In the past, traditional buses came only with radios, as the sole form of entertainment. The radios were controlled by the driver — meaning all passengers had to listen to the driver’s choice of music. However, things have now changed a great deal thanks to technological advancement. Nowadays, a bus entertainment system allows for more personalized choices for each passenger and offers many more options than a simple radio or music system. As well as the technological developments, the bus entertainment system has changed to match competition in the market and to meet the ever more demanding needs of more sophisticated customers.
Forms of bus entertainment system
Here are some of the common components of bus entertainment system:
Music system
In the past, the bus music system was an AM/FM radio which also had a cassette player. Later, the music system had a CD player to replace the cassette player. Today, the music system is an advanced one that comes with USB ports, has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity making it possible to pair with mobile devices or even to stream-live music from sources like YouTube. Also, some buses have devices for each commuter giving the passengers the freedom to choose their preferred music on touch screens and other devices.
Wi-Fi
People have become so attached to their internet-enabled devices and are unwilling to lose their connectivity anywhere, even on buses. Therefore, a good Wi-Fi connection is a crucial component of any bus entertainment system. As passengers commute to work or back home after their workdays, they maximize their travel time using their gadgets and Wi-Fi. They can catch up on news, connect with friends and relatives on social media, tackle some school assignments, do some work-related tasks, and so on. Some buses and other means of transport have devices that passengers can use by connecting to the Wi-Fi and find their preferred entertainment options.
Bus TV
Some buses have TV monitors installed which may be shared or there could be a small TV screen in the back of each seat where each passenger can select their entertainment option of choice. These TV monitors can also include advanced features such as ads based on GPS locations, rich media content, safety, and life skills videos, and many others. As Wi-Fi is also available commuters may also enjoy live movie streaming and music streaming on their screens.
Benefits of bus entertainment system
The various forms of bus entertainment system have tons of benefits, mainly to the passengers, but also to the bus operators. Some of the benefits of the entertainment systems include:
Improved travel experience
Commuting can be boring and even stressful, especially when it is a long journey. At other times, traffic jams make normally short journeys take much longer. However, with various forms of entertainment available, the commute becomes more enjoyable. The easy access to music, videos, news, and other things keeps travelers occupied making their trip less boring.
Help passengers optimize their travel time
Because people spend so many hours on the road every day, it would be best to make the most of that time. Fortunately, a good bus entertainment system comes in handy to optimize the time spent on the daily commute because passengers can get the latest news updates, shop online, tackle some classwork and catch up with friends among other things. Wi-Fi offers so many benefits to travelers besides entertainment. The bus TV is also a great innovation because it brings the commuters useful GPS location-based adverts as well as other exciting stuff. All of these make the traveling experience enjoyable. Fortunately, bus owners and managers can get more information on bus entertainment systems easily on the website of the leading seller of the systems.
Help in differentiating services from competitors
In the market for bus commuter services, there is little difference between what different bus companies offer. As a result, it becomes necessary to give customers a reason or several reasons to choose your company over others. The extra services or benefits that the bus operator offers passengers make a real difference. For example, if one company has individual TV screens, unlimited Wi-Fi, and other services, and another has basic entertainment like shared TV monitors, customers will choose the one with more extras even when they pay more.
Improve customer service
The customer is the king and is the sole reason for any business’s existence. For this reason, businesses have to do everything within their means to give their customers the best service possible. Luckily, a good bus entertainment system helps bus companies to enhance their customer service level and make commuters feel appreciated. That way, the companies get some loyal customers who give them constant business and even help them in marketing through referrals — especially by word of mouth and positive reviews.
More Profits for the bus companies
When a bus operator has the best bus entertainment system on their buses, they build a good customer base and gain dependable loyal customers. The constant customer flow to their business and buying their services make them generate good profits. This keeps the business going and expanding making more gains.
Downsides of bus entertainment system
Although the bus entertainment system plays a great role in the transport sector and has a ton of benefits, we can point out a few disadvantages of the system:
- It may cause a distraction to the driver posing a risk of accidents
- Some companies may overcharge commuters as they hide behind offering extra services in terms of the bus entertainment system.
- Commuters tend not to be social and do not interact with each other as they are engrossed in various forms of entertainment like the bus TV, browsing the internet using the Wi-Fi, and so on
Choosing a bus entertainment system
When bus companies are considering installing a bus entertainment system in their fleet vehicles, they need to consider some things. These include:
- The compatibility of the systems with the vehicle’s technology – some systems come installed with the vehicle but others are fitted later. For those installed later, it would help to ensure the vehicle can support them.
- The cost of the system – bus companies need to invest in entertainment systems that they can afford and will not plunge their business into debt or force them to overcharge customers.
- The variety of forms of entertainment – entertainment system components that offer many options such as Wi-Fi are better.
Conclusion
A good bus entertainment system is a worthy investment for bus companies because it provides many benefits for both the customers and the companies. The best systems offer a variety of options and even individualized entertainment and improve the commuting experience.
