Fiedler and Ellrich – VERGLEICHENDE BEWERTUNG HEUTE ŰBLICHER FAHRPLANBŰCHER 1978

Description

The study compares timetable books of 41 VOV transport companies (reference period 1975–1978; 77% of passenger kilometres). The handiness, structure, content and presentation of the timetable tables were examined; Page numbers of all books have been converted to a standard format of 11×15 cm. Findings: There is a great variety in format (10×14.6 to 20×23 cm), size (converted on average approx. 320 pages, without large composites approx. 250), weight (50–520 g) and layout; only 11 books are still “pocketable”. Two-thirds appear in portrait format; the most common classification system is by line number (44%). In terms of content, many books have a high proportion of timetables (average 71.4%), but different additional information: 39% have an alphabetical list of stops, 51.2% have route maps, 26.8% DB connections, maps or P+R lists are partly included. Methods of displaying the tables vary greatly; Symbols and divergent conventions can be confusing. Conclusion: Despite the commitment of the companies, inconsistent designs make it difficult for passengers who are unfamiliar with the area. [Original in German]