Case study · Alicante, Spain
Vectalia Bus — the shelter
that tells its own story.
How Vectalia (TAM) made Alicante's urban bus stops and the tourist Turibús accessible with NaviLens in 42 languages, starting from Plaza de los Luceros.
Vectalia / TAM
Operator of Alicante's urban transport
Shelters
NaviLens codes at urban stops and Turibús
42
Languages with voice readout
Real time
Lines, next arrivals and diversions
The client
Vectalia · TAM
Alicante urban bus
Vectalia runs Alicante's Urban Transport under the TAM brand: dozens of regular lines, night routes and the tourist Turibús (01, 02, 05, C6) connecting beach, old town and Santa Bárbara Castle.
With NaviLens, its shelters go from glass and vinyl to stops that speak: lines, destinations and schedules within reach of any traveller, in any language.
§ The challenge
So no one gets left off the bus.
- 01
Accessible bus information for everyone
LED boards, route numbers and maps stuck to the glass: low-vision, older or visiting travellers can't always read them. Vectalia needed a voice information layer, in any language.
- 02
Detection from afar and on the move
Users had to be able to locate the shelter without having to step up to read the sign. NaviLens is detected from several metres away, on the move and without focusing, even with the camera held at a distance.
- 03
A tourist network — Turibús included
Alicante combines regular urban lines with the tourist Turibús (01, 02, 05, C6). The stops needed to explain lines, routes and connections to international visitors too.
§ The solution
NaviLens on every
shelter.
Every stop carries a NaviLens code at the top of the shelter, next to the line panels. The app detects it from several metres away, with no need to focus.
The traveller hears the stop name, the lines that call there, their destination and information about the tourist Turibús, all in their own language — even with low vision or no Spanish.
§ Timeline
From one shelter to an accessible urban network.
- 2019
NaviLens on urban shelters
Vectalia installs NaviLens codes on shelters at strategic stops (Plaza de los Luceros and others) next to the line panels, as an accessible information layer for the entire TAM system.
- Sept 2019
European Mobility Week award
The 4th edition of the Valencian Community European Mobility Week Awards gives third prize to Alicante City Council and Vectalia for rolling out NaviLens across the bus fleet.
- Day to day
Lines and arrivals in 42 languages
Travellers point the NaviLens GO app and hear in their own language which lines stop, their destinations, the next departures and information about the tourist Turibús (01, 02, 05, C6).
§ What they said
What they said at launch.
“Este sistema se puso en marcha de forma piloto en las líneas especiales de Hogueras y resultó todo un éxito hasta el punto de que Masatusa lo ha implantado en todas las paradas, marquesinas y postes —unas 800— y en todos sus vehículos —alrededor de un centenar—.”
“La experiencia piloto durante las Hogueras resultó muy positiva y debemos agradecer la colaboración del Grupo Vectalia y el Ayuntamiento para poder disponer de un servicio más amable y cercano, que está en cabeza de los sistemas públicos de transporte más avanzados en materia de inclusión y accesibilidad.”
§ Results
A bus network anyone can use.
100%
Of shelter information available by voice
42
Languages — including Japanese, German, French and English
0
Visual barriers to finding the right line
"A bus stop is only really useful if everyone, in any language, knows which line stops there and where it goes."
§ And your network?
Your next station can also speak.
Tell us about your network, your pain points and the KPIs you want to move. We’ll show you how NaviLens would fit —with comparable cases.
