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Authors:
Sarah Norgate
Nichola Street
Liz Smith
Chris Winstanley
Nigel Davies
Mike Harding
Tom Cherrett
Janet Dickenson
Chris Speed
Keywords: Smart Mobility; Walking School Bus; Application; Mobile Technology; Children
Abstract:
In this paper, we report research on the impact of a Smartphone enabled 'Walking School Bus' Application (WSB App) on parental waiting experience, with a view to influencing a reduction in school gate traffic congestion in European cities. The core concept of the WSB App is to enable parents to track - real-time - the arrival of their child’s WSB. This is through use of a moving icon representing the WSB as it sets off from the start and progresses along designated stops towards school, guided by an adult WSB coordinator. Our research aim was to understand how the cognitive appraisal of the waiting experience of the parents differed with and without the intervention of the WSB App. A sample of 46 parents were recruited from 6 primary schools in North West England, and baseline data were collected on their waiting experience either in the experimental (n=24) or control (n=22) group. Preliminary analyses involving a comparison between conditions showed no significant difference on perception of duration of wait or perception of punctuality. In addition, using ‘thematic’ analyses, three-quarters of respondents reported benefits; in particular, the timing and child use of the WSB were identified as beneficial. The wider implications of application of real-time information systems to modes of active transportation are discussed.
Pages: 38 to 42
Copyright: Copyright (c) IARIA, 2014
Publication date: July 20, 2014
Published in: conference
ISSN: 2308-3727
ISBN: 978-1-61208-363-6
Location: Paris, France
Dates: from July 20, 2014 to July 24, 2014