Improving Singapore Bus Timing App

I have some troubles using SBS Transit Iris on Android. Sometimes, the listed nearby bus stops do not include the bus stop I am in. Then, I need to find the bus service and look for the bus stop I am at. I came up with an idea of how to improve such app through NFC.

While NFC usage is not that popular, I think it could be utilised to improve bus stop searching in bus timing app. So, in every bus stop, an NFC tag is put to identify the bus stop we are at. Then, when we open the app, we could choose to scan the NFC right away instead of looking through a list of bus stops. This way, we could skip looking at the list of bus stops and quickly see the bus timing that we need.

Now, why NFC? Firstly, NFC tag is cheap. Secondly, the identifier of bus stop in Singapore is by 6-digit number which I believe could be contained in NFC tag. Thirdly, using it is as easy as using EZ-link - just tap. Of course probably we need to turn on some settings to enable scanning the NFC tag, but this could be put inside the bus timing app that will automatically turn on the scanner (and turn it off when we exit the app).

What about the app? Could it be made even more convenient? Of course! Instead of opening the app, it should have a widget! What does the widget do? The widget is simple: tap it to scan. That way, the use of the app will be very fast. Tap the widget, scan the NFC tag, and all the bus schedules will be listed.

What problem could arise from this? One problem I could foresee is crowding of people around the NFC tag. Indeed, it would be better if the whole bus stop is the scan area itself, which probably needs a different technology (and could spark debate on radiation and stuff). One workaround would be to make that whole board of bus information on the bus stops to be the NFC tag, then you have front and back with big area though probably with a higher cost. Of course, another workaround would be to put NFC tags on the safety barricades (am I using the correct term here?) which would have around 3 or 4 for every bus stop. There are many other solutions, but the idea is the same.

Hopefully such convenience comes soon :D And yeah, I hope I can find something like this, too, in Indonesia in the near future.