The barrier-free redesign of the traffic infrastructure is a task for decades. Vehicles and constructions in public transport comply increasingly with passenger requirements.

But at present, not all facilities are completely accessible and barriers may occur while traveling. It is important for the travelers to receive reliable information on opportunities and limitations in public transport in order to plan and to make a journey.

The challenge in BAIM plus is to inform all user target groups appropriately about the present opportunities of barrier-free traveling and to present this information through integrated and continuous barrier-free information paths.

The overall objective of the project BAIM plus is the provision of appropriate information services with target group oriented information about suitable traveling opportunities or potential barriers, before and during the journey.

Target groups of the preceding project BAIM and the succeeding project BAIM plus are people with reduced mobility (e.g. due to disabilities, luggage or other circumstances), “Best Agers” (55 to 64 years) and “Seniors” (65 years and older).

Key conditions for the implementation of the activity iare the provision of an up-to-date and high quality data basis, the integration of real time data, the contribution of the users to data collection and data maintenance, and a permanent updating of the data basis.

BAIM plus is based on the preceding project BAIM, which supported the active and independent participation of people with reduced mobility in public transport.

In BAIM, an information system has been developed that provides its users with detailed information on the accessibility of public transport facilities including vehicles, buildings, technical facilities, information devices and special assistive features for people with disabilities.

The effective provision of information services strongly depends on the requirements of public transport providers as well as user needs. Therefore, user demand and operator demand were analysed in order to gain a good understanding of the needs and requirements. The developed information systems have been evaluated within a field test. The results are being considered in BAIM
plus.

BAIM plus ist a research & development project co-funded by the German Ministry of Economics and Technology.

The project consortium consists of two public transport associations: Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund GmbH (coordinator) and Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH; their
traffic and information technology provider: IVU Traffic Technologies AG; the information system provider HaCon Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH; the service provider of voice-operated dialog systems SemanticEdge GmbH; the rehabilitation centre Evangelische Stiftung Volmarstein with its “Research Institute Technology and Disability”.

The users of public transport systems, public transport providers, information system providers and software companies are considered as relevant stakeholders.

Users shall be informed continuously and without gap throughout the whole traveling chain via barrier-free and user friendly information services. The services also include real-time information, tour escort services, barrier-free routing in the surroundings of stations and stops, a brand new reachability search function and a voice-operated dialog system. The emphasis is placed on the trial of different methods of data collection by the integration of users.

An important challenge is the handling of realtime data. The development and continuous administration of real-time data is a crucial factor since there is only little information concerning user requirements on services with real-time data so far.

During the development of the services, accompanying tests and reviews by potential users and rehabilitation experts make sure that the user requirements are really met. Furthermore all newly developed services are tested practically by users in an overall field test.

The enrichment of passenger information systems in public transport with additional data concerning the operating status and infrastructure enables a completely new form of services. The combination of  specific user requirements and information on the present infrastructure is globally unique.

In addition, these services contribute essentially to the communication of investments in the infrastructure and therewith to the increase of the profitability of investments in the traffic supply and the infrastructure of public transport.

The development of new services is internationally relevant for user friendly enhancements of passenger systems in public transport and their standardization. The standardization of services can serve as a basis for the transference on other traffic spaces.

www.baim-info.de (German)