Re: Re: RTPI coming to a bus stop near you

@hutton wrote:

I wish to dissent from the positive consensus on this.

The decision to erect additional street clutter without embedding these units into existing shelters is a small detail that is indicative of a bigger badly-done wasteful job.

I would agree, I think they should have integrated the displays into bus shelters like the trial RTPI scheme done 10 years ago. However some of the RTPI poles are beside bus statues so it’s difficult to know where an RTPI display could be fitted on them, especially when the statues aren’t near electric wiring or anything.

The delivery of this project is so late that it has long since been surpassed by technology. RTPI could be inexpensively provided by a mobile phone text service, as well as separately online for the many who already use 3G phones. That such is not being done is indicative of a scheme so behind schedule that it worth remembering that it was conceived in the last millennium.

AFAIK a mobile and online service which will complement the on-street poles will be launched this year too. That will cover the bus stops which won’t have the electronic displays. Each bus stop has a four-digit code which commuters can enter on their mobile or laptop and the service will tell them which buses are due to stop there in the next 30 minutes.

The current scheme is resulting in more unconsolidated street clutter cheapening Dublin city’s appearance, and to my mind appears to be a profligate waste of other people’s money by a public sector who appear to have long since stopped caring.

I await with interest to see how much the folly will ultimately cost.

I remember reading that this is due to cost €6.5 million in total. In terms of clutter, this scheme could be offset by a council campaign to get rid of empty and unnecessary poles.