions were also taking into consideration new possible ways to implement the survey (use of PTO managers to assist the process, for example). When all the survey results were collected, the evaluation of the obtained data and information was carried out.

Last but not least, the working method also includes the local/regional level partnership making and resulted in the identification and detailed elaboration of TWG3 relevant eBussed local/regional Good Practices. Also, Thematic Articles were written during the work done within the TWG3 exchanges. Similarly, eBussed partners should always bear in mind that their work should provide a value added to the upcoming regional action planning process, too.

Way of gaining information and knowledge In this section, a variety of solutions can be mentioned. Linked to the surveying, some regions used their connections with their stakeholders, some entrusted external experts, some used the platforms of social media and the electronic media to disseminate information for the sake of receiving feedbacks to the surveys.

Even though the majority of the TWG3 activities were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, inter-personal relations played an important role in surveying, thematic article making, and good practice collection. This took the form of online negotiations, phone calls and e-mail exchanges. As a result of the efforts taken, the learning process was not hindered by external, not project related circumstances.

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Surveys conducted Table: Summary of the surveying processes at eBussed regions

Name of eBussed partner / region delivering surveying

Start of surveying

End of surveying

Number of collected questionnaires

Turku University of Applied Sciences

March 2021

May 2021

157

Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg

May 2021

June 2021

172

Ministry for Gozo

7 May 2021

28 May 2021

225

Province of Livorno

12 May 2021

11 June 2021

169

Province of Livorno

12 May 2021

11 June 2021

169

Province of Utrecht

4 January 2021 15 January 2021

275

South Transdanubian Regional Innovation Agency (Pécs and Paks)

9 October 2020 31 October 2020

254

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4. Implementation of surveys To find out the attitudes and opinions of different e-bus users, an extensive survey was carried out in all six participating regions. The respondent groups selected were the drivers, passengers and service personnel. For the drivers and passengers, there were two different sets of questions used. The first one was for those who did not yet have personal experience with e-buses, and the other set was for those who already have experience with e-buses. The experienced groups included the drivers who had already driven and passengers who had already ridden on an electric bus.

The survey questions were formed as statements, for which the respondent had the fourpoint Likert scale for agreement to choose from. The options offered were “strongly disagree”, “somewhat disagree”, “somewhat agree”, and “strongly agree”. Additionally, there was also the option “not applicable”. The suggestive list of the statements was prepared by one of the partners. After that, the statements were discussed, fine-tuned and agreed upon by the entire TWG3 working group.

The statements were formed in a positive way. This means that if the respondent was satisfied with the e-bus experience, he or she would reply “strongly agree”. The lists of statements used can be found in the result comparison chapter (Chapter 5).

The amounts of statements varied for different respondent groups. Among the drivers, the inexperienced group responded to 8 statements, whereas the experienced drivers had 17 statements to reply. For the passengers, both groups replied to 8 statements. In the case of mechanics, there was under¬standably only one group of respondents (experienced).

The number of statements for this group was 8.

The practical implementation methods varied between the different participating regions.

In some places, online type replying was used, whereas in some places paper forms were used. Also, the combination of these two was utilized. The Covid-19 pandemic harmed the implementation and made it impossible in some regions to use personal interviews.

When calculating the results, a general agreement rate percentage calculation was created. In this method, the most positive option gave 4 points, and the next ones correspondingly 3, 2 and 1 point. The sum of points was calculated, and the result was compared with the theoretical maximum of points. In this method, the scale of agreement is 25-100 %.

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Turku In Turku, the surveys for passengers were conducted online by using the Google Forms platform. Advertisements with a short internet address to the survey were displayed to bus passengers. The ads were posted on display screens of the buses (not only e-buses) running in the Turku region. Also, the same information was delivered through the web pages of the city-owned local bus traffic organizer (called “Föli”). Additionally, social media was utilized, too.

To make responding more attractive, also a lottery was conducted. Those respondents wanting to take part in the lottery were asked to give their e-mail addresses, meaning that the GDPR regulations had to be considered. The prizes were small items like umbrellas etc. with the Föli logo.

The survey received responses from 27 drivers without e-bus driving experience and 36 drivers who had driving experience.

In the case of passengers, the amounts of respondents were 6 without and 80 with an e-bus riding experience. Additionally, responses were received from 8 e-bus mechanics.

Hamburg For the Hamburg survey, a market research company was commissioned, being greatly supported by VHH in carrying out the survey.

Bus drivers and technicians were contacted digitally through the staff intranet. Answers were received from 26 bus drivers, all with e-bus experience. No answers were received from non-experienced bus drivers. Unfortunately, none of the technicians responded.

