This is the first step for Åland towards a fully-digitalised passenger information system. Hogia will work together with Ålandstrafiken and hardware provider Luminator Technology Group, to provide a new information system which will track the exact location of the buses and ferries in real-time.

“We are making a long-term investment to improve the travel experience and make public transport the obvious choice for the citizens of Åland. The digitisation will be done in a structured and incremental way”, says Per-Erik G. Cederkvist, Procurement Officer for the Åland Government and responsible for the Infrastructure Department's transport agency.

One way to encourage people to use public transport, is to make their journey smoother and easier. Hogia’s new information system will mean passengers can use Google Maps to plan their journey before they travel, and then check the real-time location of the buses and ferries they want to take. There will be digital signs at the bus stops with real-time information on departure and arrival times, as well as updates on any delays or cancellations. Access to this kind of relevant travel information simplifies things for the passenger who can then make informed choices about the best route to take.

“Sadly, Åland has been seeing a tremendous growth in private vehicles at the expense of public transport, but digitalisation opens up exciting new opportunities to make public transport more attractive. We just need to identify the opportunities and have the courage to exploit them. In cooperation with Hogia, we will have better understanding about where, when and how passengers travel on the various lines of public transport or on the ferries. Based on this information, we can decide which land or ferry routes to invest in. The result will be improved planning for a more efficient public transport system. Another important aspect is that we can continue to use the existing equipment on board our vehicles. Hogia's information system has open interfaces which can easily be integrated with the equipment we already have, and this is obviously really cost effective”, concludes Per-Erik.

“Over 10000 buses, trains and ferries in the Nordic countries use our solution to provide passengers with accurate travel information, and we look forward to working with Ålandstrafiken in the Åland islands to keep their passengers equally well informed,” says Linda Ekdahl, CEO of Hogia Public Transport Systems.