Facilitating Paratransit Services in Arizona

Changing technology is continuing to make it easier for local governments and other providers to meet the evolving transportation needs of individuals with hearing and visual disabilities.

Today, providers of paratransit services have tools they can integrate into their existing technology that not only make it easier for those with sight or hearing issues to use their systems, but also make it possible to minimize distractions to drivers. 

At TSO Mobile, we are working closely with many paratransit providers to integrate real-time tracking solutions with a variety of other solutions that offer important information to both passengers and system managers.

At the recent Arizona Transit Authority AzTA/ADOT Transit Conference in Phoenix, our team was on hand to demonstrate the many solutions we offer to paratransit providers, which are all available under one platform.

Several communities in Arizona,  are partnering with us to strengthen their paratransit services and also provide enhanced passenger-centered solutions to those with special needs.

Using TSO Mobile's Audio Visual Annunciator System and our GPS Tracking system, Cotton Express paratransit service now makes it easier for many passengers with sight or hearing disabilities to stay up to date on the location of the vehicle they're traveling on and to know when the vehicle will be approaching its next stop.

The annunciator system includes ADA compliant LED visual displays for those with hearing disabilities and also audio announcements for those with visual impairments. The AVAS takes the burden of making announcements about upcoming stops off drivers, making it safer and easier for them to focus on the road.

Combining our GPS tracking technology with a mobile voice-information system, TSO Mobile also makes it possible for those with special needs to call a specific number on their mobile phone for voice information that alerts them when the scheduled paratransit vehicle they're expecting will arrive.

Through our GPS tracking platform we are helping several communities in Arizona, as well as in other parts of the country stay aware of the location of their paratansit vehicles and also track data.

Today when a customer calls to request paratransit services, the information can be entered into our system, which will collect data for the day of services and create a route.

Once the route is created, we have a solution that forwards the information to a driver through a tablet or terminal(MDT). Our integrated tracking system makes it possible for system operators to monitor the location of each paratransit vehicle. Our integrated platforms also make it possible for drivers and system operators to communicate in real time electronically.

Our services are also being used in Arizona by Communities who are seeking to integrate transportation services provided by multiple tribes under a common application. 

TSO Mobile - Passenger Centered Solutions

Don’t Stop Believin’ at 2015 LCT Show

TSO Mobile recently exhibited at the 2015 International Limousine, Charter & Tour (LCT) Show, which was held at the Venetian & Palazzo Resort Hotel Casinos in Las Vegas. The LCT Show stands as the world's largest annual global convention and trade show in the industry. The 2015 "Don't Stop Believin'" themed show, lasting from March 16-18, celebrated its 31^st year and welcomed over 100 chauffeured transportation vehicles carrying industry professionals to the ultimate destination for operators around the globe seeking education, product showcases and peer-to-peer networking with more than 130 showcase exhibitors.   

The Show's rock n' roll theme captured the remarkable industry comeback from the recession while hinting at the numerous challenges ahead that will undoubtedly require hard work and perseverance. Attending and exhibiting operators represented limousine operations from around the world – large international providers along with local market, small-fleet affiliates, and the industry's largest vendors – to display their latest products. We were very proud to display our logistics solutions at the Show, giving attendees an opportunity to explore all of the powerful features available to track and monitor limousine fleets.

Showcasing our all-in-one solution capabilities to perform dispatching tasks from any location, we were excited to show how these transportation operators are given the ability to track limousines and their drivers in real-time with GPS tracking while maximizing business workflow and productivity.

The LCT Show addressed the transition from predominantly stretch limousines to vans, mini-buses and motor coaches, the "new stretches" of the 21^st Century, evolving each year as more and more operators combine group transportation with luxury-quality level service. With progressing technology, these new and changing operations are faced with new logistics solutions opportunities for efficient management. These include app-oriented technologies carrying the potential to streamline limousine operations and reduce overhead costs while accommodating on-demand clients, like those of our mobile apps, allowing tracking and dispatching tasks to be completed from anywhere.

DSE 2015 Says WOW is NOW

The 2015 Digital Signage Expo (DSE) held at the Las Vegas Convention Center took place this month in Nevada, where TSO Mobile was able to attend the world's largest conference and tradeshow of digital display and interactive technologies. The conference and trade show  lasting from March 10-13, is exclusively dedicated to showcasing innovative digital communications and interactive technology solutions for both customer and employee-facing organizations.

With advancing solutions in digital display, TSO Mobile on-board advertising was a clear fit to the DSE's vision of digital signage benefits in transportation. The Expo details how the use of these digital displays has the ability to broadcast multiple notifications to travelers, display real-time announcements, centrally control and schedule messaging, and ultimately, become an additional revenue source when incorporating advertising. With the ability to inform and engage passengers, TSO Mobile digital advertising allows transportation facilities to efficiently connect with their commuters, whether at stations where they sit and wait or while riding vehicles daily.

DSE 2015 has played a significant role in the fast-paced industry of digital display's growth and development. The event welcomed over 200 exhibitors and brought in a number of representative decision-makers from several key industries including transportation, advertising executives, brand marketers and system integrators from around the globe. An innovative leader in mobile resource management and logistics products and services, TSO Mobile puts faith into its on-board advertising systems through use of digital signage screens, a revenue generation tactic for transportation operations in any field. As the company is always assessing the evolving technology of the modern business, the company holds a striving record of providing cutting-edge web-based software solutions to commercial and consumer markets.

How are you using the latest technology?

It is no secret that technology has revolutionized the way that business is conducted in today's world. With advances in communication and information technology, the aspects in operating a successful business are often reliant on the ability to share and receive information as quickly and efficiently as possible. One of the latest and most popular forms of continuously progressing technology is that of mobile devices and applications integrated within these devices.

 

Within the fleet management industry, with the assistance of mobile technology and applications, fleet managers are able to operate their businesses on the go, while gaining significant benefits. With mobile integration of applications, fleet management offices are able to maximize productivity, improve communication, optimize scheduling, reduce costs, provide better customer service and improve the overall performance of a fleet.

 

With GPS Fleet Tracking mobile apps, connected fleets can be listed on one single screen and provide real-time control about the whereabouts of vehicles. Increased productivity is achieved through an applications' ability to access and select any and all vehicles within a fleet. Through different map views, it is easy to see and schedule route navigations while receiving constantly updated information about current and historical locations. With the capability to manage vehicles from anywhere, work orders can even be placed and processed with the push of a button. GPS tracking of vehicles, giving exact locations and information, can then give agencies the power to communicate with riders about scheduling and timing.

 

Because of a mobile applications' ease of use, communication between drivers and operators is also made more efficient. Real time chat and messaging capabilities are accomplished as different updates and statuses arise and need to be reported. Communication is instant, making solutions to problems or concerns easy and effective. The sharing of information then quickens the decision-making process in reducing costs of fleet performances when affected, such as tracking fuel usage.

 

Mobile applications allow the most important tools of a GPS Fleet Tracking System to become accessible at the palm of your hand, at the touch of a screen. With mobile apps that integrate with GPS Fleet Tracking Systems such as those of TSO Mobile, fleet operators are able to access professional versions of web systems that lets them track vehicles and entire fleets on the go. It also serves to relay detailed, important information and historical activity concerning monitored fleets. 

 

The TSO Mobile "TSO Fleet Pro" GPS Fleet Tracking App may be downloaded from Google Play for Android phones and in the App Store for use on iPhones.

 

Published by Mass Transit Magazine on February 9, 2015