Skip to main content

London buses to trial speed safety technology

New technology that is designed to reduce speeds and increase vehicle safety will be trialled on London’s buses next month, as part of the Mayor and Transport for London’s (TfL) continuing work to halve the number of people killed or seriously injured on London’s roads. The Mayor and TfL announced today that intelligent speed adaptation (ISA), an innovative technology that ensures vehicles can’t exceed speed limits, will be trialled on 47 London buses in a UK-first. The new technology, which was outli
June 26, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
London bus speed technology trial - photo courtesy of TfL
New technology that is designed to reduce speeds and increase vehicle safety will be trialled on London’s buses next month, as part of the Mayor and 1466 Transport for London’s (TfL) continuing work to halve the number of people killed or seriously injured on London’s roads.

The Mayor and TfL announced today that intelligent speed adaptation (ISA), an innovative technology that ensures vehicles can’t exceed speed limits, will be trialled on 47 London buses in a UK-first.

The new technology, which was outlined in London’s first Pedestrian Safety Action Plan last year, recognises speed limits on the route using TfL’s digital speed limit map of London, and ensures that the bus is not able to go any faster.

The trials will take place on two routes in the city, which include a variety of different road environments, with differing speed limits, allowing the new technology to be fully tested.

This will enable TfL to understand the effectiveness of ISA in promoting speed compliance across the road network and improving safety. The trials, which run until autumn, will also seek to understand the attitudes of drivers and passengers to the technology. If successful, ISA could be introduced across London’s 8,700 bus fleet.

The data informing the ISA trials will come from TfL’s digital speed limit map of London, which was re-launched last year to help spur the development of the next generation of in-vehicle technologies and mobile phone apps for the road. Making such information openly and freely available, and keeping it accurate, means existing services such as sat-navs and GPS can provide drivers with the correct information on the speed limit of the roads they are travelling on. This will give road users greater certainty and help to improve road safety.

Related Content

  • November 26, 2019
    TfL bans Uber from London following security breaches

    Transport for London (TfL) has stripped Uber of its private hire operator's licence following security breaches which it says put passengers at risk.

    Uber slammed the decision but TfL says that a change in the ride-hailing giant’s systems allowed unauthorised drivers to upload photos to other driver accounts.

    This enabled the drivers to fake their identity and pick up passengers - in at least 14,000 trips.

  • July 11, 2017
    Siemens completes SafeZone roll-out around London
    Siemens has recently completed the deployment of the permanent average speed enforcement system across London using its SafeZone technology.
  • March 13, 2015
    TfL outlines new 20mph speed limit sites in central London
    The Mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL) have outlined plans for eight new pilots of 20mph speed limits on the TfL road network (TLRN) as part of continuing work to reduce road casualties, increase active travel and enhance the areas where people live, work and shop. The first confirmed pilot location is in Tower Hamlets, which is planned to be introduced in April when all borough roads in Tower Hamlets are made 20mph. Once implemented, the route could then be extended out to cover the wider Shore
  • October 17, 2016
    TfL trials new digital bus stop display sign
    Transport for London (TfL) is trialling a new battery-powered bus stop display screen which will for the first time provide real time travel information on other bus services as well as its own. The first trial is being conducted at a bus stop at Northwood Station, Hillingdon and will give customers travelling to and from Mount Vernon Hospital all the latest travel information that they need. The new screens can be quickly and easily attached to bus stop posts and display next bus arrival information