<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR>Iris, experiencing inconsistency at a price
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->I SENT a paid SMS to SBS Transit's Intelligent Route Information System (Iris) for the next bus arrival time for service 506 last Friday at 9.35pm. It replied that the next bus would arrive in 55 minutes. I understand that during off-peak hours, the frequency can be up to 25 minutes, but 55 minutes did not seem right.
I went to the Iris website for confirmation and got the same bus arrival time.
On the same website, I tried a different approach by inquiring what time the bus would leave the terminal and it showed, in four minutes. I rushed down to the bus stop and waited.
While waiting, I accessed the mobile version of Iris on my cellphone with Wi-Fi. It showed the bus 'arriving'. Even after I had waited for 10 minutes, it never did arrive.
At the same time, I received a free update informing me that the bus would arrive in 39 minutes, and the reason: 'Bus delayed along the way'. I live about five stops from Upper East Coast bus terminal. I cannot imagine any delay that could result in a 40-minute difference in prediction.
First, the system is highly inconsistent, depending on which site you access and how you access information.
Second, it is unfair that users are expected to pay a nominal sum to access such services when they are inconsistent and inaccurate.
This is just one of numerous times I have been let down by Iris and it leaves me extremely frustrated, not to mention cheated that I have to pay for something that is inaccurate.
I understand there are traffic conditions beyond the prediction capabilities of the system, but this incident truly undermines everything Iris is trying to promote - the ability to plan one's journey with the help of this service.
I hope the system can be improved. In the meantime, do not make users pay for something that cannot justify its cost.
Mark Goh
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->I SENT a paid SMS to SBS Transit's Intelligent Route Information System (Iris) for the next bus arrival time for service 506 last Friday at 9.35pm. It replied that the next bus would arrive in 55 minutes. I understand that during off-peak hours, the frequency can be up to 25 minutes, but 55 minutes did not seem right.
I went to the Iris website for confirmation and got the same bus arrival time.
On the same website, I tried a different approach by inquiring what time the bus would leave the terminal and it showed, in four minutes. I rushed down to the bus stop and waited.
While waiting, I accessed the mobile version of Iris on my cellphone with Wi-Fi. It showed the bus 'arriving'. Even after I had waited for 10 minutes, it never did arrive.
At the same time, I received a free update informing me that the bus would arrive in 39 minutes, and the reason: 'Bus delayed along the way'. I live about five stops from Upper East Coast bus terminal. I cannot imagine any delay that could result in a 40-minute difference in prediction.
First, the system is highly inconsistent, depending on which site you access and how you access information.
Second, it is unfair that users are expected to pay a nominal sum to access such services when they are inconsistent and inaccurate.
This is just one of numerous times I have been let down by Iris and it leaves me extremely frustrated, not to mention cheated that I have to pay for something that is inaccurate.
I understand there are traffic conditions beyond the prediction capabilities of the system, but this incident truly undermines everything Iris is trying to promote - the ability to plan one's journey with the help of this service.
I hope the system can be improved. In the meantime, do not make users pay for something that cannot justify its cost.
Mark Goh
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