The first multifunction e-paper bus stop display goes on trial in Poland

Poznan strives to improve the passenger experience by replacing paper timetables with high-tech real-time information displays

Trapeze Poland, part of the Trapeze Group, a world leader in IT solutions for public transport, has recently announced a trial of Papercast electronic paper technology in Poznan, Poland.

For the next three months, people using public transport services from the Pl. Spring of Nations will have the opportunity to test the bus stop display. The trial will assess the passenger reaction and compare functionality with regular LED Displays, and if successful it is expected that e-paper will be rolled-out across the city’s transit network.

As a Papercast partner, Trapeze Poland supplied the e-paper display to Wielkopolskie Centrum Wspierania Inwestycji (WCWI), a local government unit responsible for finding innovative smart city solutions that contribute to the development of Poznan.

Mikołaj Kwiatkowski of Trapeze Poland: “Technologies supporting public transport are developing extremely fast. It important that we keep up with innovative solutions that meet the public’s expectation for well-presented, live travel information. E-paper displays provide an extremely user and environmentally friendly way of meeting demand and getting this information to passengers”.

The 13.3-inch Papercast e-paper display features four function buttons, allowing users to toggle through detailed and clearly presented travel information. This includes real-time arrival predictions (using the GTFS protocol), timetables and route maps, as well as text-to-speech audio announcements.

Credit: All photos courtesy of the City of Poznan

Rafał Ratajczak, Smart City Manager at WCWI: “Not only do these e-paper displays save on energy costs, but also removes the significant expense of changing paper timetables. When there is a timetable change, we can easily update remotely. If there is a delay or disruption, we can notify passengers instantly. Not only does this lead to cost savings, but it is much better for the people using the services.”

While the use of e-paper in bus stop displays is still considered new, Papercast was officially launched to the market in 2017 following extensive field trials. It has since experienced rapid adoption worldwide, including the UK, Germany, USA, Abu Dhabi and Singapore. Papercast is the most advanced technology of its kind, with the largest number of displays in operation globally.

The main advantage of e-paper is that it is sunlight readable with incredibly low power consumption, which means it can be solar powered. Connected wirelessly to the content management system, the Papercast displays can be viewed and updated remotely. E-paper is being used to replace paper timetables and to keep passengers informed with accurate arrival predictions at the bus stop. The standalone nature of Papercast displays means they can be fully operational within a few hours, compared to LED displays which require a power source.

Trapeze Poland is part of the Trapeze Group, a world leader in providing IT solutions for public transport. The company has been present in Poland for over 15 years, provided the first dynamic passenger information system in our country, participated in the implementation of the first autonomous bus, and supports many public transport operators and organizers on a daily basis.