Implementation of a CAD/AVL System: Response of the Bus Drivers
Abstract
Denver's Regional Transportation District (RTD) installed new technology to upgrade radio communication, improve safety, and provide real-time vehicle surveillance. Some of the bus drivers' work procedures changed because they now have additional information and more accountability to maintain schedules and routes. Bus drivers had difficulty in the beginning learning how to send messages electronically, found it challenging to operate the silent alarm, and expressed discomfort with surveillance. They were uncomfortable with the variation in the length of time to obtain a response from the Dispatch Center. They liked receiving text messages because they can be stored. The bus drivers viewed the CAD/AVL system as an improvement but whose potential had yet to be achieved. Bus drivers' reactions to this implementation show that it is critical to consult the eventual users of a new technology and that they understand how the new features are intended to work.
View slides
