Edmonton Ready to Use Smart Bus Technology on Local Buses

By: Talha Bhatti  |   September 5th, 2012   |   Business, Cars, O Canada

The Canadian city of Edmonton has awarded an estimated 3.4 million dollar contract to the The Trapeze Group to install Smart Bus Technology on 45 city buses. The Edmonton Transit System (ETS) will be equipped with a brand new intelligent transportation system that should help the city efficiently control bus services on fixed routes throughout the city.  Another feature the Smart Bus Technology will provide is real time transit information to commuters so that they are up to date on when buses will be arriving at stops.

 

The high tech initiative is part of the City Vision and The Way We Move programs which are expected to shape the future of the city. As part of the ETS Transportation Master Plan, a three-year program has been created to improve the quality of life for citizens and make improvements to the public transit system.

 

This is only the first phase of the implementation of the technology and another 32 million dollars is expected to be invested to fit the entire fleet of buses. The first batch of the Smart Bus Technology fitted buses will be hitting the roads by April 2013.

 

The new system is a step up from the Google Transport system that was in use before. This system told passengers when a bus was supposed to arrive. However, the new setup will tell commuters when the bus will arrive in real time. They will also know which bus is approaching the stop. ETS officials will also be able to monitor the buses on the road at all times and can react to any problems on the road quickly and efficiently. They should also be able to relay problems to passengers so that they can pick an alternate route.

 

The developers of the Smart Bus Technology, Trapeze Group, is a global provider of software, technology and services to help improve mass transport systems.

 

Source: CBCNews

Photo: TechVibes