Our province of Verbania faces significant challenges with its public transportation system. Multiple companies (at least 3-4) operate independently, each maintaining separate timetables in non-digital formats.
The core issue isn’t just the fragmentation of services – it’s the inaccessibility of the information. To find schedule information, users must:
- Identify which company services their desired route
- Navigate to that company’s website
- Locate the specific route page
- Download and interpret a PDF timetable
I’ve begun experimenting with digitizing these timetables using language models to parse the PDF data. While results vary and have limitations, I’m continuing to refine the approach.
The project has evolved beyond simple data parsing – creating an intuitive user interface is equally important. Further considerations include:
- Planning multi-leg journeys (A→B→C)
- Integrating geolocation data for stops (planned for later phases)
My immediate goal is developing a functional prototype. Once proven effective, I’ll implement automation and additional features to create a comprehensive solution for our community.Retry