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A new automated voice annunciation system will facilitate a more inclusive community for all public transit users across the province.
Photo Credit: KelownaNow.com.
On Tuesday, BC Transit announced that it plans to purchase and install a Trekker Breeze + on every bus in the Victoria Regional Transit system starting this fall. The Trekker Breeze + will provide clear and precise GPS annunciation of stops on transit, helping visually-impaired individuals to easily find their way around town.
BC Transit will begin system implementation on Victoria buses and will then start rolling out similar systems throughout the rest of the province. BC Transit will work with operating partners in communities across the province, pending on the outcome of the project in Victoria. Implementation in Victoria will occur in stages starting with 25 buses.
“This product supports the needs of our visually-impaired customers and our operators while also respecting taxpayers,” said Manuel Achadinha, President and CEO of BC Transit.
“Members of the Canadian Federation of the Blind are very pleased that BC Transit is taking concrete steps to equip our buses with automated GPS stop annunciation devices,” said representative Oriano Belusic. “Five of us had an opportunity to test drive a demonstration bus that worked very well and with some fine tuning the new system will definitely make public transit more accessible for blind riders and many others.”
According to BC Transit, the Trekker Breeze+ provides a cost-effective, readily available, and proven voice annunciation product that is used by visually-impaired persons around the world.
The price for a new annunciation device ranges in the ball park of around $880 plus taxes. Considering the amount of buses in Victoria and the cost of installation, the project is expected to cost just under $400,000.
The cost of the new system will be funded via the capital budget and will be shared between the province and the Victoria Regional Transit System.
For more information on the upcoming project, click here.
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