The question of the ‘business case’ for real time information (RTI) is a perennial one, and one which it is difficult to answer definitively because of the number of factors involved in its evaluation. There have been reviews which attempt to answer this from different perspectives, most recently (and most comprehensively) from the RTIG study in East Kent. The outcome has been encouraging, but – at least insofar as patronage impacts are concerned – have not been unarguably conclusive.
This short note takes a slightly different view. It compares the development of bus patronage and passenger satisfaction statistically between areas that have RTI, and those that don’t have RTI. The outcome is generally supportive: areas that have RTI have generally preserved their ridership, while areas without have seen ridership dwindle.
The difference is statistically significant. However, this prima facie evidence is of course subject to its own set of caveats, some of which are discussed below.