Passengers were interviewed at a major bus hub (Bergedorf), at which a majority of buses are electric.

The number of passenger respondents without e-bus experience was 58, while 86 stated that they had ridden on an e-bus before. This is no wonder as e-buses have been on the road in Hamburg since 2014. However, experience has shown that interviewees were not always aware of what type of bus they had just gotten off. Naturally, they do not pay much attention to the type of drive as long as the bus comes on time.

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Gozo In the Maltese Islands, public transport is operated by the Malta Public Transport (MPT).

To date, there are no e-buses in operation yet. The first step towards electrification of the bus fleet was a pilot project with a TAM electric bus which MPT launched in 2020.

To date, the only experience with e-buses was the e-bus pilot project. The number of drivers and service personnel who had an experience with an e-bus was limited.

Questionnaires were distributed by hand by MPT to the service personnel who had worked with the e-bus during the pilot as well as to drivers of the company, including those who had driven the e-bus pilot. In the case of passengers, a different approach was taken where the survey was uploaded online on the social media pages of MPT and passengers could therefore answer the questionnaire online.

Livorno The Province of Livorno conducted the surveys online using the Lime Survey software, in particular, two questionnaires were computerized.

The promotion of the questionnaires was carried out through the social channels and the institutional website of the Province of Livorno, through the involvement of the local press.

The info was disclosed to the stakeholders of the eBussed project and to the Local Public Transport companies in particular for the involvement of drivers, inviting passengers and drivers to connect to the link, also via their smartphone, to answer simple questions.

The questionnaire was online from 12 May 2021 to 11 June 2021. The survey received responses from 35 drivers. 32 of them hadn’t driven an e-bus. Those with driving experience totalled 3 replies.

At the end of the survey, 134 passengers had answered the questionnaires. The size of the passenger groups was almost equal: there were 68 replies from passengers who had not yet ridden an e-bus, and 66 replies from passengers with e-bus experience.

Utrecht For the surveys, the method of face-to-face interviews was chosen due to the expected response rate, which was expected to be higher than by doing an online questionnaire survey. Most of the surveys were handed out and filled in at the central station of Utrecht and Lunetten station.

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The surveys were handed out on paper, and they were distributed by means of a QR code which participants could use to fill in the survey on their mobile devices. However, due to the Covid-19 measures, face-to-face surveys proved to be difficult to conduct, so the surveys were also distributed online on social media and through emails amongst fellow students, colleagues, family and friends.

The sampling was not completely random due to the face-to-face interviews and the social network of the surveyors to which the survey was distributed. But to balance that, the surveys were conducted with a rather large group: 254 participants in the target group of bus passengers and 20 bus drivers. The number of 270 survey participants has been calculated with a population size of 10.000.000 (bus-users) and a margin of error of 6 % (Qualtrics, 2020).

The biggest problem that was encountered was that the service personnel couldn’t be reached for their surveys. The main two companies who provide service to e-buses in the Netherlands were contacted, however, none of them responded to emails and telephone calls.

Pécs and Paks In Hungary, 254 respondents filled in the questionnaire: 65 bus drivers who have not driven e-buses yet and 42 bus drivers with e-bus driving experiences, 13 technicians and 134 passengers – half of them have already travelled on an e-bus.

These results could be achieved thanks to the sound cooperation with Tüke Busz Plc, the local Public Transport Company at Pécs, who have forwarded the surveys to their employees and promoted the passenger questionnaires for the inhabitants as well. At Paks, given that in the autumn of 2020 there was not an e-bus public transport service provided, such surveying did not take place.

The main findings of this Pécs surveying were included and analyzed in a document that can be made available to any interested parties.

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5. Comparison of survey results 5.1 Drivers Those without e-bus driving experience The numbers of drivers, who have not yet driven an e-bus, who replied in different regions, are listed below. For this comparison, no data is available from Utrecht. Instead, there is additional information in Chapter 5.4 Turku Hamburg Gozo Livorno Pécs & Paks

27 0 120 32 65

The statements for the drivers not having e-bus experience are presented below.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

I think it would be a good decision, if my company starts using e-buses I am very interested to learn about the technology of e-buses Starting using e-buses will improve the reputation of public transportation The passengers will appreciate the nonexistence of tailpipe emissions I believe I will receive enough training in order to start driving e-buses I know that the attitude of my colleague drivers is very positive towards e-buses My opinion is that e-buses are a good solution to fight the climate change The people living along the bus routes will like the low noise level of e-buses

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Figure 1. The agreement rate percentages to the statements 1–8.

