Real Time Information Group
Encyclopedia
The Real Time Information Group (also RTI) is an organisation in the United Kingdom
supporting the development of bus passenger information system
s; its 85 members include local authorities, bus
operators and system suppliers together with representatives from the UK government and other key industry groups such as ITS(UK), Travel Information Highway, and the UTMC Development Group (UDG).
The main output of the group is guidelines, standards, case studies and best practice documents. These documents are produced by RTIG on behalf of its members, usually with the assistance of specialist working groups.
, it was realised that cross-boundary bus services made it imperative to coordinate projects around the UK. Technical and operational standards would therefore be required. A group of local authorities and bus operators began to meet regularly to discuss how to achieve this; and so RTIG was born.
Substantial government funding for projects around the UK, in particular from 2002 to 2004, provided an enormous boost to the development of RTI systems. The expanding and maturing market caused RTIG to reflect on its role, and in 2003 it determined to recreate itself as a subscription group - with the important step that the systems industry was to be a full and equal partner in its work. Equally importantly, it has maintained excellent links with central UK Government, from whom the Group continues to receive project funding for work of national scope and importance.
The National RTI Strategy, ratified in March 2007, establishes a framework for how industry stakeholders and government need to work together to deliver benefit to passengers. RTIG's role has, as a consequence, been expanded to cover all aspects of technology in public transport, from systems to support disabled travellers through to safety
and security
systems.
s across England
, as well as plans for the following two years. In 2004 the survey was extended to include Wales
and in 2005 Scotland
.
In order to reflect the widening deployment of bus-related technologies, the 2006 annual survey was re-branded as the ‘RTIG Passenger Transport Technology Survey’http://www.rtig.org.uk/RTIG_Web_Docs/Public/Project/RTIG-PR007-D002-1.0%20Transport%20Technology%20Survey.pdf and included questions on services for disabled travellers – partly in response to new obligations on bus operators under the Disability Discrimination Act 2005
. The 2007 survey continues to focus broadly on public transport and traffic management technology and has been expanded to include questions on bus CCTV and other security technologies. The 2007 report is expected to be publicly available in the first quarter of 2008.
The annual survey provides details on:
Working groups involve non-members where relevant; so, the Disability WG includes representatives from charities such a RNIB and Guide Dogs
.
Publicly available documents in the Library include:
Members have access to a wider range of standards and guidelines, and to the outputs of RTIG workshops (see below).
The group also publishes a quarterly newsletter which provides both members and non-members with news on RTIG projects and events.
Previous workshop venues (and their respective themes) includehttp://www.rtig.org.uk/events.htm:
(SIRI). RTIG have also developed a number of best practice guidelines.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
supporting the development of bus passenger information system
Passenger information system
A passenger information [display] system is an electronic information system which provides real-time passenger information. It may include both predictions about arrival and departure times, as well as information about the nature and causes of disruptions...
s; its 85 members include local authorities, bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
operators and system suppliers together with representatives from the UK government and other key industry groups such as ITS(UK), Travel Information Highway, and the UTMC Development Group (UDG).
The main output of the group is guidelines, standards, case studies and best practice documents. These documents are produced by RTIG on behalf of its members, usually with the assistance of specialist working groups.
History
In 2000, when real-time information (RTI) systems were beginning to be considered by UK local authorities to provide travellers with up-to-the-minute bus arrival and departure passenger informationPassenger information
Passenger information is information provided to public transport users about the nature and state of a public transport service, though visual, voice or touchable media...
, it was realised that cross-boundary bus services made it imperative to coordinate projects around the UK. Technical and operational standards would therefore be required. A group of local authorities and bus operators began to meet regularly to discuss how to achieve this; and so RTIG was born.
Substantial government funding for projects around the UK, in particular from 2002 to 2004, provided an enormous boost to the development of RTI systems. The expanding and maturing market caused RTIG to reflect on its role, and in 2003 it determined to recreate itself as a subscription group - with the important step that the systems industry was to be a full and equal partner in its work. Equally importantly, it has maintained excellent links with central UK Government, from whom the Group continues to receive project funding for work of national scope and importance.
The National RTI Strategy, ratified in March 2007, establishes a framework for how industry stakeholders and government need to work together to deliver benefit to passengers. RTIG's role has, as a consequence, been expanded to cover all aspects of technology in public transport, from systems to support disabled travellers through to safety
Safety
Safety is the state of being "safe" , the condition of being protected against physical, social, spiritual, financial, political, emotional, occupational, psychological, educational or other types or consequences of failure, damage, error, accidents, harm or any other event which could be...
and security
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
systems.
Annual survey
In 2002 the group produced the first UK Annual RTI Survey, which surveyed the use of RTI technology by local authorities and passenger transport executivePassenger Transport Executive
In the United Kingdom, passenger transport executives are local government bodies which are responsible for public transport within large urban areas...
s across England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, as well as plans for the following two years. In 2004 the survey was extended to include Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and in 2005 Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
In order to reflect the widening deployment of bus-related technologies, the 2006 annual survey was re-branded as the ‘RTIG Passenger Transport Technology Survey’http://www.rtig.org.uk/RTIG_Web_Docs/Public/Project/RTIG-PR007-D002-1.0%20Transport%20Technology%20Survey.pdf and included questions on services for disabled travellers – partly in response to new obligations on bus operators under the Disability Discrimination Act 2005
Disability Discrimination Act 2005
The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-Section 20 - Short title, interpretation, commencement and extent:The following orders have been made under section 20:*...
