Skip to main content

Introducing the Citymapper Smartbus

In coordination with Transport for London (TfL), which released open data for the project, Citymapper is testing a Smartbus service for London, which it says could reinvent the bus and improve mobility in congested cities. Starting on 9 and 10 May and running on an experimental route around Blackfriars and Waterloo Bridge, Smartbus uses a smaller vehicle, which Citymapper believes is necessary in crowded cities. It runs on a fixed route and uses bus stops. The bus has a smart display to inform passengers wh
May 9, 2017 Read time: 1 min
In coordination with 1466 Transport for London (TfL), which released open data for the project, Citymapper is testing a Smartbus service for London, which it says could reinvent the bus and improve mobility in congested cities.


Starting on 9 and 10 May and running on an experimental route around Blackfriars and Waterloo Bridge, Smartbus uses a smaller vehicle, which Citymapper believes is necessary in crowded cities. It runs on a fixed route and uses bus stops.

The bus has a smart display to inform passengers where they are and what the next stop is, along with USB charging for smartphones and tracking software for real time integration with the app, passenger counting and a driver app. Citymapper has also developed software which integrates real-time operational control with driver management and scheduling systems.

Related Content

  • January 25, 2018
    Fara keeps data delivery simple
    Simplifying the delivery of data and information gathered by traffic management, ticketing and other systems can improve travel efficiency and the traveller’s experience. Having quantified and analysed the previously unmonitored movement of road vehicles, trains, metros, cyclists and pedestrians, the ITS sector is a prime example of the digital world. Patterns discerned from those previously random happenings enable authorities to design more efficient transport systems, allow transport operators to run
  • November 30, 2015
    London launches new team to crack down on congestion
    A new team of Road and Transport Enforcement Officers is being deployed to key traffic routes across London to crack down on illegal or inconsiderate behaviour and other problems that cause congestion. The new 40-strong Transport for London (TfL) team, which will rise to 80 by next spring, will help deal with problems such as illegal stopping or unloading of deliveries, which can cause delays to drivers and bus passengers. It will work closely with the TfL-funded Metropolitan Police Roads and Transpo
  • March 30, 2021
    Learning from informal transit networks
    When it comes to public transportation, the Minority World could take lessons in equity from the mobility infrastructure of emerging market cities, says Devin de Vries of WhereIsMyTransport
  • October 18, 2012
    Success of Transport for London’s real time bus information service
    Since its launch a year ago, the UK’s Transport for London (TfL) Countdown real time bus information service has dealt with more than 620 million requests and, according to TfL, the service has made millions of journeys easier, dealing with an average of 1.6 million requests via the internet and smart phones and 36,000 requests via text each day. TfL has also recently completed the installation of 2,500 new and improved bus information roadside signs across the capital. These provide clearer amber text on