The lowest agreement rates can be seen in statement 6 concerning attitudes of colleagues, where the agreement rate remains at 65-75 % level. The overall highest agreement rate is in statement 8 about the e-bus low noise level (about 90 %).

There is no great variation in replies from different locations. In most cases, the variation remains within 10 percentage points. In statement 6, Livorno gave the lowest and Turku the highest agreement rates. On the contrary, in statement 7, Livorno indicated the highest and Turku lowest agreement rate.

Those already having e-bus driving experience The numbers of drivers already having driven an e-bus, who replied in different regions, are listed below. For this comparison, no data is available from Utrecht.

Turku Hamburg Gozo Livorno Pécs & Paks

36 28 4 3 42 14

Altogether 17 statements were used for the drivers already having e-bus experience. The statements 1–9 for the drivers already having e-bus experience are presented below, and the statements 10–17 after the first graph.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

I was delighted to start using e-buses My company explained the drivers clearly why e-buses will be used There was sufficient amount of training at the beginning of e-bus operation It was easy for me to learn how to operate an e-bus The e-bus in fun to drive The acceleration performance of the e-bus is sufficient The low noise level of an e-bus makes it more convenient than a diesel bus If I can choose, I prefer to drive an e-bus over a diesel bus The heating and cooling of the e-bus interior has functioned properly

Because of the high number of statements for this respondent group, the results are presented in two separate graphs. The statements 1-9 from drivers having already driven an e-bus are shown in Figure 2a (below) and statements 10-17 in Figure 2b.

Figure 2a. Replies to statements 10-17 from drivers having already driven an e-bus.

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In this group of respondents, a quite wide variation in agreement rate can be found. In Figure 2a, the greatest variation (48 percentage points) is in the statement about driving preference between an electric and a diesel bus. The greatest agreement rate (100 %) for e-bus preference comes from Livorno and the lowest (52 %) from Turku. In Livorno, the weather conditions are quite favourable all year round, whereas in Turku the winter can be in turns wet, slushy and cold. Also, another reason for low e-bus preference in Turku is the fact that the buses in question were in the prototype phase of the product development.

Other statements resulting in great variation in agreement rate were numbers 4, 5 and 6 about the easiness of learning to drive an e-bus, about the pleasantness experienced in e-bus driving and about e-bus acceleration performance.

The statements number 10-17 for the drivers already having e-bus experience are presented below.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

The recharging devices have functioned in a reliable way I find it easy and convenient to recharge the e-bus If I have had a charging problem, the response time to fix it has been reasonable The e-bus has seldom had to be changed to a diesel bus due to malfunction The amount and way of training I received was sufficient and useful I have participated in training for economical driving with an e-bus I know what to do, if there is a problem with the bus when on the line The overall driving experience of the e-bus has exceeded my expectations

The agreement rate percentages to the statements 10-17 above, from each participating region, are shown in Figure 2b.

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Figure 2b. Replies to statements 10-17 from drivers having already driven an e-bus

The lowest agreement rate in Figure 2b is in statement 12, which refers to slow response in receiving help in urgent charging problems. The overall highest agreement rate is in statement 14 about training.

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5.2 Passengers Passengers without e-bus riding experience The number of those passengers not having ridden an e-bus, who replied in each region, are listed below.

Turku Hamburg Gozo Livorno Utrecht Pécs & Paks

6 58 67 68 153 67

The statements used for passengers not having ridden an e-bus group are listed below.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

I know that in some cities the diesel buses have been replaced with e-buses I would like to have e-buses also in my city in the future I think that the use of e-buses would increase the attractiveness of my city My opinion is that e-buses would be a good solution in fighting the climate change I think that electric buses increase of the quality of the air that we breathe I would be willing to pay 10 % extra for my ride on an environmentally friendly e-bus I believe that today’s e-buses are as safe as conventional diesel buses One of the benefits of e-buses is low noise level

The agreement rate percentages to the statements above, from each participating region, are shown in Figure 3.

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Figure 3. Responses of passengers of different regions not having ridden an e-bus.

It can be seen that the low number of respondents (6) in Turku has resulted in unanimous full agreement to statements 2, 7 and 8. On the other hand, the lowest agreement rate (50 %) can be seen among Pécs & Paks passengers being reluctant to pay an extra 10 % for e-bus rides. The rest of the agreement rates are between 50 % and 100 % Passengers with e-bus riding experience The number of passengers already ridden an e-bus, who replied in each region, are listed below.

