Make way for GPS bus

location based services


FOUR thousand buses will be fitted with satellite tracking technology to help them beat heavy Sydney traffic.
Transport Minister John Watkins today announced the $135 million scheme that will allow RTA traffic controllers to "green light'' buses stuck in traffic.
It will take three years to fit all 4000 private and government buses around the state.
The commitment follows successful trials of the GPS technology on buses between Hurstville and Miranda in Sydney's south.
Traffic controllers have been instructed to alter traffic light timings to help buses stick to timetables.
Government-owned Sydney Buses have a worse reliability record than CityRail, with many commuters ignoring bus stop timetables.
The onboard GPS systems will be linked directly to the RTA Traffic Management Centre at Redfern.
"The system will also be capable of providing real time running information displays both onboard and at major stops,'' Mr Watkins said.
The RTA would soon advertise for interest in the contract to install the devices on buses in Sydney, the Illawarra, the Hunter and Central Coast, he added.
Mr Watkins said the Miranda trials took place in the first of Sydney's 43 strategic bus corridors and were extended to the Liverpool to Bankstown route.
"Other bus priority measures along these corridors include 'B' bus-only traffic signals, queue jumps, new peak-hour bus lanes amd intersection improvements to speed up bus travel,'' Mr Watkins said.
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