The problem:
The existing public transport doesn't pay enough attention to different special needs groups such as the visually impaired, children or the elderly. We want Helsinki to be the city where the people can use public transport smoothly regardless of age or capability.
Currently, it is very difficult for visually impaired people to get the right bus to stop, especially during rush hour or if the bus is late. On the other hand, children can easily panic if they are not familiar with the route and the info screen with stop names is missing or faulty.
Solution: STOP 2.0
The main purpose of the STOP 2.0 is to allow the traveller to give information for the driver about their wish to stop the bus. The application uses small iBeacon Bluetooth transmitters for location. Both the buses and the stops have iBeacon transmitters, so the user is able to identify the beacon and ask the bus to stop on the right place: either from the bus stop for the approaching vehicle or from inside the bus.
STOP 2.0 makes use of the new driver's devices of Helsinki Region Transport (https://www.hsl.fi/en/newdevices/forprosessionals). The driver's device is a computer for the driver that supplies real-time information about the traffic and locations of the other vehicles on the same route. STOP 2.0 is integrated into the driver's device to notify the driver about the need to stop at a certain bus stop.