The MultiClass 500 paves the way to cost-efficient, scalable IT systems in local public transport. The low-entry buses can be equipped with optional installation spaces and interfaces as required – as the perfect preparation for the installation of on-board information systems in the IBIS-IP or ITxPT standard. Turnkey delivery ex works is also possible – from individual device to complete overall system.
SetraWorld Magazine
Buses as communication platforms.
Adapts to any on-board information system: the new MultiClass 500.
Buses as communication platforms.
Adapts to any on-board information system: the new MultiClass 500.
“Whether IBIS-IP or ITxPT – thanks to universal standards, transport companies can ensure easy interoperability between their hardware and software,” Erich Mecha explains. “This makes data and services more efficient to use.” Mecha is responsible for the development of integrated on-board systems at Daimler Buses. Together with his team, he has ensured that the MultiClass 500 meets the design requirements for the installation of systems for passenger information and control centre communication.
Customers have all options. If the desired installation spaces, interfaces or access points for services cannot already be selected by configuration, these can be implemented as special equipment. On request, all subsystems can be integrated ex works. “The vehicle can then get on the road from day one,” says Mecha.
Digitalisation of the local public transport sector.
An open IT architecture is considered the basis for digitalisation in the public transport sector. The IBIS standard, which has existed since the 80s, no longer covers many requirements for modern information systems. Digital transmission methods based on the Internet Protocol (IP) today achieve a data rate that is thousands of times higher than that of previous systems. That is why many transport operators use the extended opportunities of the bus as a communication platform. The most widely used standards are known as IBIS-IP and ITxPT.
Customised IP network solutions on request.
No matter whether it's e-ticketing, passenger Wi-Fi or video surveillance – the MultiClass 500 makes it easy to implement modern IT components. Above all, the passengers benefit from this. Thanks to IP technology, buses are able to send local public transport information directly to customers' smartphones or receive information from them. “Operational processes are also becoming simpler,” says Mecha. “With IBIS-IP, the new schedule can be installed overnight without any problems.”
Some on-board systems play an increasingly important role in invoicing subcontractors or advertising service providers. Erich Mecha gives an example: "passenger counting systems can serve as a basis for the distribution of revenue between transport operators and subcontractors. They also provide an indication of the number of views in relation to advertisements on passenger monitors."
“The structural requirements for a later switch to IBIS-IP or ITxPT can be taken into account when ordering.”
Future-proof configuration.
But what happens if a subcontractor is working for a transport company that still requires the IBIS standard? How can they prepare their Setra low-entry bus for future tenders according to the IBIS IP standard and thus set the course for the future? Erich Mecha knows what to do: "the design requirements for a later switch to IBIS-IP or ITxPT can already be taken into account when ordering. This makes it possible to route an Ethernet cable to the destination display. If this subsystem is then replaced at some point, all it takes is to plug it in. Done!"
