SPAIN: Public transport users in Barcelona can now access a wide range of travel, local area and accessibility information as well as entertainment content through their mobile devices thanks to the use of smart tags.
Operator TMB has rolled out 9 100 of Neosistec’s ddTags across its metro stations and bus stops, which can then be accessed using various applications.
Accessibility
The NaviLens app can capture the tags without users needing to know exactly where they are, enabling visually-impaired people to use the voice assistant function to ‘read’ signage and receive warnings or other essential information.
At a bus stop, NaviLens informs the user of the stop’s name and code, the bus routes that call there, the available destinations and the estimated times of arrival for each route, along with information about any disruption.
Within a metro station, each space is labelled with a description such as entrance, vending machine area, ticket barrier, staircase, lift, platform, intercom or boarding point. The app relates the elements to each other spatially and calculates their distance from the user, enabling visually-impaired passengers to move about freely.
News and culture
The Go function integrated into the latest version of the TMB app provides geolocated and updated content to passengers who scan the nearest tag.
This includes real-time information on the next buses and trains, service incidents and passenger volumes. Passengers can also access news, audio books and city information, and receive promotions and rewards from the operator’s JoTMBé loyalty programme.
