We were amused to read a publicity brochure from Keolis entitled 'Helping authorities make the right choice'.

In the brochure, Keolis claim that they won a key contract in Melbourne - the world's largest tramway - because they 'think like a passenger'.

But that's something IARO has always said too - that people designing systems need to think like a passenger!

It's nice to be flattered!

Airports Council International produce a series of best practice guides based on their regular Airport Service Quality benchmarking exercise. The one on Baggage Carts (trolleys), published in 2008, has some interesting statistics.

Airports where carts are free to use score higher on "Availability of baggage carts" than those which charge or ask for a deposit.

90% of airports have carts which can be used in lifts, 62% on moving walkways, and 12% on escalators.

44% have brakes, although the report doesn't say what sort.

The usual ones at airports have brakes which are only on - applied - when a passenger activates them, usually by holding two parts of the handle together.

By contrast, carts used on railway stations normally have the brakes on unless someone holds the two parts of the handle together: only then is the brake off and the cart can move. This, obviously, is a safety measure - no-one wants baggage carts on a railway line!

But it does pose a problem when the station is at an airport. What kind of cart do you use? If you use one where the brake isn't normally on, then it can't be safely used on the station - passengers can't take them to the train door.

An issue for airport railways!

I've written before about the fact that getting a driving licence is no longer the first ambition of a 17 year old - and consequently licence holding is dropping.

Latest figures from National Travel Statistics, for Great Britain 2009, confirm this.

In 1995/7, 43% of people aged between 17 and 20 had a licence: by 2009 that figure was 36%. The drop has affected the next age cohort too: for those between 21 and 29, in 1995/7 74% had a licence whereas in 2009 it was 65%.

If you just look at males, figures are even more dramatic.

In 1995/7, 50% of those between 17 and 20 had a licence: in 2009 it was 37%. For their elders (21-29) it was 80% in 1995/7 and 67% in 2009.

Next time someone says, "Everyone's got a car these days", tell them!

An interesting article in the May/June issue of ITS International discussed a Dutch experiment to test peoples' willingness to stop driving a single-occupancy vehicle in the peak.

Individual volunteers were able to decide how to change their trip pattern - car-pooling, public transport, cycling, flexible hours and home-working were all alternatives used.

Two different kinds of reward were offered for success. Some could have a smart phone with added services (travel and traffic information). Others were offered varying amounts of money - between 3 and 7 Euros for each peak trip avoided.

The 340 volunteers reduced their peak travel by 50%, and the greatest part of this was for a reward of 3 Euros a trip. Those who wanted to earn a smart phone did more peak avoiding than was necessary to earn it.

Those who cycled found the experience positive. They found it healthier and found themselves fitter as a result. They were also far less inclined to sit in rows of stationary traffic: they wanted to take positive action to avoid it. They found the travel information service very helpful in this respect.