A road map for effective bus information systems

Examines the potential applications for bus information systems and the various technological approaches taken on selective vehicle detection and location and the functionality that these can provide. Following on from this, we explore the various implementation approaches taken by various UK Public Transport Executives (PTEs) and compare them briefly with the approach taken in other European cities. Finally, the paper proposes a possible approach to an integrated range of bus management systems that will give local authorities a flexible, cost-effective solution for their present requirements while keeping open any options for future development. For the purpose of this overview, selective vehicle detection (SVD) is treated as an element of bus information systems, although it is often argued that SVD, particularly tag-based SVD, does not strictly constitute a bus information system. On the other hand, SVD can perform a subset of the functionalities of a full information system and developments on intelligent tags have further blurred the distinction between the two.