JoeP
07-07-2006, 13:56
FROM SYPTE
START
Wait for the bus wherever you want with new satellite tracking system
A new system will be launched on Tuesday (11th July) in South Yorkshire, which will allow passengers to find out exactly when their bus is due to arrive with a message sent directly to their mobile phone or accessed on the internet.
The system, known as ‘YourNextBus’, uses sophisticated satellite technology to track each bus’s journey. It knows exactly where the bus is on its route every minute of the day, and can tell you when it’s due at your stop.
From Tuesday, YourNextBus will be available on 11 routes in both Sheffield and Doncaster, and then rolled-out county-wide over the coming months.
David Brown Passenger Service Director at the Transport Executive believes YourNextBus will bring about a major change in the bus travel experience.
He said, ‘Waiting at the bus stop is one of the major issues that frustrate passengers. With this new system, people can track the progress of their bus, find out when it is due to arrive then turn up without having to waste too much time at the stop.
The YourNextBus project is a joint venture between South and West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executives, and is one of the largest systems of its kind in Europe. The Department for Transport contributed £2.5 million towards the cost of the project.
Around 3,000 buses have been fitted with the sophisticated equipment, which can also be used by bus operators to monitor the location of their vehicles.
Mr Brown added, ‘To use the text service, passengers simply have to enter the stop number and text it to 64422. They will then receive a text message reply giving them details of the next four buses calling at the stop, telling them how many minutes until they will arrive and indicating whether the bus is a low-floor easy access vehicle’.
All of South Yorkshire’s 8,000 bus stops have individual 8-digit numbers starting with the code 370.
Providing real-time information for passengers is just one of the benefits that YourNextBus will bring. The system will enable the bus operators to improve scheduling, reliability, information provision and data analysis. They will be able to monitor the position of their vehicles, see the effects of traffic problems and try to improve journey times.
Brandon Jones, Commercial Director of bus operator First, thinks the system will prove popular with passengers. He said, ‘With a system that’s so easy to use, and with more and more people having access to mobile phones and the web, I think YourNextBus will become part of the daily routine for many thousands of passengers. Whether it means an extra five minutes in bed, or no need to run for the bus home, I’m sure it will become a hit with passengers’.
The service has been launched initially on 11 services. In Sheffield, the 13, 14, 20, 20A, 25, 25A, 47, and 48 will have the new system, and in Doncaster the 19, 19A and 71 services will too.
To find out more about YourNextBus, and when it will be launched in other parts of the county, visit travelsouthyorkshire.com
ENDS
Notes to editors:
A Photo opportunity and demonstration will take place at 2:30pm on Tuesday 11th July outside Sheffield Town Hall.
A First double-decker bus will be parked in the lay by outside the Town Hall (on Pinstone Street), and representatives of the project will be on hand to demonstrate the new system, and you will be able to witness ‘real time’ buses arriving at the adjacent bus stop. A photo opportunity using two giant mobile phones will mark the official launch of the system.
END
START
Wait for the bus wherever you want with new satellite tracking system
A new system will be launched on Tuesday (11th July) in South Yorkshire, which will allow passengers to find out exactly when their bus is due to arrive with a message sent directly to their mobile phone or accessed on the internet.
The system, known as ‘YourNextBus’, uses sophisticated satellite technology to track each bus’s journey. It knows exactly where the bus is on its route every minute of the day, and can tell you when it’s due at your stop.
From Tuesday, YourNextBus will be available on 11 routes in both Sheffield and Doncaster, and then rolled-out county-wide over the coming months.
David Brown Passenger Service Director at the Transport Executive believes YourNextBus will bring about a major change in the bus travel experience.
He said, ‘Waiting at the bus stop is one of the major issues that frustrate passengers. With this new system, people can track the progress of their bus, find out when it is due to arrive then turn up without having to waste too much time at the stop.
The YourNextBus project is a joint venture between South and West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executives, and is one of the largest systems of its kind in Europe. The Department for Transport contributed £2.5 million towards the cost of the project.
Around 3,000 buses have been fitted with the sophisticated equipment, which can also be used by bus operators to monitor the location of their vehicles.
Mr Brown added, ‘To use the text service, passengers simply have to enter the stop number and text it to 64422. They will then receive a text message reply giving them details of the next four buses calling at the stop, telling them how many minutes until they will arrive and indicating whether the bus is a low-floor easy access vehicle’.
All of South Yorkshire’s 8,000 bus stops have individual 8-digit numbers starting with the code 370.
Providing real-time information for passengers is just one of the benefits that YourNextBus will bring. The system will enable the bus operators to improve scheduling, reliability, information provision and data analysis. They will be able to monitor the position of their vehicles, see the effects of traffic problems and try to improve journey times.
Brandon Jones, Commercial Director of bus operator First, thinks the system will prove popular with passengers. He said, ‘With a system that’s so easy to use, and with more and more people having access to mobile phones and the web, I think YourNextBus will become part of the daily routine for many thousands of passengers. Whether it means an extra five minutes in bed, or no need to run for the bus home, I’m sure it will become a hit with passengers’.
The service has been launched initially on 11 services. In Sheffield, the 13, 14, 20, 20A, 25, 25A, 47, and 48 will have the new system, and in Doncaster the 19, 19A and 71 services will too.
To find out more about YourNextBus, and when it will be launched in other parts of the county, visit travelsouthyorkshire.com
ENDS
Notes to editors:
A Photo opportunity and demonstration will take place at 2:30pm on Tuesday 11th July outside Sheffield Town Hall.
A First double-decker bus will be parked in the lay by outside the Town Hall (on Pinstone Street), and representatives of the project will be on hand to demonstrate the new system, and you will be able to witness ‘real time’ buses arriving at the adjacent bus stop. A photo opportunity using two giant mobile phones will mark the official launch of the system.
END