Turku Hamburg Gozo Livorno Utrecht Pécs & Paks

80 86 29 66 101 67

The statements used for the passengers already having e-bus experience are: 19

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

I am aware when I ride an e-bus and when a diesel bus I am willing to select an e-bus whenever conveniently possible I was aware that e-buses are coming already before they were in use in my city I think that e-buses are a good solution in fighting the climate change I find the noise level of e-buses lower than that of diesel buses The e-buses can keep the timetable as reliably as the diesel buses The e-bus body and seats vibrate less than those of a diesel bus I think that the use of e-buses increases the attractiveness of my city

The replies received from passengers not having ridden vary less than the replies of the already ridden passengers. The highest agreement rates were above 90 %, and these topics were about recognizing e-buses and pre-awareness of the fact that e-buses will be coming to town. Also, low climate impact and low noise level were praised.

5.3 Service personnel The numbers of e-bus mechanics, who replied in the different regions, are listed below.

There is no data available from Hamburg, Utrecht and Livorno.

Turku 8 Gozo 5 Pécs & Paks 13 It has to be remembered that in Gozo there are no e-buses in operation yet. A small amount of experience has been gained during a pilot project in 2020.

The statements used for the mechanics are listed below.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

I am satisfied with the training I have received for maintaining and fixing e-buses The reaction time of our repair shop to solve an e-bus problem is appropriate I am not worried about electrical safety related issues in my work I know what kind of operations for the battery are allowed for me and which are not I am well informed by the bus manufacturer about possible software changes etc.

There are no problems related to availability of spare parts The information about fault symptoms (from the drivers) reaches me well I can easily receive support from tha e-bus manufacturer, if needed 20

The responses of maintenance personnel to the statement above are shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5. Responses of e-bus service personnel of different regions.

The reason for extremely low satisfaction among Gozo mechanics is due to the fact that only a short pilot project has been organized there. For understandable reasons, the mechanics apparently did not receive training at all. Also, it can be noted that in Turku there have been problems related to the availability of spare parts and support from the e-bus manufacturer.

5.4 Additional questions for drivers in Utrecht Instead of the use of the general survey questions, prepared for the E-bussed project, additional local questions were prepared and used in Utrecht to gain further value.

One objective of the Thematic Working Group “User-interface” is the stimulation of eco-driving, which is a way of driving that leads to less energy consumption, regardless of the energy type used. Eco-driving does not mean switching from diesel to electric buses.

Thus, it is not about changing technology, but changing human behaviour.

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For changing driver behaviour, it is crucial to know what the bus drivers find the most important during their daily work (intrinsic motivation). Furthermore, the profession of a bus driver is not isolated but occurs in a relationship to passengers, which are their customers. Therefore, it is important to get an understanding of what passengers expect from a high-quality bus drive and what the bus drivers think their passengers want and if their driving style is influenced by these perceived expectations.

Moreover, eco-driving is about changing behaviours to reach a sustainable output. Thus, it is relevant to what degree the bus drivers are willing to develop new driving skills, how their attitude towards sustainability is. Sustainability in this context means looking for ways to make the bus move with as a low burden to the environment as possible. Also important is, if the drivers had to change their driving style, which measure would they prefer?

The drivers were asked about “the most important thing in daily work”. The replies are shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6. Results of what is most important in bus driver’s daily work (Utrecht).

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The majority (65 %) of 20 bus drivers find a pleasant working environment in the bus most important. One fifth (20 %) is aiming at delivering quality to their passengers, 10 % think that the driver’s priority is the act of driving the bus, and 5 % find the contact with their colleagues most relevant.

Thus, measures aiming at promoting eco-driving behaviour should focus on being compliable with or enhancing the working environment for the drivers. Furthermore, such an eco-driving measure should be compatible with the bus drivers being able to deliver quality to their passengers. Hence, the question arises, what do the bus passengers understand by ‘high-quality transport’. And further: what do the bus drivers think the bus passengers perceive by this concept? The results are shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7. Results of what “high quality transport” means to Utrecht passengers and drivers.

Most passengers (over 50 %) of those who have already ridden an e-bus, as well as the passengers who have not yet ridden an e-bus, understand by ‘high-quality transport’ “a bus that runs exactly on schedule”, followed by “a comfortable and therefore pleasant ride” (over 20 % each). At the beginning of the survey, a ‘comfortable ride’ has been defined as “a bus that is driven in a comfortable, quiet and safe way”. This is done by driving at a constant speed, accelerating relatively slowly and letting the bus roll out. By this way of driving the passenger experiences, the trip as pleasant and the driver experiences peace of mind.

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Also, the majority of bus drivers (55 %) predicted ‘a bus that runs exactly on schedule’ to be the passengers’ definition of ‘high-quality transport’, followed by 30 % thinking a comfortable ride is what the passengers want. This shows that the bus drivers have a good touch about what their passengers wish for them.

