Free and freely accessible Wi-Fi on the way to work, university or school - passengers in Giessen have benefited from this on routes 3, 12 and 13 over the past few months. Between the beginning of October 2016 and the end of January 2017, MIT.BUS GmbH and the Heuchelheim-based company IPmotion tested a modern ticketing system. They equipped a total of nine buses with the necessary routers.
"Both the test results themselves and the number of Wi-Fi users are very pleasing and impressive," reveals Mathias Carl, Managing Director of MIT.BUS GmbH. On average, 1,300 people connected their mobile devices to the free network every day - on some days even up to 2,000. No prior registration or login was necessary. Anyone who wanted to use the Wi-Fi simply had to select it once via their smartphone settings and could then surf the internet.
"Although we have only received a little direct feedback from our passengers, it has been consistently positive," explains Mathias Carl. "In any case, we now know that fast and stable Internet access is possible on the bus and that passengers are taking up the offer."
Wireless ticket via app
All passengers were able to use the Wi-Fi, while the new ticket system was tested by around 100 selected customers, who IPmotion had previously chosen primarily from among the many students in Giessen. They all used the ciboTIX app on their smartphones during the trial period. When they joined the programme, they checked in to the system with a single click. When they got out, the system automatically recognised that they had left the vehicle. The Wi-Fi transmitted the data directly to a central computer, which maintains a kind of account for each passenger - all in compliance with data protection regulations and securely encrypted.
"ciboTIX closes the gap between the single ticket and the season ticket. It offers advantages to all those who frequently travel by public transport but for whom a monthly or even annual ticket is not worthwhile," explains Florian Kempff, Managing Director of IPmotion. He is certain: "Such modern and flexible models will become increasingly relevant in the future." He is all the more pleased about the successful trial in Giessen, where IPmotion was also able to successfully complete the planned stress tests.
01.02.2017