Shared information requirements

Where can I go from here? Which services run tonight? Where do I change? Each question needs a different balance of detail. A geographical map, a line diagram and a spoken explanation can describe the same network while revealing different things.

The same quality requirements should apply across space, time, people, channels and scales. Different formats serve these contexts while preserving one coherent information language. Proposed studies would compare conventions against defined tasks before their inclusion in shared requirements.

A route should remain recognisable as its geometry changes. Shared identifiers connect stops, route paths and editorial choices. A crossing on a drawing does not establish a transfer: the underlying data must describe that connection.

Local names, route codes and network colours retain their meaning. OTI's own visual identity belongs to the interface; it does not replace the identity of a transport network.

Scheduled service, observed movement and an estimated arrival answer different questions. The proposed publication record identifies its source, relevant period and uncertainty. When information becomes stale or unavailable, its presentation should make that change understandable.

The draft OTI standard develops these principles into requirements for truthfulness, currency, provenance and consistency. Its requirements and conformance process are still being developed.

The experimental software checks defined properties such as coverage, label placement and contrast. Those diagnostics have a limited scope. Understanding a journey also calls for task-based evaluation with the people who will use the information.

The website provides route codes alongside colour, text station sequences, keyboard controls and reduced-motion states. Sound, touch and language introduce further research questions, with equivalent information across channels as the goal.