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Real-time rollout underway in ACT

Trapeze Group is rolling out a real-time information system in Canberra

By Sean Muir | August 16, 2012

Trapeze Group has been awarded
a contract to supply
a real-time information system
in ACT.

Trapeze Group this week announced it would provide operational control system, including state-of-the-art vehicle equipment, vehicle information systems and passenger counting capabilities.

Trapeze Group Australia Account Director Tim Edwards says the system, which is the same system as the one operating on about 8000 London buses, will include real-time information display screens in buses and at the bus stops.

“Another phase will to put information on the internet and mobile devices, hopefully to give Canberra residents a better experience getting to work,” Edwards says.

Edwards says it will take over a year to implement the system on about 600 Action buses, the operation’s entire fleet.

“It’s going to be rolled out – the deal has only just been done this month – but it’s full steam ahead,” Edwards says.

The government committed $12.5 million over three years in its 2010-11 Budget for the technology.

Edwards says there are now plans to expand the system to buses operated outside of Canberra.

“The public don’t care whose bus they are sitting on, if it is an operator outside of Canberra that drives into Canberra then the government also want
its passengers to benefit from the same experience,” Edwards says.

The system will include ‘touch terminals’, a newly developed on-board computer and driver terminal combination.

A video-based automatic passenger counting system will also be installed in all the buses to provide real-time information for passengers and accurate data to government for capacity planning.

Edwards says the system will help to distribute the occupancy level in real time to the control centre.

The system also includes at-stop displays of the Trapeze SmartInfo series, multifunction passenger information displays inside the buses and information columns with touch screens.

“Passengers are provided with accurate information on the current and next departures before their trips while waiting at stops,” Edwards says.

“On board the vehicles, they will then receive exact information on their trips, the next stations and transfers available at the next stops.

“All times specified are immediately recalculated and displayed in an updated form should any changes in services become necessary, for example unforeseen diversions.”

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