State of the art analysis

For my state of the art analysis, I have looked around for apps and websites about taking a pram or a stroller on public transportation. There was not that much information about our chosen target group and use context.

Most of the official websites I could find, focused on practical matters like where the strollers should be placed, whether or not the passanger with a stroller travels for free and the maximum number of strollers permitted on the different buses. A lot of forums and blogs discuss this topic as well, and the advice ranges from 'don't be afraid to ask other passengers for help' to 'it's probably best to just have the baby in a carrier'. A lot of blogs recommend looking for a bus stop that is less likely to be busy or chose less popular travelling hours. This somewhat confirms our theory that such an app is needed.

I downloaded a couple of apps for parents with strollers. The first one is a Swedish app called AVIVA. It helps the users find places where they are welcome with a stroller, where they can change nappies and where they are allowed to breast feed. When the user opens the app, it will find all the nearest baby-friendly locations. The user can also search for a specific area or cafe/museum/restaurant. The second app is a Japanese metro travel-app called Yamanote Line Exit that tells the user what stations have elevators and where to get on the train. The interface is a list of stations and the information 'Elevator', 'No Elevator' and where on the station the train stops.

I also had a look at an app for users with similar problems - travleeing with a wheelchair on public transportation.

The german app Wheelmap will give the user about the same type of information as AVIVA but it also includes travel info. It has its own category called 'Verker' (transportion) that tells the user where the closest bus or metro stop facilitated for wheelchair users is.

I even got a chance to ride a bus with my friend and her baby in rush hour. I found this research very useful because actually experiencing what it's like to push a pram on to a super full bus and seeing how the other passengers try to avoid moving or giving up their seats for the pram, gave me an insight in issues with taking a stroller on the bus. It surprised me how un cooperative other passengers are. 

In conclusion, I have discovered that there are many apps that tells the user where to find the nearest stop with an elevator or easy access for passengers with a pram or a wheelchair, but no apps that tell the user where and when to find buses with room for prams and wheelchairs.