Delivering SMS Journey Time Services A Feasibility Study Phillip Proctor (HA), Damian Bettles (WSP) June 2007

Transcription

1 Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers Delivering SMS Journey Time Services A Feasibility Study Phillip Proctor (HA), Damian Bettles (WSP) June 2007

2 Overview Objectives of the SMS feasibility study Benefits of SMS technology Trial system development Risk management Trial evaluation Conclusions & recommendations Est journey time 68min (13min delay, 96% conf). Heavy Traffic on M6 northbound between J8 and J9.

3 Objectives Research the feasibility of SMS based traffic information services; Safety: Mitigate risks associated with mobile phone use whilst driving; Review existing commercial services; Develop a trial service; Collect and evaluate user feedback; Inform future developments.

4 Benefits of SMS technology (1) Large UK market penetration of mobile devices; SMS is a mature technology adopted by a significant proportion of the population; Allows targeted information; It is a PUSH service

5 Benefits of SMS technology (2) Hourly usage for January 2007 Hit rate Morning Rush Time of day Afternoon Rush User statistics for the HA traffic info website

6 Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers Trial System Development

7 Risk Mitigation (1) System considered safety implications from the outset; Pre-trip service for regular commuters developed; Route and time of travel were pre-specified; All users had to read and understand conditions of use and safety warnings before being enrolled.

8 Risk management (2) Users agree to the terms of the trial before proceeding to the next step.

9 System model

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11 Route Entry Interface Next junction available on the route List of available junctions List of user functions Sequence of red dots indicates the user s currently selected route

12 Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers SMS Message Structure Est journey time 68min 13min delay 96% conf Heavy traffic on M6 northbound between J8 and J9 Total journey time (including delay) of the user s registered route. Delay time was the extra time for a journey based on the degree of congestion on the user s route. The confidence level is a measure of reliability of the estimated journey time. The reason for delay on the user s route and the section of road affected by it. An example text message: Est journey time 68min (13min delay, 96% conf). Heavy 1 NEW Traffic on M6 northbound between J8 and J9. MESSAGE

13 Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Trial Evaluation 9% 69% 23% 83% 17% 29% 49% Under Over 45 Male Female Under miles miles 17% miles Age Gender Distance to Work 6% 80 miles and over

14 Performance Indicators Time taken to send SMS message from the message generator to the user s mobile device averaged 13 seconds. The trial system achieved a 95% message delivery success rate. Process SMS provider to telecoms network provider Network provider to user s mobile device Min time (secs) Max time (secs) Mean time (secs) < Median time (secs)

15 User Feedback Methods Feedback was obtained by the following three methods: Monthly feedback questionnaire via online form; Help facility on website; Focus group discussions.

16 User Group Demographics 100% 100+ HA and WSP employees; 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 69% 83% 49% Most users, male aged 25-45; Travelled miles to work. 40% 30% 20% 10% 9% 23% 17% 29% 17% 6% 0% Under Over 45 Male Female Under 20 miles miles miles 80 miles and over 70% Age Gender Distance to Work 60% 54% Equal numbers of HA and WSP employees; Nearly 90% had either managerial or technical jobs. 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 43% 46% 43% 11% 3% HA WSP Other Managerial Technical Administrative Employer Grade/Payband

17 Evaluation Key Findings Users journeys were influenced by the information sent The majority of users would recommend the service to a friend or relative. Approximately half of users said that the website was easy and intuitive to use; On average people would be willing to pay approximately 10 pence per message for a national event-based service;

18 Conclusions Safety Concerns - Mitigation of risks Technical Issues Accuracy and timeliness of messages can be achieved (performance indicators) Data coverage could be improved User Feedback Well received and influenced journey decisions Future Service Enhancements Registration process and set-up procedure to be streamlined Map interface (postcode and automated route planning)

19 Thank you