Following a successful trial on a route 141 bus, during the Year of the Bus last year, TfL has announced that it has expanded its upper deck seat indicator trial to a whole bus route in partnership with UK mobile digital recording technology company Timespace.
Bus passengers travelling on route 59, which runs between Kings Cross St Pancras and Streatham Hill (Telford Avenue) via Euston, Russell Square, Holborn, Waterloo, Oval and Brixton, will now benefit from new technology which analyses information from the on board CCTV system and displays seat availability on the upper deck on a screen at the base of the stairs. It enables passengers to make an informed choice on whether to use the upper deck and aims to reduce crowding on the lower deck of the bus.
Route 59 has been identified as a busy route where crowding can be an issue making it an ideal test route for this trial.
Simon Reed, TfL’s Head of Technical Services Group, said: “We want passengers to benefit from the most cutting edge technology – making their journeys easier and more comfortable. This project builds on a single vehicle trial conducted in 2014 and should provide a practical, clear benefit with clear information at the point of boarding.
“As we expand this trial we will be able to learn more about how it will work on a large scale and what kind of impact it will have on our passenger’s experience.’
Robert Heylen, Managing Director of Timespace Technology, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with TfL on the development and trial of this new technology and hope that it proves beneficial to bus passengers.”
