One of the downsides of bus travel is finding room on board to travel with the least amount of discomfort. Seats are, of course, at a premium. This stress factor is compounded on double deck vehicles, with passengers mounting into ‘the unknown’. One solution could well be to introduce a system informing them in advance of the seating available upstairs.
Transport for London (TfL), which oversees the operation of 6,100 double deckers (all run by private sector companies) across the capital, is taking this idea on board. Following a successful pilot of an upper deck seat indicator system in 2014, the authority announced in April 2015 that it is expanding the experiment.
Passengers travelling on Route 59 (operated by Arriva London), which runs north/south between Kings Cross St Pancras and Streatham Hill (see map), can now benefit from the new technology, provided by U.K. firm company Timespace. The system analyses information from the on-board CCTV system and displays seat availability on the upper deck on a screen at the bottom of the stairs. It enables passengers to make an informed choice on whether to use the upper deck, and is expected to help reduce crowding on the lower. “During the trial, all buses will operate as normal and there will be no impact on the service,” adds TfL.
Making more of the bus
This new technology is being put through its pace with optimisation of space foremost in mind. Oh yes, and comfort too (not a word one automatically associates with the bus!). Transport for London is hoping the information displayed will to encourage passengers to occupy the whole vehicle more intelligently, rather than bunching up in strategic areas, as well as rendering their trips more agreeable by encouraging them to sit upstairs, rather than standing on the lower deck, which at the busiest times can prevent other passengers from boarding. Route 59 has been identified as a busy route where crowding can be an issue, thus making it an ideal test circuit.
By expanding the preliminary pilot to a whole bus route (in 2014 it was limited to a single bus on another route), TfL says it is looking forward to gaining further insight into exactly how this kind of information helps passengers. Furthermore, it points out, the system will generate more statistically valid data to enable a true benefit analysis.
Reaching wide
Together with Wi-Fi and new passenger information screens, this upper deck seat indicator system is one of several bus experience innovations presented during the 2014 Year of Bus. The latter label having been designed to raise awareness of the vital contribution the London network makes to the life and economy of the capital, and to the U.K. as a whole.
London’s buses carry around 6.5 million passengers a day – more than half of all bus journeys made in England. One of the most extensive networks in the world, the 8,600-strong fleet operates across 700 routes, serves 19,000 bus stops, and all vehicles are fitted with ramps. Around 600 of the vehicles are hybrid – a number set to grow to 1,700 by 2016, as part of the strategy to help to reduce CO2 emissions in the city.
Traffic management & ITS to relieve Riyadh
Bus trips in Riyadh are set to get better, for passengers and the city transport authority alike, thanks to the latest in ITS. The Saudi Arabian capital, which is developing a public transport system ‘on the basis of international standards’, has signed up for Automated Vehicle Management (AVM) and Real Time Passenger Information (RTPI) systems.
The city, with a population upwards of five million inhabitants*, and growing fast, is the country’s business, government, financial and cultural hub. Urban public transport services are currently only available to ‘a very limited extent’ and handled by diesel-fuelled buses, which share the traffic lanes with the more popular car.
Part of the public transport master plan involves developing a network of new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes to provide swift, convenient and cost-effective mobility. A total of 22 routes, constructed in 3 phases, are to be serviced by 880 new buses. Providing real-time passenger information at stops/stations, on board, and via internet/mobile phones will represent a defining factor of this future network.
Operations control & on-board computers Transport software provider Trapeze is to supply, install, launch, and maintain (for ten years) the integrated ITS solution on behalf of the ArRiyadh Development Authority (ADA).
The control part of the contract will mobilise all of the company’s core competencies, i.e. planning tools, operation control technology, fleet monitoring, and business management. In parallel, the passenger information system will include the Operational Traffic Control Centre (TCC), and CCTV at the bus stations and stops. An added extra will be an Eco-Driving functionality for energy-efficient and ergonomic support.
The project is scheduled to commence in early 2015, and is expected to last for approximately three years. Trapeze says it be turning to a range of local and international recognised subcontractors for assistance with this milestone mission, a first for the Group in this particular market.
Supplier, passenger, authority – win-win for all
This ITS deployment is expected to step up the efficiency of both fixed-route and flexible public transport services in Riyadh. Benefits for passengers should include shorter journey times, more reliable services, and more extensive passenger information. Furthermore, thanks to the enhanced fleet management together with the use of cutting-edge web, network, voice and data communication technologies, the new system stands to offer crucial benefits to other public transport modes in the making, such as the new metropolitan railway system and bus feeder lines.
Going with the flow
Within 50 years, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s biggest city, has developed from a walled town into a densely populated metropolis. Severe traffic congestion and road safety issues, caused by population growth and increased economic activity, has made transport in and around the city time consuming, unsafe, and unhealthy.
The comprehensive ITS system described above is one of a slew of technology-based solutions being introduced to Riyadh (see below), in the wake of a two-year study by Royal HaskoningDHV. To help establish means of solving its traffic congestion issues, the ADA commissioned the consultancy to analyse the road network and transport system between 2012-2014. A main part of the assignment involved identifying critical locations and major traffic problems, together with defining measures to boost efficiency and safety through traffic management enhancement and innovative technology.
Lesley Brown
*source: indexmundi
To better manage the flow of traffic through Riyadh, and step up safety, in February 2015, the ADA signed up for an advanced traffic control system. For this US$100 million (€90m) contract, US firm TransCore is to deploy its TransSuite® software to manage traffic signal operations at 350 of the busiest intersections in the capital. The key strength of the solution is that it automatically adjusts traffic signal timing in response to real-time traffic conditions; and as such will significantly improve on the existing, fixed-time system