Transport for London (TfL) intends to carry out a trial to fit ISA (Intelligent Speed Application) technology on over 30 buses on different London bus routes – according to a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union.
ISA is a method by which the bus is governed to the speed limit applicable on the section of road the bus is currently occupying. If the bus is operating inside a 20mph limit, the top speed of the bus is governed to 20mph. At the point the 20mph limit ends and the bus enters a 30mph, the maximum speed of the bus changes to 30mph. The driver cannot influence this as s/he cannot switch the ISA off or exceed the speed limit at his location.
Inviting suppliers to tender, TfL said the ISA installation kit will be required to track the bus on its normal route (incorporating diversions) and automatically restrict the speed the bus to the speed limit of the street the bus is in.
The tender notice also said: “The speed limits on London’s bus routes vary from area to area and road to road. This calls for the ISA system to constantly track the bus, sending a location signal to trigger the interface to relay the appropriate speed limit to the CAN. The top speed of the bus can then be governed by the CAN. The trial of ISA technology on these routes is likely to last for between 12 and 16 weeks.”
Asked for confirmation of which routes and operators are to be involved with the trial, a spokesman for TfL told CBW: “Unfortunately it’s too early for us to discuss in any detail which routes this technology might be trialled on and the areas of the city they cover. The contract notice provides as much info as we’re able to give at the moment as the finer details are still being worked up.”
