FWT Joins Forces with Papercast to Transform Real-Time Passenger Information

Papercast Ltd has announced a partnership with FWT, the transport information design specialists. The collaboration will see FWT offering Papercast’s next generation real-time passenger information platform to bus operators across the UK.

Papercast’s distinctive combination of features makes their platform the most advanced solution of its kind available on the market today. It provides passengers with real-time bus arrival predictions, timetables and other relevant passenger information delivered wirelessly to solar powered e-paper displays at bus stops. The displays are controlled by a cloud-based management system which offers instant GTFS integration and optional AVL data normalization to improve the accuracy of bus arrival predictions.

The e-paper display has been developed to deliver stand-alone solar-powered unit that can be installed literally anywhere, in hours. It offers an economical replacement for legacy electronic systems and traditional paper timetables, while providing a technology platform for smart city public transport information solutions.

Robert Bicket, co-founder & director at Papercast said, “We are committed to improving the passenger experience and the attractiveness of public transport, by helping as many service providers as possible to transition to next generation technologies. That’s why we have chosen to work with FWT, who are market leaders in high quality passenger transport information and well positioned to support their established customer base to meet public demand for accurate user-friendly information, using Papercast’s intelligent dynamic digital platform."

Paul Treadwell, group sales and marketing director at FWT said, “Having witnessed increasing demand for more sophisticated service information delivered with a lower total cost of ownership, we are delighted to launch Papercast’s platform in the UK. Leveraging FWT’s experience in bus timetable usage and Papercast’s technology, we can target exciting new opportunities and further satisfy our customer needs. Interest is already strong and we have a number of trials lined up with major participants in the sector."

Papercast comprises solar powered bus stop display screen units, a comprehensive control and content management system, and an optional enhanced analytics solution to improve ETA data.

• The Papercast bus stop unit is a standalone module and includes the e-paper display housed in a ruggedized casing with integral night-time illumination, powered by a solar panel installed on the bus stop and with wireless connectivity. E-paper displays are characterised by high resolution, high brightness, high contrast, no glare, 180 degree viewing angle and low power usage. It can be mounted on any surface without the need for any civils work. 
• The bus stop units are controlled by the cloud-based management system which offers instant GTFS integration, includes monitoring, auto-diagnostics and sophisticated content management through predefined apps and customised app integration.
• The enhanced analytics solution, called Better ETA, normalises existing public transport Automatic Vehicle Location systems to improve the accuracy of bus arrival predictions and provide a dashboard of genuine service performance and audit data.

Papercast was launched in March 2016 after comprehensive field testing and is currently deployed under trial in 8 cities across Europe, the Americas and Asia.