Bus schedules in the Canadian city of Calgary will be more accurate and predictable as Xerox, installs a new intelligent transportation system made up of computer-aided dispatch and vehicle location technologies.
As part of a two-and-a-half-year, $14.5 million contract, the computer-aided dispatch and automatic vehicle location (CAD/AVL) system will help Calgary Transit improve fleet management and on-time arrivals. With more reliable information, Calgary Transit passengers can have confidence that bus schedules will be accurate.
Xerox will install a new system so Calgary Transit can track and dispatch all 986 buses and report on all 100 million annual passenger trips. The new hardware and software will automatically generate exact operational data instead of relying on manual processes.
"Xerox will give us the information we need to make intelligent improvements in our transit system so we can use that knowledge to give our customers better service," said Akmal Rafiq, project manager, Calgary Transit. "Making better planning decisions will improve customer satisfaction and increase ridership."
The new dispatch and tracking system will create computerized maps for dispatchers to see precise locations of vehicles. Dispatchers will be able to make real-time adjustments such as adding additional bus service and create detours when necessary by clicking on maps and notifying drivers. Supervisors in the field will also be able to access the complete system. The system will allow all the vehicles to communicate and share information in real time.
"Accurate information is essential to provide the rider with a good experience and enable the transit agency to enhance its record keeping," said Mark Talbot, group president of Local Government – Americas, Xerox. "This system is designed to grow with Calgary and serve as a model for agencies of all sizes to improve service."
Xerox systems and services are used by more than 1,000 municipal, regional and national operators in 400 cities worldwide to run more than 150,000 pieces of equipment that enables 50 million passengers per day to use buses, trolleys, tramways and trains. Xerox-deployed solutions include more than 50,000 smart card readers on buses, faregates, turnstiles and other fare collection devices. Xerox is the largest provider of transportation services to governments worldwide, with projects in 35 countries.