. The 2007 survey continues to focus broadly on public transport and traffic management technology and has been expanded to include questions on bus CCTV and other security technologies. The 2007 report is expected to be publicly available in the first quarter of 2008.
The annual survey provides details on:
- Number of RTI equipped buses in Great BritainGreat BritainGreat Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
- Number of RTI signs in GB
- Use of audioSoundSound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...
equipment on and off buses in GB - Costs of implementing and maintaining RTI in GB
- Trends in integration of RTI with UTMC technology
- The provision of information for disabled travellers in GB
- Passenger and driver security systems (on and off bus)
Working Groups
The majority of the documents, standards and guidelines produced by RTIG is done with the assistance of voluntary working groups. These working groups are made up of industry experts who lend their knowledge to particular projects. Examples of RTIG working groups include:- Data Suppliers Working Group
- Shelter Implementation Working Group
- Disability Working Group
- On-bus architecture Working Group
- GPRS Interface Working Group
Working groups involve non-members where relevant; so, the Disability WG includes representatives from charities such a RNIB and Guide Dogs
The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association is a British charitable organisation founded in 1934.Guide Dogs provides independence and freedom to thousands of blind and partially-sighted people across the UK through the provision of guide dogs, mobility and other rehabilitation services...
.
The RTIG library
The RTIG library houses all of the documents produced by the group to date. These documents are held by RTIG electronically and distributed to members on request, or via the ‘members area’ of the RTIG website. The library catalogue is publicly available from the RTIG websitehttp://www.rtig.org.uk/RTIG_Web_Docs/Public/Library%20Catalogues/RTIGP003%20-%20RTIG%20Library%20Catalogue%20May%202007%20cut.pdf.Publicly available documents in the Library include:
- The RTIG National Strategyhttp://www.rtig.org.uk/RTIG_Web_Docs/Public/Strategic/RTIGS006-1.0%20National%20Strategy.pdf
- 2006 Public Transport Technology Surveyhttp://www.rtig.org.uk/RTIG_Web_Docs/Public/Project/RTIG-PR007-D002-1.0%20Transport%20Technology%20Survey.pdf
- RTI and disabled travellershttp://www.rtig.org.uk/RTIG_Web_Docs/Public/Project/RTIG-PR003-D002-1.2%20RTI%20and%20disabled%20travellers.pdf
- Business Case Study Reporthttp://www.rtig.org.uk/RTIG_Web_Docs/Public/Project/RTIGPR005-D001-1.0%20RTI%20Business%20Case%202006.pdf
Members have access to a wider range of standards and guidelines, and to the outputs of RTIG workshops (see below).
The group also publishes a quarterly newsletter which provides both members and non-members with news on RTIG projects and events.
RTIG workshops
RTIG runs quarterly workshops, which are held at a different UK venue each time. Each workshop has a central theme and attract presentations from a wide variety of stakeholders. Workshops will include an update on ITS news, an update on RTIG projects and working group activities, and a set of presentations based around the workshop theme.Previous workshop venues (and their respective themes) includehttp://www.rtig.org.uk/events.htm:
- LeedsLeedsLeeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
(January 2006) – MarketingMarketingMarketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
RTI - CardiffCardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
(April 2006) – Demand Responsive TransportDemand responsive transportDemand Responsive Transport or Demand-Responsive Transit or Demand Responsive Service or Dial-a-ride or Flexible Transport Services is "an advanced, user-oriented form of public transport characterised by flexible routing and scheduling of small/medium vehicles operating in shared-ride mode...
and On-Bus Security - LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(July 2006) – The Financial Aspects of RTI - ManchesterManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
(November 2006) – The Future of Technology in Public TransportPublic transportPublic transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams... - BristolBristolBristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
(February 2007) – Standards and Specifications - SheffieldSheffieldSheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
(April 2007) – On and off bus security - LincolnLincoln, LincolnshireLincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
(July 2007) – Bus operators' perspectives of RTI - YorkYorkYork is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
(November 2007) - Integrating RTI
RTIG involvement in international standards
RTIG have assisted in the development of a number of standards, including the Service Interface for Real Time InformationService Interface for Real Time Information
The Service Interface for Real Time Information or SIRI is an XML protocol to allow distributed computers to exchange real time information about public transport services and vehicles....
(SIRI). RTIG have also developed a number of best practice guidelines.
External links
- http://www.rtig.org.uk RTIG website
- http://www.utmc.uk.com UTMC website
- http://www.its-uk.org.uk ITS-UK
- http://www.traveline.info/nextbuses.htm Traveline NextBuses
- http://www.transportdirect.info Transport Direct
- http://www.dft.gov.uk UK Department for Transport