Development of a real time transport information system for public bus transport service in Nigeria

Description

Abstract

Transport information systems are gaining increased popularity among public bus transport users in developed countries as it provides basic first hand and genuine real-time travel information to road users. While these technologies are perceived as beneficial to travelers in developed countries, these technologies have rarely been explored in developing countries. Also, this research area is still very new and there are very limited studies on this topic. In developing counties such as Nigeria, travelers suffer daily from poor travel information such as unreliable route guidance information, unpredictable bus arrival times, unreliable traffic information, to name a few. The aim of this dissertation is to further explore the various information challenges Nigerian commuters to face while using public bus transport as well as design a real-time transport information system to improve the commuting experience of people who travel by public buses in Nigeria. In order to fulfill the objectives of this study, this study adopted a combination of Mixed-methods Sequential Exploratory Design and Structured System Analysis and Design Methodology (SSADM) – for the development of a real-time transport information system. Structured online questionnaires and interview sections captured the evaluation of the real-life experience of road users with the developed system. The results of this evaluation show that the proposed system reveals genuine live travel information, such as bus arrival and departure times, schedule trips, estimate journey times, bus route information, vehicle information. In conclusion, this dissertation has made a significant contribution to the field of information systems as it is a study that explored extensively the key information challenges road users encounter while travelling via public buses in Nigeria.