New technology trials to transform bus safety in London

Transport for London has announced plans to test new safety technology on London buses. Automatic braking and audible warning systems will be trialled alongside measures including new mirrors to improve the driver’s vision. All the new technology will receive a completely independent trial at the Transport Research Laboratory, whose engineers and technical specialists have been appointed to work with TfL, bus manufacturers and operators to trial a range of innovative safety measures.
August 16, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
1466 Transport for London has announced plans to test new safety technology on London buses. Automatic braking and audible warning systems will be trialled alongside measures including new mirrors to improve the driver’s vision.


All the new technology will receive a completely independent trial at the Transport Research Laboratory, whose engineers and technical specialists have been appointed to work with TfL, bus manufacturers and operators to trial a range of innovative safety measures.

These include autonomous emergency braking systems that allow the vehicle to detect its surroundings and automatically apply the brakes and features to alert pedestrians and other road users of the presence of buses, such as lights or audible warnings. The front of buses will be re-designed, which could reduce the impact of a collision, while changes to bus interiors will aim to improve passenger safety, such as higher-grip flooring and softening sharp corners. Improvements will also be made to drivers’ vision, including improved mirror design.

The results of the trials will feed into a new Bus Safety Standard that will be incorporated into bus operator contracts from the end of 2018. Transport for London has also published a report on Intelligent Speed Assistance today (16 August) following a successful trial in 2016. Bus operators are required to fit the technology, which limits the speed at which buses are able to travel, from later this year.

Location Based Systems Urban Traffic Control

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Opsys deploys Altos Lidar at Curiosity Lab
    November 11, 2024
    First real-world and US deployment for solid-state Lidar
    Read More
  • Legalities of in-vehicle systems and cooperative infrastructures
    February 1, 2012
    Paul Laurenza of Dykema Gossett PLLC discusses the paths which lawmakers may go down on the route to making in-vehicle systems and cooperative infrastructures a reality. The question of whether or not to mandate in-vehicle systems for safety and other applications is a vexed one. There is a presumption on some parts that going down the road of forcing systems' fitment is somehow too domineering or restricting. Others would argue that it is the only realistic way of ensuring that systems achieve widespread d
    Read More
  • Cooperative infrastructure systems waiting for the go ahead
    February 3, 2012
    Despite much research and technological promise, progress towards cooperative infrastructure system deployment is still slow. Here, Robert Cone and John Miles take a considered look at how and when it might come about. From a systems engineering viewpoint it looks logical and inevitable that vehicles should be communicating between themselves and with the road infrastructure. But seen from a business viewpoint the case is not proven.
    Read More
  • Europe-wide demonstration of electric buses begins in Barcelona
    October 16, 2014
    A major step towards greener urban public transport was made this week with the launch of the first ZeEUS (Zero Emission Urban Bus System) demonstration in Barcelona. The flagship project is the first of its kind to test 12 metre-plus electric buses in real operation. Barcelona is the first demonstration site of the UITP-coordinated ZeEUS project, with core demonstrations in seven other European cities to follow: London and Glasgow; Stockholm; Münster and Bonn, Plzen and Cagliari. In total, 35 plug-in hy
    Read More

Highlighted Content