Mobile Journey Planning for Bus Passengers

Developments in mobile technology offer new ways of supporting mobile decision making. One application domain in the area of Location Based Services (LBS) is the delivery of journey plans to a mobile device. Few journey planners are available for urban bus travellers and tend to restrict users to a limited number of journey endpoints. This is due to the challenges of modelling urban bus networks that are dynamic, (varying in extent and frequency of service throughout the day) and bimodal in nature (accessing and transferring by foot). An algorithm, combining aspects of commonly used headway-based and scheduled-based solutions, was developed to assist travellers navigating a complex and unfamiliar bus network with an emphasis on delivery over mobile devices. The application is novel in the modelling of the pedestrian elements, in the evaluation of a hybrid approach, and in its intended use within a mobile environment. The algorithm returns to the user the suggested route, the bus stop location for embarkation and disembarkation, as well as the departure time and estimated journey duration. The algorithm was implemented and evaluated using an object-oriented GIS with an interface designed for a WAP-enabled mobile phone.