Talking Bus Stops Go Live in Scotland

Trials of a revolutionary new system providing audio information on bus schedules at the bus stops have gone live in Scotland.

The three-month pilot will allow vision-impaired bus passengers to listen to information from the Intelligent Bus Information System. The units have been installed at 12 bus stops across the Strathclyde region.

Bus times are up dated from the headquarters of Strathclyde Passenger Transport and sent to units using wireless technology - General Pocket Radio Service (GPRS) - and mobile phone technology from UK transport information provider Tandata. It is the first time for GPRS technology to be used in this way. Although audio information can be accessed on the next five buses, complete bus timetables are available on-screen only for sighted passengers.

STP information and support officer Lindsay Mathie said that there was plenty of scope to develop the new system. Mathie said that in the future STP may install hardware in the units to provide audible directions to bus stops.

In tandem with the project, directions to each of the bus stops from key locations are published on the location description service Describe Online.

Source: E-Access Bulletin