New real-time bus information displays to be installed across West Yorkshire
27 February 2019
Bus passengers across West Yorkshire will benefit from over 1,750 new and enhanced real-time display screens.
Work to install around 1,000 new real-time screens in bus shelters across Leeds is now underway as part of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Leeds City Council's commitment to promoting bus use and improving passenger information.
Investment Programme
Funded through the £270 million Leeds Public Transport Investment Programme, the initiative is part of the long-term Connecting Leeds transport strategy, which aims to improve all aspects of the transport network in the city and connectivity with the wider Leeds City Region.
New screens are being installed at 490 bus shelters across the city and a second stage of the scheme will be the introduction of 500 pole-mounted display screen at Leeds bus stops that don't have shelters.
Arrival times
Real-time displays work by accessing a device on the bus which reports their position to a central system. The system then estimates how long the bus will take to reach all bus stops along the route. These screens show the arrival times of the next bus by counting down the minutes until the bus arrives at the stop.
Real time information can also be accessed online and using QR codes and NFC tags - which have been scanned over 2 million times, installed at all of West Yorkshire's 14,000 bus stops.
New ways to deliver information
Cllr Kim Groves, Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee, said: "Our aim is to make public transport more attractive and easier to use and we are continually exploring new ways to deliver information to passengers while they are on the move. We know from the feedback we receive that being able to access up-to-date, accurate travel information is key to encouraging more people to use local bus services."
"Real-time displays in bus shelters and other measure to make bus travel more convenient and more affordable, including West Yorkshire's money-saving MCard travel smartcards, encourage more people to catch the bus and that helps reduce congestion and its negative effect on our economy and the quality of our air."
Enhancements
Cllr Richard Lewis, Leeds City Council�s executive board member for Transport, Regeneration and Planning regeneration, added: "Real-time bus information is actually a key part of the enhancements that we can make to bus services. It gives people certainty about their planned journey, it helps people make better use of their time and can encourage the casual user onto buses."
"This investment will mean that around 1,000 bus stops in Leeds will provide up-to-date travel information which is a huge step forward in making bus travel in and around Leeds a more reliable and convenient experience."
"Work to replace blue monitor screens with clearer LED screens at 750 stops across West Yorkshire is also about to get underway. When these initiatives are complete, there will be over 1,750 real time displays at bus stops across the West Yorkshire bus network."
"Installation of these screens is part of the wider commitment made by West Yorkshire Combined Authority to improve bus travel across the region. This includes, working with operators to provide quicker journeys, providing more free Wi-Fi and easy-to-understand and affordable fares."