Real-time bus departures

[Barney]

RE: Real-time bus departures

(26/01/2014 13:38)buses7675 Wrote:  Merseytravel can monitor progress on their contract services anyway as they can get a real-time GPS trace from the ticket machine to work out where every bus is!

I know that operators can monitor their services through the GPS facility in the new ticket machines. Last night I was on an Arriva service when a passenger complained rather aggressively to the driver that he was driving too slowly. The driver explained that he had to keep to time and the GPS tracking made him do this. The passenger was surprised to hear this explanation but reluctantly accepted it. However, my original point was that passengers also need this facility if they are to rely on bus services.

As regards the use of two-way radio control , the old LCPT introduced this in the mid 1960s. By the time of bus deregulation every MPTE vehicle was so equipped. I suspect that the main reason why Merseyside bus operators, even Arriva and Stagecoach, don't fit two-way radios is simply down to cost. I'm not absolutely sure, but I think that in other metropolitan areas such as Manchester and Birmingham the PTE pay for and maintain the two-way radio communication.