In order for more accessibility and comfort for all passengers, including people with children’s wheelchairs and passengers with heavy luggage, Viennese company for public transport Wiener Linien has introduced a new app called “Liftboy”.
Inspired by the idea of traditional Liftboy – a person calling for an elevator and opens the door – the application allows contactless elevator management via Bluetooth. Anything that the user needs is a smartphone with a Bluetooth and location activated. At a distance of up to 15 meters, users can call the elevator, and not even need to tap the keys on the device itself.
Apart from convenience, “Liftboy” also offers additional functionality – extended elevator door opening time. Instead of a standard three, the door can be kept open to as much as twelve seconds, which especially means to those who enter or exit the elevator slower.
The application has been carefully developed according to the principles of accessibility: It is compatible with screen readers, operates and without an internet connection, and is adapted for Android (from version 9) and IOS devices (from version 14). All app connected to the application are clearly marked with QR code labels and additional information.
Another important newspaper is an extended voice functionality on the pillars to call the elevator. If the elevator is not in a function due to failure, users will hear it in English, which further ensures inclusiveness and for people with vision or hearing impairment.
Wiener Linien has been in charge for years in the implementation of the barrier solution in public transport. All buses are low-floor, most trams and metro are adapted to people with disabilities, and metro stations are equipped with tactile strips for blind and visually impairments. Also, the digital e-panper board offer information visible and clear to all passengers.
Thanks to these efforts, Vienna received the prestigious Award Award Award of the European Union last fall, and the offer of Wiener Linien was prominent as a key reason for recognition.
Given that by the end of 2025. All network elevators will be equipped with this technology, “Liftboy” announces a new era of comfort, safety and inclusiveness, with a simple click on the cell phone.
Photo: Wiener Linien / Maximilian Döringer
(Vijesti.ba)
