Hermes - An Approach to Mass Transit Guidance with Mobile Devices

Mobility, understood as the possibility to move around, is an important part of human life. Sociologistshave even called mobility a vital principle for the individual and society. Mobility needs may besatisfied in several ways: independently by motorized and non-motorized individual traffic, by meansof mass transit or by mixed forms like taxis or park and ride systems. In regard of the negative effectsof motorized individual traffic on the environment and the traffic situation in cities it is generally agreedthat mass transit ought to be strengthened. A main problem of mass transit systems is the complexityof their usage. Time tables have to be found and understood, connections must be combined andtickets purchased. This problem could be improved by using mobile end devices. This article presentsHermes, a software to be installed on smartphones...