Bus riders who use a cell phone app that lets them know when to expect the next bus express more satisfaction with public transit, even though the number of buses or frequency of their arrival doesn’t change, researchers have found.
Researchers also found these commuters were more accurate than others in estimating their wait time. It’s a matter of giving a sense of control to the commuters.
Waiting for a bus, researchers say, is particularly irksome for riders because they don’t know when the next bus will arrive and may have little to distract them while waiting. Researchers say people waiting in these and similar situations often think they’ve waited twice as long as they actually have.
Providing real-time information about bus arrival times not only relieves a lot of this anxiety, but allows commuters to actually wait fewer minutes, because they’re able to plan their ride with more precision.