When asked about the focus of the driving style (not pictured), 70 % of the drivers replied that they focus on driving according to the schedule. The priority of the rest (30 %) is to provide a comfortable ride for their passengers. This result indicates that the bus drivers’ priority is to live up to their passengers’ expectations, which could be caused by the bus drivers’ thinking that this is what the employer wants from them.

As most passengers’ priority is a drive according to schedule and the bus drivers, therefore, focus on this when driving, the schedules of the buses must be compliable with eco-driving. Otherwise, too tight schedules can lead to the bus drivers doing fast accelerations and rapid breakings to be on time, which is contrary to the principles of eco-driving.

The drivers were also asked about their willingness to develop their driving skills. The results are shown in Figure 8.

Figure 8. The willingness of bus drivers in Utrecht to develop their driving skills 24

The Figure indicates that only 10 % of the participants of the bus driver survey are not willing to further develop their driving skills. The other 90 % are willing to develop new skills to different degrees. The largest proportion (35 %) of bus drivers are less willing to develop new skills, followed by 30 % being willing, and one quarter being very willing to develop new driving skills. Thus, approaches must be found to also get the 45 % of the bus drivers (option 1 + option 2), who are most resistant to developing new skills, engaged in the eco-driving measures.

Therefore, we asked the bus drivers: if they had to further develop their driving skills, through which measure would they like to do so? The results are shown in Figure 9. The vast majority of bus drivers chose ‘competition between colleagues using my personal score’ as their preferred measure, followed by the equally preferred measures of ‘a training application on a tablet using my personal ’data’ and ‘real-time data visible in the bus for me as driver’. Therefore, we recommend the measure of competition between the bus drivers using their personal score to be implemented to energy-saving eco-driving among the bus drivers. Additionally, this could be supplemented by real-time data visible in the bus for the drivers and a training application on a tablet that uses the bus drivers’ personal data.

Figure 9. The Utrecht drivers’ willingness of different opportunities to develop driving skills.

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6. Good Practices, lessons learned, recommendations 6.1 Turku Separately funded research project for e-bus follow-up To utilize the data from various sensors in the e-bus, and to have a general view of the process encountered, a research program was launched.

The researchers at Turku University of Applied Sciences had full access to all data of the buses. Working time was allocated to the research personnel to keep track of e.g., daily distances driven, electricity consumption, number of recharging events, number of recharging problems, average speed etc.

The findings of this research project include, among other things, procurement and tendering processes, mileage accumulation, charging process description and problems related to it, energy consumption details, the total cost of ownership and environmental impacts. The results were reported in a separate publication.

We recommend the measure of competition between the bus drivers using their personal score to be implemented to energysaving eco-driving among the bus drivers.

E-bus training for the whole staff, separate eco-driving training for drivers As a part of the procurement process of the e-buses, the whole operator staff (drivers, mechanics, towing staff and rescue workers) was trained to how to operate, maintain and handle the buses. At first, there was a plan to train only a part of the drivers to operate the e-buses. According to that plan, only the most motivated drivers would have been selected. However, because of the problems that would have been encountered in work shift planning due to this arrangement, it was abandoned.

The driver training was implemented in two parts. The first part took place before the actual launch of the e-bus service. The emphasis of this training period was on familiarizing the drivers with the everyday operation and recharging process of the e-buses.

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The second part was implemented about a year later. The main emphasis of this training period was on economic driving to minimize electricity consumption. The eco-driving part was decided to be implemented at that time, because having a year of experience, the drivers were already used to the basic operation procedures of the e-buses. This means that their ability to adopt new driving style characteristics was assumed to be better than it would have been at the very beginning of the e-bus operation.

On-duty service to report charging device problems There are two opportunity charging devices (300 kW each) with inverted (from-up-to-down) pantographs in Turku. The maintenance and repair of those is the responsibility of the cityowned company Turku Energy. The same company takes also care of the operation of the traffic lights in the city. For being able to solve the traffic light problems immediately in case of a malfunction, there is a 24/7 operating on-duty service.

The fault reporting of the e-bus recharging devices was connected to the existing on-duty system. The bus driver can call the already existing emergency number at any hour, and the repair personnel is on the way immediately. This has proven to shorten the downtime of the charging devices significantly, making the e-bus operation more reliable.

Public bus operator as a testing and monitoring platform A publicly-owned bus operator company is a suitable party to act as a platform when new technologies and operating models are tested. This method provides publicly available information about the experience gained as well as data on actual costs. And if unexpected additional costs arise, a publicly owned company can handle the possible loss easier.

