Codiac Transpo implements audiovisual announcements on public transit 2024-11-25

Codiac Transpo buses now have a new soundtrack – buses have been equipped with a system to provide audiovisual announcements of upcoming bus stops.

Riders will now be able to see the next stop on a screen at the front of the bus and an audio announcement will be made as the bus approaches the stop. The announcements will be presented in a bilingual format.

In most cases, the audio and visual cues will announce the nearest street corner (Mountain/Dominion) or a landmark (Bibliothèque-Hotel de Ville de Dieppe City Hall-Library), rather than a specific address, to make it easier for riders who may be unfamiliar with the route to find their stop. Where stops are very close together, not every stop may be announced.

The audiovisual announcements are now available on the following bus routes:

• 16 Hennessey
• 50 Red
• 51 Green
• 60 Bessborough
• 86 Pinewood

Additional routes are being worked on with the goal of having all buses providing this service as soon as possible.

“We’re really excited to be launching this new service for our riders,” says Angela Allain, director of public transit. “This system will not only benefit passengers with vision or hearing loss, but anyone who takes the bus by offering additional real-time information on stops. We regularly have new passengers who are taking Codiac Transpo for the first time who may not be familiar with our routes. This service will also be helpful to them.”

The audiovisual announcements are particularly useful for people with visual impairments who may not be able to see where a bus is on a route. The local branch of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) worked closely with Codiac Transpo on this project, participating in test runs and providing valuable feedback that assisted with the implementation of the new system.

“I am delighted to see this project come to fruition” says Caroline LeBlanc, NB Team Lead for CNIB. “Tools like this one help those with visual impairments more easily navigate the transit system, which is a vital service for those who are unable to drive. This will make a real difference for our clients and we are excited to see this roll out on all Codiac Transpo buses.”

A full list of buses equipped with the audiovisual announcements can be found online. It will be updated as new routes are added: https://www.codiactranspo.ca/moncton-transport/accessibility

Information

Communications, City of Moncton
communications@moncton.ca