Skip to main content

App taps into world’s largest and most complex real time passenger info system

Transport for London’s (TfL) award winning Countdown System delivers bus real time information for every one of the 19,000 bus stops and 700 routes in London is claimed to be the largest and most technically complex real time passenger information system of its kind in the world. In 2009 Telent was awarded the contract by TfL to develop the Countdown software to deliver web and mobile content.
July 11, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
RSS1466 Transport for London’s (TfL) award winning Countdown System delivers bus real time information for every one of the 19,000 bus stops and 700 routes in London is claimed to be the largest and most technically complex real time passenger information system of its kind in the world. In 2009 525 Telent was awarded the contract by TfL to develop the Countdown software to deliver web and mobile content.

Following on from that success, UK-headquartered Telent has launched a new iphone app called BUStop London which takes full advantage of the information provided by the Countdown system. The app provides a clean user interface allowing users to easily see their nearest bus stops and travel options. It has seamless integration with social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook as well as allowing the easy sending of emails and SMS messages in-app. This means that users can efficiently share information, in a variety of ways, based on their location and bus travel plans.

BUStop London also allows users to set customisable alerts notifying them when a bus is approaching a selected stop. For example, a user could set an alert for five minutes before their bus reaches their nearest stop, thus allowing them to finish their coffee. A user could also set an alert when they’re 100 metres from their destination stop helping ensure they alight at the right place, and through integration with Facebook, Twitter and SMS, users now can conveniently let friends and family know their arrival times and destinations directly from the app.

The app is available from the Apple AppStore, and for a limited time is a free download.

Related Content

  • Apps help passengers avoided overcrowded public transport
    May 30, 2013
    David Crawford reviews innovations in the comfort zone. Anyone who rides public transport knows that, perhaps second only to delays, overcrowding is a critical part of the passenger experience,” says Nir Erez, CEO of Moovit, the Israel-based social transportation app developer. The app is aimed at taking real-time user feedback on transit and making it available to a wider audience of travellers. Currently available on iPhone and Android, it plans to add Windows 8 and other platforms in the future. Moovit i
  • Tolling agencies build resilience into highway operations
    August 6, 2013
    IBTTA executive director and CEO Patrick D. Jones looks at tolling’s resilience in an increasingly unpredictable and cash-strapped world. Turbulent times call for transportation agencies to move smarter. That’s why resilience and preparedness have become watchwords in every aspect of tollway operations. From having the financial resources to invest in construction, maintenance and roadway operations, to having up-to-date emergency plans and social media strategies to cope with severe weather, tolling agenci
  • How on-board video systems can increase vehicle & road safety
    January 7, 2022
    Hikvision examines technology which can avert danger in cars, school buses, taxis and trucks
  • TomTom launches speed camera app for iPhone
    May 8, 2012
    TomTom in Europe has releases a speed camera app for the iPhone, Powered by European driving community with 1.6 million drivers in 15 countries, the app informs drivers of their speed, the speed limit, the type of camera ahead and the remaining distance to reach it. A colour-coded warning system quickly and effectively alerts users if they need to slow down.