Turku City Transport Ltd was earlier the transport department of the city but acts nowadays as an independent bus operator that does not participate in transport tenders. This company was selected as the operator company implementing the electric bus pilot project that started the e-bus operation in Turku in October 2016.

According to the survey results, confidence in driverless technology improved considerably after the test drive.

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Cooperation between cities to promote electric bus transport Representatives of different city transport organizers meet regularly. The attendants are represen-tatives of research organizations, cities, operators, transport subscribers, vehicle manufacturers, the energy company and charging system suppliers. Experiences from different areas are shared at the meetings.

Current matters are discussed at the meeting events. External lecturers are invited if necessary. The meetings are held on each of the participants’ premises in turn and the participants introduce the activities regionally.

At the meetings, the parties give a presentation on what has happened in their area of operation. The presentations focus on the findings and measures made and the effectiveness of the actions.

The goal is to find best practices that could be used. When assembling in a multidisciplinary environ-ment, things are viewed from different perspectives and new ideas are generated.

6.2 Hamburg Training program for drivers and technicians In changing environments, it is important to support the staff to adapt. This is particularly the case for the implementation of e-mobility in public transport operators. Altered requirements, such as increased digitalization and new technologies, can seem challenging to staff members.

In the frame of the Horizon2020 Project “mySMARTLife” a series of videos have been produced. While some videos are directed towards passengers, many of them are meant for the staff of VHH. The purpose of most videos is educational and can be used to complement formal training, covering topics such as working safely with high-voltages, or driving behaviour.

Other videos explain the background of the e-mobility transition and aim to create a better understanding of the changes in processes and daily working life, which could be perceived as an inconvenience by some staff members. Thus, VHH staff feels involved in the changes rather than left out.

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The video series directed towards VHH staff was published in intervals of one or two weeks on an internal platform. Once published, the videos can be viewed at any time.

The practice showcases, that short videos informing staff about ongoing and future changes and the reasoning behind, can lead to higher acceptance of changes and help keep staff “on board”. Further, the videos are a source of knowledge and can complement the basic training. While the videos in the frame of mySMARTLife of VHH were produced with professional expertise and equipment, the threshold to try this can be very low with modern smartphones providing good quality recording. VHH started with small interviews of personnel to explain what they were doing before extending the idea and effort in mySMARTLife.

Marketing strategy under the umbrella of technology brand “elexity” Usually, passengers are not aware of the technology that drives a bus they are sitting in and they pay little attention to it. To raise awareness and increase acceptance of the new buses, it was thought useful to create better visibility and improve communication on the topic.

Hamburg transport operator VHH has created a brand to function as an umbrella for all their marketing activities related to the introduction of electric buses. Under this umbrella, they implement several measures and run activities, e.g.

• inviting passengers/citizens to give names to the new e-buses: a campaign with postcards on which people could write their suggestions (max. 5 letters, starting with an “e”), the names would be printed on the buses in large, distinctive letters • transparent communication on the website www.elexity.de about the status of the transition process including infrastructure, use of green energy, drivers’ training and CO2 reduction etc.

The drivers were concerned to disturb the residents with the regular honking. Therefore, they suggested implementing another less disturbing electric bell, for warning road users.

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• Involving high-level politicians to communicate milestones such as the opening of the first e-bus workshop and depot • The introduction of e-buses is pioneer work. Good communication and public relations are the keys. Therefore, VHH has created a video format (“Rolf erklärt” - in English: “Rolf explains”). In short video clips of approx. 2-6 minutes Rolf, an employee of VHH, explains specific issues related to the introduction of e-buses.

To date, there are 38 episodes, which do not exclusively cover e-mobility but VHH activities overall.

In addition to this, VHH is contracted by the Hamburg transport association (HVV) by order of all member PTOs to carry out the introductory programme on public transport for schools. This includes educational activities for school classes, but also birthday parties at a depot including driving a bus.

Active involvement of drivers in identifying problems and finding solutions The practice showcases that integrating the experience of the PTO´s staff can lead to pragmatic solutions for obstacles. Good communication channels to the staff should be in place to enable the exchange of problems and possible solutions between different departments and hierarchy levels of the PTO. Staff members should be motivated to propose solutions to issues in their daily work. In return, it will be very satisfying for staff members to see their own ideas implemented and improve operations. They are the experts and it is wise to make use of their knowledge.

