Street navigators pave the way
Wandering aimlessly in a city trying to find the right way to a desired destination is not necessarily something car drivers or pedestrians enjoy. Paper maps and timetables may often prove time-consuming and problematic when finding a street or a specific building. A new IST funded project called PEPTRAN gives users the option to choose from the best possible routes within a city, using their mobile phones or a navigation system adjusted to their cars. A user enters the journey's date/time and start/end coordinates (if known) or street names into their mobile or car navigation devices. Via GSM and ISDN transmissions, navigation systems planted on streets, cars and public transport servers supply the user's devices with the requested route-planning data. Information involves public transport timetables, the real-time progress of public transport vehicles or guidelines to a particular route and how to get there. More important, users learn how and where to change buses to minimise the total journey time. Car drivers are directed to the nearest parking space before using public transport in an attempt to avoid city traffic. In both car navigation and mobile options, information arrives to the server by means of a full map or a simple single-line text message. The main advantage of the service is that route-planning information is received by the users' devices within seconds. Users trying the system for the first time, admitted that they were inclined use local public transport instead of using their own cars. This innovative route navigation software will be of great benefit for tourists, professional drivers and possibly for car-sharing and rental services that are looking to improve their services for clients. As time becomes more constrained and transport needs are increasing, the new technology will in the future give Europeans a seriously convincing reason for opting for their local bus or train.
