Dublin Bus scheme by AIG and Image Now

The city of Dublin is set to benefit from the creation of a major bus information system, designed by Applied Information Group and Dublin graphics consultancy Image Now.

The project has been conceived for the city’s biggest bus company Dublin Bus, which is also aiming to roll out new street furniture across its network alongside the bus information system.

Dublin Bus appointed Image Now in 2006 to design a new visual identity and to subcontract a consultancy capable of creating a bus information system. Image Now subsequently brought AIG on board 18 months ago, after hearing about its city wayfinding projects.

The Irish capital has been widely criticised for its poor bus information system, which fails to indicate which side of the street passengers should use to catch buses travelling in a particular direction.

‘The key words in the brief were clarity, visibility, continuity and simplicity,’ says Image Now project manager Helena Dilleen, who recently left the group to set up her own PR company, but is still working on the Dublin Bus account on a freelance basis.

‘The new yellow, black, cyan and white branding is reminiscent of the New York subway branding,’ she says.
 
 The first new bus stop was recently installed on O’Connell Street, with a further 80 due to be rolled out across the city centre by the end of the year.

The new bus stands will house AIG’s new information system in vandal-resistant display units. The system consists of a restructured timetable based on bus frequency and a new map of the bus network inspired by the London Underground map.

The network map will incorporate key rail and Dublin Luas light rail interchange points and feature ‘You are here’ indicators on key stops. Image Now and AIG are also working on a new Dublin Bus website offering timetable information online.

‘The new system will mean that even our newest customer will be able to easily access information about all local routes and thus be able to confidently use the bus,’ says Dublin Bus marketing and information manager Dawn Bailey.

The state-funded bus company is this week fighting off accusations of illegally edging failed bus firm Circle Line off the road by upping the number of its own buses on its rival’s route, something Dublin Bus strongly denies. Reports in the Irish press over the weekend claim Dublin Bus is under scrutiny from The Oireachtas Committee on Transport, following allegations of misuse of public funds.

GETTING DUBLIN ON THE MOVE
2006 – Dublin Bus appoints local consultancy Image Now to rebrand it and design street furniture
2007 – Image Now subcontracts Applied Information Group to create bus map and timetable system
2008 – first bus stop featuring integrated transport map installed in the city centre
End 2008 – 80 bus stops installed throughout Dublin city centre