How can intelligent transport systems encourage passenger loyalty?

Increasing passenger loyalty is important for a wide range of reasons. When loyalty is encouraged amongst passengers, you’re more likely to maintain regular riders on your services.

This can also be essential for gaining new riders, as loyal passengers are more likely to recommend your services to others, thus increasing your reach and agency visibility.

One of the most effective ways to increase rider loyalty in your transit agency is to implement intelligent transportation systems (ITS) in your operations. 

Here’s why:

1. Fast and smooth journeys

Using ITS in your transportation network can help ensure faster and smoother journeys for all routes. Real-time vehicle monitoring can relay positional information of vehicles in your transport network.

The software can also offer key insights into how you could structure your routes based on vehicle positions, destinations, and other factors such as traffic and delays.

This way, you can make sure every vehicle is taking the most efficient route on their journeys, to reach the next stop in the most suitable time.

Improved journeys like this will make riders more likely to want to ride with you regularly.

2. Accurate journey information

Many passengers want to ride with a transit agency that gives them easy and accurate ways of planning their journeys. This is where real-time passenger information comes in.

ITS will provide real-time information on the arrival times and routes of every vehicle at each stop. Passengers can view this information on clear displays which can be set up on the street, in the vehicles, or on platforms, as an example.

This means riders can always plan their journeys around the most accurate information, and be aware of any changes which might impact this.

3. A reliable and effective service

Another way to increase passenger loyalty is to make sure your service is reliable. Riders can then trust that your service is the best option at any time of the day.

ITS can offer advanced insights into how you can meet demand with your services, and ensure you have the right capacity for every vehicle.

You can predict things such as gaps in transportation and unmet demand, which will help you know how to arrange schedules to give every passenger a satisfying rider experience.

Whether it’s peak times or not, riders will know your transit agency can be trusted to meet any demand.

4. Minimal journey disruption 

If riders know your transportation network is effective at minimizing and solving disruptions, then they’ll be more likely to become regular riders.

ITS not only help detect issues that arise, but also use insights to pre-empt them. This can include things such as delays on services, a broken-down vehicle, or broken equipment.

You can quickly identify an issue and take the necessary action to resolve it – such as a replacement for a broken-down vehicle.

With minimal interruption to your journeys, riders will have a more enjoyable experience, and thus, their loyalty will increase.

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With passenger loyalty being one of the most important aspects of transit agencies, we recommend you consider ITS for your own network. This can ensure you have the right tools in place to increase and maintain rider loyalty – and all the benefits it provides.