User requirements on intermodal traveler information systems

To enable people to travel flexibly and individually, new forms of mobility need to be supported. Intermodal traveler transportation combines several means of transportation during one trip and, thus, is a promising way to respond to this challenge. To support travelers, the quality of traveler information and the way of providing this information need to be improved by communication experts in terms of useful intermodal traveler information systems (ITIS). The literature-based study presented in this paper investigates user requirements on ITIS of both, travelers and app users. The study is part of an interdisciplinary project that deals with intermodal traveler transport. Due to the complexity of the needs for information regarding traveling, the findings reveal a diverse range of requirements. In the study, the requirements were grouped inductively into four categories: general travel-related, travel task-related, transport-related, and app-related requirements. Considering the requirement categories, implications for the design of ITIS are discussed: Considering merely app-related requirements is not sufficient to create a high quality ITIS. Moreover, the requirements related to the context of traveling — such as how to find the right station on time — should be considered.