London bus queues to get real-time updates

Transport for London (TfL) is upgrading real-time passenger information signs on the capital’s bus network to improve accuracy and support plans for a £120m satellite tracking system.

The 2,000 existing Countdown signs that tell people at bus stops which services are on their way are to be replaced.

The new signs will support TfL’s iBus programme to fit more than 8,000 vehicles with next-generation radios, onboard computers and GPRS to manage services more effectively.

They will also provide more precise predictions of arrival times, and include extra information relating to connecting services and the status of London Underground lines.

The upgraded signs will be more sophisticated, more accurate and easier to read, says TfL.

‘Since the rollout of the first version of Countdown, there have been significant developments in technology, including display types and power sources,’ said a spokeswoman.

Linking the new signs to the iBus system due this spring will improve accuracy, says TfL.

Currently, tag and beacon technology records the location of a bus as it passes a roadside sensor and transmits the information to bus stop signs. But predictions can be confused if a bus is held up between beacons, or if the path to the sensor is blocked by another vehicle.

iBus, which uses an onboard computer to report the bus location to a central system every 30 seconds and send predictions to signs, was tested last year (Computing, 19 August).

The procurement process for the design, installation and maintenance of the upgraded Countdown signs started this month. Rollout to all 4,000 participating London bus stops will be completed by 2012, says TfL.

As sign technology improves, benefits for bus passengers multiply, says London Travelwatch spokeswoman Jo Debank.

‘The more information the signs can provide, the better it is for all passengers,’ she said.

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Further reading

Buses get real-time tracking

Upgraded IT goes on the buses

Real-time system trial boards London buses