Passenger Information Systems

OnTime is a passenger information system available as a web portal and mobile application for Android and iOS devices, developed exclusively for PIXEL.

The solution provides passengers with access to up-to-date public transport information, including timetables, real-time and scheduled departures, vehicle locations, route information, operator announcements, and a journey planner.

Using data provided by the CeSIP fleet management system, including vehicle location data, the system can display not only scheduled timetables but also predicted arrival and departure times based on actual traffic and route conditions.

The OnTime system provides passengers with an interactive public transport network map showing stops, vehicles, and traffic information. The level of detail automatically adjusts to the map scale, with stops grouped together when zoomed out.

Users can select a line, view its route variants and course on the map, switch between directions, and check the list of upcoming stops. The map also displays the current positions of vehicles assigned to the selected line.

After selecting a specific vehicle, passengers can view information such as the direction of travel, vehicle fleet number, and current service. They can also check predicted arrival times at subsequent stops.

One of the key features of OnTime is the presentation of real-time information about upcoming departures. The system clearly distinguishes between two types of departure information:

• a time shown as, for example, “5 min” indicates a departure calculated on the basis of the vehicle’s current position and actual conditions along the route,
• a time shown in the “14:35” format indicates a scheduled departure based on the timetable, which has not yet been confirmed using the vehicle’s current GPS position.

This allows passengers to easily determine whether the displayed departure time is based solely on the timetable or already reflects the actual progress of the service. The portal also allows users to listen to information about upcoming departures.

OnTime allows users to search for stops by name, number, street, or town, as well as select them directly from the map.

For each stop, the system provides three main ways of presenting information:

• Scheduled timetable – a traditional tabular timetable for a specific line and day.
• Upcoming departures – current departure information based on real-time vehicle data.
• Chronological timetable – a time-ordered list of scheduled departures for all lines serving the selected stop.

After selecting a specific service, passengers can view its full route on the map and in the stop list, together with scheduled and predicted departure times.

OnTime also serves as a central communication channel for informing passengers about service changes and disruptions.

The system can publish text and graphic announcements assigned to specific lines, stops, vehicles, or areas.
This allows information about disruptions to be displayed directly alongside a given line, stop, or departure information. Announcements can include a category, validity period, and detailed content.

One of the more interesting features implemented in the OnTime application in Białystok is its integration with beacons installed at selected stops and in all public transport vehicles.

When a user enters the range of a beacon, the application automatically recognizes whether the signal comes from a stop or from a public transport vehicle. Based on this, it suggests the appropriate action:

• for a stop beacon – display the upcoming departures from the detected stop,
• for a beacon installed in a vehicle – display the current route of the bus.

If the application detects more than one beacon at the same time, it presents a list of recognized objects and allows the user to select the relevant one.

This solution therefore provides quick access to contextual information without the need to manually search for a stop or vehicle.

The material below demonstrates how the OnTime application works and how it interacts with beacons.