iBus informing you every step of the way

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Challenge

The unpredictable traffic of London makes it hard to predict accurate schedules for buses and operate them efficiently. iBus is a system in the process of being rolled out across London at the cost of £117 million. With an 8000 strong fleet of buses, serving 6.3 million daily passengers, the current radio equipment cannot cope anymore. A new system will inform travellers via SMS about the precise arrival time of the bus on their route, improve the count down displays at bus stops, and the information people receive in buses about the next stop. This is of particular interest to passengers with disabilities, infrequent travellers and passengers facing language barriers

Solution

The technology is based on GPS, but it received considerable tweaking to work reliably in the city landscape where satellite signals can easily be shadowed. A mathematical process is using the GPS data together with other input to determine the correct location. The iBus system is also using GPRS and WiFi connectivity to send data.

Results

The system will also dramatically improve service quality: every Londoner knows about the annoying waits, only to then find out that three buses of the same line arrive at the same time. Enabling passengers to make better-informed decisions is what iBus is all about.

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