Bus Stop QR Codes Hit Seoul

When it comes to taking the public transportation, time is of essence. And patience. But in thriving Asian countries with a ridiculous number of cars on the road, pollution is a number one public problem. Authorities are constantly looking for new ways to get more people to take the public transportation instead of driving their own cars, especially during the work week.

We think South Korea may have found the perfect solution.

It was announced recently that in Seoul, there are QR Codes printed out and placed at bus stops in the metropolitan area. What the QR Code does is to tell passengers where EXACTLY is the bus that they are waiting for. The buses will also have their very own QR Codes.

The information accessed by mobile phone users are actually LIVE and in real time, hence, commuters know how long the wait is and decide whether they wish to wait or take a cab or the subway. With technology comes brilliant efficiency.

For those of you who is new to this whole QR Code and mobile technology topic, QR code stands for Quick Response. In essence, they are similar to the current 2d barcode system that we are using today, the barcodes printed on package and are scanned during checkout. However, QR Codes are far more efficient and can contain much more information within those boring-looking black and white boxes. The best thing about QR Code is using them, creating them and scanning them are all free of charge. That’s right, you do not need a specific scanner to scan them.

But you DO need is a QR Code reader and a smart phone or android. The phone will then use the cell phone’s camera as a scanner.

In Seoul, when commuters scan the QR Code found in bus stops, they can view schedules and time line for the buses online. These specifically-created mobile web pages can be updated automatically by the authorities, making public transportation more efficient and residents happier.