Blind and visually impaired tram and bus passengers will now be able to navigate more independently around Edinburgh thanks to new features introduced to the Transport for Edinburgh mobile app.
Councillor Lesley Hinds, Transport Convener and Chair of Transport for Edinburgh, said:
We are committed to providing accessible travel for everyone in Edinburgh, and this app will further enable passengers to make the most of the services on offer.
This is one of many innovations by Transport for Edinburgh to create a modern, integrated network for the city, allowing us to provide one of the most accessible public transport services in Scotland.
Working closely with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and the Royal Blind School, the company has updated its existing app to include key features to assist blind and visually impaired travellers using Edinburgh Trams and Lothian Buses services.
The free app (available on Apple and Android Smartphones) now includes VoiceOver technology which will allow blind and visually impaired customers to have any information on the app spoken to them including next stop announcements and walking directions to a tram or bus stop. With the app installed, a customer can simply point their mobile phone at a bus or tram stop and the phone will announce the name of the stop and where they can go from there.
John McEvoy, Digital Designer at Transport for Edinburgh, said:
This has been a real partnership with the RNIB and Royal Blind School over many months to make our app as user-friendly for our blind and visually impaired passengers as possible.
We’ve received really positive feedback about the app following trials with members of the RNIB and are delighted to finally make it available to the public. It’s the next step in app technology and we’re really proud to be the first bus company to launch it in the UK.
The app provides real-time departure information for every bus and tram stop in Edinburgh. It also knows which tram or bus a passenger is travelling on using GPS, and can announce the next stop even if the phone is locked and in the passenger's pocket. This means blind passengers won't miss their stop.