Improving bus operations using ITS

Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) using new detection, communications and information technologies are now offering substantial potential for improving bus operations in urban areas. This paper describes some new examples of ITS for bus services, based on selected applications in Europe, and includes results illustrating typical effectiveness. Practical issues concerning implementation and operation are also addressed, together with the development of design guidelines for such systems. Buses have long been recognised as an essential component of efficient urban transport, providing a flexible and sustainable mode of transport. Despite substantial developments in other forms of public transport, the bus still has a dominant role in all but some of the largest cities and maintains strong political support.