For most city dwellers, catching a bus means going to a designated stop and boarding a service travelling on a set route – a system unchanged for decades.

Discussion:  Phillips, the giant electronics company, is designing a new bus system that will revolutionize public transportation.  Commuting by bus hasn’t changed for decades, and Phillips believes the industry is ready for some drastic changes.  One of the biggest changes will be an app that should reduce the occurrence of empty busses driving predetermined routes.  Using the app, passengers will be able to log in and mark where they wish to go from and where they want to end up, and then the bus company should be able to respond to current demand more efficiently.    

Source:  BBC News

Date:  March 28, 2013

Link:  http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20130327-new-bus-stop-for-flexible-travel

Discussion Questions:

• How do street lights and bluetooth play a part in Phillips’ public transportation changes?
• What is wrong with the current bus transportation system’s design?