Here is an example from early e-bus deployment in Hamburg where an e-bus is operated in a neighbourhood with narrow streets and sharp turns. Due to the lack of overview and the low noise level of e-buses, drivers took up the practice of honking before going around corners, to warn other traffic participants. However, they were concerned to disturb the residents with the regular honking. Therefore, they suggested implementing another less disturbing electric bell, for warning road users. This has been implemented and was well accepted. Although, it will soon become obsolete, though, as European regulations require electric vehicles to produce a sound to make it safe for e.g. blind people.

Additionally, VHH has gained good experience with get-togethers at depots including representatives from the management team, a regular chat hour with the CEOs for accessible for everyone in the organization as well as feedback opportunities in the employee app.

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6.3 Gozo Logbook for monitoring the trip and driver feedback In 2019, Malta Public Transport (MPT) launched Malta’s first fully electric bus in conjunction with Transport Malta and TAM-Europe. The project aimed to assess the efficiency and adaptability of the bus to the Maltese roads, which are characterized by their hilly terrain and frequent stops. To assess the performance of the bus, all the operation characteristics needed to be provided.

A logbook was created to keep track of the performance of the electric bus. This logbook enabled MPT to monitor the operation of all the trips done. The performance measures included route information, the operation time, distance travelled and consumption of charge (charge initial and charge final) for each trip. In this logbook, the drivers could write their feedback on the driving experience of the e-bus.

This feedback included any issues encountered during the trip such as hard suspension, turning and hand-brake issues. This logbook enabled MPT to compare the performance of the electric bus on different routes and during different times of the day. This was necessary to assess the ability of the bus to operate on certain routes under certain conditions (like traffic and high temperatures).

During the pilot project, the data collected from this logbook was very useful for MPT to take informed decisions for the future. There are plans for the electrification of the public transport fleet in the future.

In this logbook, the drivers could write their feedback on the driving experience of the e-bus.

Pre-testing as training for drivers and technicians prior to the pilot project During the pilot project in 2019 an electric bus was tested in the Maltese islands for the first time. The driving technique, operational characteristics and the problem-solving techniques of e-buses were still new to the transport operator staff. The pre-testing served as training for the staff to familiarize themselves to e-buses.

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Part of the training for drivers who were going to drive the electric bus during the TAM electric bus pilot project involved driving the bus on a test route to get familiar with the bus before boarding any passengers. This can be considered as a Good Practice with regards to Health & Safety. Following the pre-testing, it was easier to identify the performance of the bus in certain uphill roads which were more challenging. This helped in choosing the routes in which e-bused could operate. The pre-testing also helped the technical staff to identify any common issues encountered during the pre-testing phase. In case of any technical failures the supplier of the bus was available to assist the technicians to resolve these errors. In case of damaged components, the supplier provided the necessary spare parts and guided the technicians on how they should be replaced.

The pre-testing served as training on electric buses for the drivers and technical staff. It also served to determine the ability of the bus to perform well in certain roads, before operating on that road with passengers.

6.4 Livorno Passenger satisfaction for driverless e-bus service in Merano In Merano, Italy, a test-drive was carried out to ascertain passenger satisfaction of driverless e-bus service during a trial-test in Merano town centre (the 1st Italian Market Survey of this nature).

The objectives of the survey were: 1. to assess the level of interest towards electric buses with no driver 2. to assess the acceptance ratio for this type of service 3. to position correctly the product/service within the urban mobility offer 4. to collect and evaluate doubts and questions about driverless e-bus 5. to process data and present innovative results of the survey.

According to the survey results, confidence in driverless technology (and in such type of vehicle in general) improved considerably after the test drive. Amongst users’ perplexities and doubts, the problems raised referred to possible loss of employment by drivers, security against hacker attacks and inappropriate behaviour onboard. Passengers interviewed displayed much attention also to the availability of municipal mobility “on-demand”.

The test-drive is easily replicable in similar conditions and arrangements. The requirements include GPS support, adequate information to the passengers, recording their opinions before and after the test drive and obtaining the necessary licenses and permits to operate driverless transport in an urban area.

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According to the survey results, confidence in driverless technology improved considerably after the test drive.

6.5 Utrecht Optimizing driving skills and experiences for bus drivers Driving more sustainably is something that is best learned during and after a bus ride. To support the drivers, Qbuzz introduced the Qdrive program. It provides insights and tools for the bus drivers about driving behavior so that, if necessary, they can adapt their behavior.

In the (electric)buses, the drivers can gain insight into how sustainably they drive. The driver gets feedback on the signals that appear on a display to indicate the sustainability of the bus ride. The display contains a red, orange and a green light. The green light indicates the most fuel-efficient driving style.

