Skip to main content

Delivering London’s live bus arrival information

Launched in October 2011, Transport for London’s Countdown real time bus information service has proven extremely popular. The latest research shows that around 830,000 bus journeys made in London each day are informed by live bus arrival information. Building on this success, TfL has developed a new way of delivering live bus arrival information to a range of public locations, such as hospital waiting rooms or shopping centre foyers. This means that real time bus arrival information can be provided to pa
April 17, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Launched in October 2011, 1466 Transport for London’s Countdown real time bus information service has proven extremely popular.  The latest research shows that around 830,000 bus journeys made in London each day are informed by live bus arrival information.    

Building on this success, TfL has developed a new way of delivering live bus arrival information to a range of public locations, such as hospital waiting rooms or shopping centre foyers.  This means that real time bus arrival information can be provided to passengers who may not have access to the internet, a mobile or smart phone or a bus stop with a Countdown dot matrix sign.

The technology is delivered at the request of a business or organisation, using their existing IT equipment and displayed on their display screens or televisions.  Designed to be self installed, TfL will supply bus arrival information tailored to their specific location via a special URL.

These digital signs are currently being trialled at four areas of the capital and, as
Simon Reed, Head of Technical Services Group at London Buses, said: “The trial of these new digital signs is a further example of how we are helping our passengers make the most of London’s extensive bus service.  We hope that these new signs will help passengers to access real time bus arrival information, in some cases for the first time, at a variety of locations away from the bus stop.”

Customer research will be conducted to evaluate how well the signs have been used and to refine the service provided.  In the future it is possible that the information could be displayed at a variety of customer focused locations.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Smart phones offer smarter way to pay for travel
    December 16, 2013
    David Crawford reviews developments in near field communications for mass transit payments. ‘A carefully-designed and well-implemented mobile near field communications (NFC) solutions can give passengers a compelling experience that will encourage them to make greater use of public transport.’ That was the confident conclusion of a recent joint White Paper drawn up by the International Association of Public Transport and the global mobile operators’ representative group GSMA.
  • Developments in travel information display systems
    August 1, 2012
    David Crawford looks at recent developments in travel information display systems. It is important to remember that we are investing in Real-Time Passenger Information [RTPI] to increase ridership," says Robert Burke, Managing Director of New Zealand transit tracking technology specialist Connexionz, which has been involved in at-stop and remote passenger information since 1995. "Superior information improves the perception of public transport reliability and gives the passenger more choices and greater con
  • New York pioneers online mobile real-time bus tracking
    May 22, 2012
    An unusual technology collaboration. David Crawford investigates Early in January 2012, the New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) rolled out the first borough-wide implementation of its pioneering Bus Time online mobile real-time tracking service. The system allow commuters to track each bus on every route in real-time on the internet, via smartphones and by text messaging to a mobile phone. The MTA chose Staten Island for its first live launch due to it being the only one of the five Ne
  • Hertfordshire deploys real-time public transport information system
    October 8, 2012
    UK transport consultants WYG have successfully collaborated with Hertfordshire County Council in the UK to provide technical expertise for the county’s real-time public transport system. The roll-out of real time passenger information (RTPI) systems across Hertfordshire over the coming weeks is the first milestone in the project and is a key part of a wider transport improvement programme. The project presented numerous challenges, not least the need to deliver the project in partnership with private secto