LONDON, ENGLAND-After
years of pilot projects and trials, London's real-time bus passenger information system
known as "Countdown" has been given the green light for fleetwide application.
The system will ultimately involve all of the capital's 6,500 buses and some 4,000 bus
stops.
The decision to proceed followed
reports of patronage and revenue gains for the trial routes by London Transport Buses,
which operates the network in the capital. The 700 buses used in trial runs in west and
north London, most recently on the "Nag's Head" network in north London, posted
significant ridership gains as a result of "Countdown."
LTB is currently installing
on-bus automatic vehicle location equipment and, with it, is bringing Countdown to other
parts of London. The intention is for AVL to be installed fleetwide by late 1999. This
year, Countdown is being installed in Lambeth and Kingston, two areas of intensive bus
use.
The beacon technology system,
which is being phased in gradually, eventually will cover all bus routes in the London
region. AVL works through battery-powered beacons placed on lampposts along the route. As
the bus goes past, the beacons transmit an identity code to the bus. The bus then sends
this information, as well as a reading from a "wheel turn counter," to a central
computer via the bus radio system. This system provides the operator with real-time
information on the position of buses and their progress along the road.
Along with the beacons, signal
pre-emption for buses is already in effect at more than 300 bus junctions across London,
and bus lane enforcement cameras are being installed to deter private vehicles from using
dedicated bus lanes.
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