In addition to this direct feedback, during a pilot phase, the driving comfort of the passengers and drivers was also measured during the bus ride. This was done with an activity tracker that monitors for example the heart rate and gives feedback from the passengers experiences. The data on sustainable driving and riding comfort during the trip was analysed and can be viewed afterwards in an app on a tablet provided by Qbuzz. The information helps the bus driver to understand how well he or she scores on sustainability and driving comfort. An explanation is given about the analysis and tips are provided to improve both driving sustainability and riding comfort. Qbuzz anonymizes the gathered data to ensure that only the information essential for improving the driving behavior is shown. To further support the driver in addition to the analysis and tips, videos explain how to improve sustainable driving and increase driving comfort.

The described methods guarantee better driving behavior for bus drivers and better experience for the passengers. It also ensures that Qbuzz has fewer CO2 emissions and that the e-bus battery capacity is used optimally.

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Qbuzz anonymizes the gathered data to ensure that only the information essential for improving the driving behavior is shown.

6.6 Pécs and Paks eBussed project partner South Transdanubian Regional Innovation Agency identified one TWG3 related good practice. This is a national level initiative that is called the Green Bus Pilot Demonstration Project. In brief, this practice promotes e-bus electro mobility by demonstrating its benefits, increasing the citizens’ climate awareness and provides opportunities to the bus manufacturers to showcase their vehicles to potential customers.

For the showcase and test of e-buses one month demonstration period is provided in 10 different Hungarian locations (towns and cities with local population more than 25,000 inhabitants) that has the required transport infrastructure.

The practice is considered good: it is a national level initiative that targets the main territorial hubs (mainly county seat towns) with test e-bus vehicles and targeted funding to be provided to local public transport organization to run the tests. By doing so, it impacts citizens, professionals, local municipality managers and decisions makers in favor to e-bus deployment based on the obtained local hands-on experiences. The factual evidence is that 6 successful e-bus tests in 6 cities until April 2021 has been delivered in Hungary.

This practice promotes e-bus electro mobility by demonstrating its benefits, increasing the citizens’ climate awareness and provides opportunities to the bus manufacturers to showcase their vehicles to potential customers.

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7. Discussion and concluding remarks What did we learn?

Surveys Through the shared effort of this working group, we were able to showcase a clear perspective on the surveys that have been conducted in the different regions. Within the results of the survey, there is a wide variety of results. This is due to different ways of approach regarding the surveys.

The surveys’ results are not comparable between regions. This is partly due to differences in the e-bus implementation progression in regions, partly regarding policy or willingness to complete the surveys. As an example, in many regions, the maintenance staff difficult to reach.

The results had a large group of passengers that have already driven on an e-bus. Their experiences about the rides have been positive and they are aware about the e-buses’ impact on sustainability. A few positive benefits listed by all passengers were the noise reduction and less vibrations during the ride.

The surveys left some questions unanswered. For example, the results did not show a clear correlation between bus drivers’ age and willingness to drive an e-bus. Because the age of drivers was not recorded in some regions, answers to questions like “Are older bus drivers more reluctant to adapt to an e-bus than younger bus drivers?” did not become clear.

Good Practices The eBussed Thematic Working Group User Interface, delivered a wide variety of Good Practices. Overall, the training and skills of bus drivers is given a lot of attention in the different regions. The programmes aimed at improving drivers’ skills differ on several levels: the structure of the training, the form of the bus drivers’ learning process, the technology available and the drivers’ willingness to drive an e-bus. In the training programmes, the focus is on optimizing sustainable driving, driving behavior with respect to passengers and the ability to monitor driving behavior and provide feedback to bus drivers.

Maintenance personnel were mainly concerned with adequate training and mastering the technology to provide optimal service to the bus companies.

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What do we want to emphasize to different stakeholders?

Looking at the surveys and the Good Practices, we can establish some guidelines for the stakeholders to consider in any further developments. Two words often occur in different forms: communication and behaviour.

To make the transition to e-buses as smooth and straightforward as possible, the following recommendations should be considered:

Inform passengers about the use and deployment of e-buses and create climate awareness among passengers.

Use innovative solutions to support bus drivers during the transition to e-buses. In addition, through training, increasing driving comfort and making sustainable driving appealing.

To implement some of the innovative solutions of the e-buses, a well fitted infrastructure is needed to be successful.

Actively involve the bus drivers in the implementation of e-buses. This is essential to ensure a successful transition.

This can be done by including bus drivers early in the e-bus procurement and implementation process.

After all, the bus driver and the e-bus itself are the most important touchpoints for a bus company towards passengers.

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This project report reflects the author's views only and the Interreg Europe programme authorities are not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.