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

  • Transportation hub the centre of sustainable urban development
    November 21, 2012
    A marriage of transit, technology and culture is taking shape in Minneapolis, with ITS systems vital to hopes for a sustainable development centred on a hub of public transportation. Construction started in July this year on ‘The Interchange’ – a station in the Midwest US city of Minneapolis claimed as the most spectacular expression yet of the fast-spreading North American concept of transit-oriented development (TOD). Due for completion in 2014, the Interchange is designed as a multi-modal public transpor
  • Yunex takes on £200m, 10-year London signal deal
    March 28, 2023
    Transport for London chooses Yunex for the contract which begins in August 2023
  • More for less with traffic control centre technology
    May 31, 2013
    Rich pickings are now available in a maturing market supplying screens and processors for traffic management operations. Jon Masters reviews what’s on offer. Competition in supply of technology for traffic management and control centres has increased significantly in recent years. Suppliers introduced better products and customers are changing the way they operate, which benefits traffic authorities and emergency services alike. These are the views of Electrosonic’s control rooms solutions sales manager Pa
  • Meeting the challenges of smartcard fare payment
    July 4, 2012
    David Crawford monitors a growing trend in contactless smartcard ticketing The north east United States has become a hive of activity in the smart fare payment arena. In October 2011, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) published, as a preliminary to an imminent procurement process, the detailed concept of its New Fare Payment System (NFPS). Based on open payment industry standards, this is designed to be implemented on all MTA bus and subway services operated by New York City Transit (