Shadowing

During the last week, we've been shadowing on bus passengers in order to observe them during their ride, ask them about their experience and most importantly to get a better picture of the needs that arise directly from the passengers. We believe that meeting those people and ask them about their feelings during their ride, while they are using a bus, is the most relevant way in order to understand what they NEED.

While shadowing different people, we decided to take some pictures and videos, so you can see and feel by yourself (or at least try to feel) what it is to be an Israeli bus passenger.

Specifically in my experience, the bus station where I was waiting was very dirty and unpleasant. It was raining the night before and there was just a small place for me to sit if I wanted not to get wet. Moreover, there were Clementine peels as you can see in the picture below.

A very unpleasant bus station in Tel Aviv

The second bus station I arrived was a very central one, near one of the rail stations in Tel Aviv. However, there were few places to sit, so most of the people found themselves standing while they were waiting the bus. I feel that improving the waiting experience at bus stations is a major need that arose from the shadowing I did.

Waiting the bus

On the opposing side, when I got on the bus there were many cute dolls. I'm guessing the bus driver was trying to make the passengers feel better and to put a smile on their face :)

A bus full of dolls

My friends did also shadowing and they found that many people complain about the bus schedule, the density, the bad smell at the bus and the fact that many people, especially those who sit with their back towards the direction of the ride, have to make an effort in order to see what's the next station. That's also because most of the people hear music with their headphones and can't hear what the public announcement says.

A very crowded bus

After all of us experienced a daily ride at an urban bus, we met and discussed the variety of needs. It wasn't easy to focus just on one need because we felt there are so many problems and needs that we wish to find a solution for them.

Finally, we decided to focus on improving the bus experience, including the density and the bad smell. We hope to find a good solution :)