Real time travel

Real time information systems are rapidly making the uncertainty of waiting for buses a thing of the past. One such is Southampton's STOPWATCH system, which offers fleet management to bus companies and better information to passengers. The key to the system lies in a small computer fitted on board each bus. As the bus moves along its route it picks up signals from a series of discreetly placed roadside bearons. The on-board computer constantly updates this information and sends it via the bus radio to a central control computer. This central computer has a program which can assess various factors affecting the progress of the bus, such as traffic conditions at different times of the day, and estimate accurately its time of arrival. This information is then sent to the appropriate electronic signs along the route.