Turin modernizes passenger transport services with Papercast

As part of its modernisation programme, Gruppo Torinese Trasporti S.p.A. (GTT), Turin’s local transport company, has installed Papercast next generation solar powered e-paper bus stop display system across the city. Papercast is being used to not only to modernise the city with a sustainable technology, but also to improve passenger satisfaction.

GTT set out to replace its current LCD based passenger information system with a sustainable, standalone, solar powered display solution. During extensive supplier due diligence, GTT evaluated like-for-like product performance during field testing and selected Papercast’s e-paper display technology.

GTT says: “We didn’t set-out specifically with e-paper in mind. We knew that technological advancements had surpassed LCDs and LEDs in outdoor, standalone environments but were open minded around the technology we moved forward with. E-paper, in particular Papercast’s technology, far exceeded our expectations”.

The current LCD and LED passenger information displays can be a drain on power, requiring battery replacements every two-weeks across the network. Papercast 13.3” e-paper displays with 20W solar power modules are operational across central Turin. The displays are fully integrated into GTTs live GTFS data feed to show live arrival information – without the need to ever change batteries.

“Papercast has demonstrated that it has a far superior technology compared to the alternatives. It offers significantly better power efficiency and wins on all other technical points, including screen visibility, content management and overall design,” adds GTT.

The programme is part of a wider city modernisation programme throughout Turin, with the primary aim to improve the quality of information provided to passengers at the bus stop with a self-sustainable future proof solution that can be indefinitely solar powered.

“We are thrilled that GTT has selected Papercast’s technology for this landmark programme. This underlines the preference that global transport leaders have for Papercast, because they can validate that our system delivers unbeatable performance, features and usability,” said Robert Bicket, CEO of Papercast. “There is an increasing need to deliver more sophisticated live content to bus stops, using a signage technology that is completely self-sustainable. Papercast offers the perfect solution”.

Papercast’s range of solar powered, wireless e-paper bus stop displays provide excellent outdoor visibility and have been engineered with leading design principles of superior functionality and exceptionally low energy consumption. Completely stand-alone, the displays can be easily installed ‘off-the-grid’ within hours and the cloud-based data management platform provides complete control and real-time data integration.