On Mon, 16 May 2005 23:09:14 +0100, Dave Arquati wrote:

Don't worry, Richard Whiteley and Carol Vorderman are staying put.
Siemens have been awarded a contract to overhaul London Buses' Countdown
system, replacing the current AVL beacon-based technology with something
based around GPS; there will be enhanced real-time information available
via the internet and mobile phones too. Funny, because this is what we
were talking about in another thread.

--
http://networks.silicon.com/mobile/0...9130438,00.htm

London Buses is to spend £116m on a new vehicle tracking and passenger
information system that will replace its ageing 'countdown' electronic
timetable service at bus stops in the capital.

And about time too.

The system aims to improve the tracking of London's rapidly expanding
fleet of buses and provide more accurate information telling passengers
when their next ride is due.

I'd question the bit about "rapidly expanding fleet". As the budget for
route improvements has been hacked to death I can't see how anyone can
claim there will be 10,000 buses in daily service in a few years. All
the money is going on the Tube.

New services to be covered by the Siemens contract include an overhaul
of the information provided on the countdown signs at stops as well as
real-time bus information for internet, phone and text users.

The bit that is missing from these statements is whether any more stops
or routes are going to be covered in terms of bus stop displays. It's
all jolly lovely having text and Internet information but I would want
accurate information at the stop. When Countdown works then it's great
but so often it does not and words like "overhaul" tend to suggest a bit
of a patch and mend approach to me.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!