From TfL Press release
- The data could be used to improve services, provide better real-time travel information and help prioritise investment across London
- All data collected will be automatically anonymised and no individuals will be identified
TfL is beginning a three-month trial to identify how best to automatically count passengers on buses. The trial, which will begin on Friday 8 June, will assess which techniques capture passenger numbers in real time with the most accuracy. This could enable TfL to improve its services, provide better real-time travel information and help prioritise investment - all while being cheaper and more reliable than current manual counts.
A better understanding of how full London's buses are could mean:
- Customers are provided with improved real-time information for better journey planning and information such the available accessible space
- More effective management of the bus network, helping to ensure any unplanned diversions minimise passenger disruption
- Better bus planning and forecasting for the future, including allowing buses to better support London's growth
The trial will run on seven buses and will assess the following automatic counting techniques:
- Cameras aimed across the bus floor observing the footsteps of passengers getting on and off the bus
- Real-time analysis of existing safety camera footage
- Sensors over each door of the bus
- Analysis of the changes to the buses weight and air pressure
- Use of depersonalised WiFi connection data
All WiFi data collected during the trial will be automatically depersonalised at the point of collection. No browsing data will be collected and no individuals will be identified. Buses trialling the CCTV, sensors or WiFi techniques will display posters to ensure passengers are aware of the trial and further information is available on TfL's website.
Simon Reed, Head of Surface Technology and Data at TfL, said: "Technology is transforming our lives and creating huge potential to improve how we use and operate public transport. This short trial is an exciting opportunity to make it easier for everyone to use buses in London.
"We use a range of methods, such as ticketing data and manual paper surveys, to understand how customers travel across London, but we cannot measure in real time the number of people on a given bus. We hope this trial will show us the best way to identify real-time bus usage, which in turn could help us plan our network better, run it more effectively and greatly enhance live customer information."
Steve Chambers, Public Transport Campaigner at Campaign for Better Transport, said: "It is really good to see the latest bus technology being trialled in London with the potential to allow passengers to make informed choices about their journeys based on how busy each upcoming bus will be.
"Disabled passengers who require the accessible space could have the most to gain from the deployment of enhanced passenger information following the successful conclusion of this trial."
TfL is committed to harnessing the power of open data so all information is publicly available, unless there are overriding reasons not to do so, for example personal data. This approach has transformed the way that Londoners receive transport information. More than 40% of Londoners currently use an app or website powered by TfL data to plan their journeys, ranging from live bus times and locations to information on air quality and walking times between stations. Depersonalised bus usage data could add a new and useful data source to enhance Londoners' transport.
For more information about the trial, please visit http://tfl.gov.uk/privacy
TfL's approach to collecting depersonalised (pseudonimised) WiFi data has been discussed with the Information Commissioner's Office and follows their published guidance - https://ico.org.uk/media/1560691/wi-fi-location-analytics-guidance.pdf
All data from the trial will be securely stored with restricted user access
Seven buses on routes 55, 47, 222, 507 and 521 will be trialling the techniques
Route 55 uses the three-door, two-staircase hybrid buses known as the New Routemaster and Red Arrow Routes 507 and 521 use the Enviro200 MMC BYD electric buses.
Next up - after a long wait, two of the SRM’s (two-door, one-staircase New Routemaster) with the Volvo B5HLC system will be tested on route 37, according to LOTS.
From LOTS:
2) Go-Ahead’s long- promised two Volvo B5LHCs with Wright SRM bodies (VHP 1 and 2) are now in course of delivery. These are to use the overhead pantograph method of electrical re-charging. It had been planned that they would work from New Cross but that was changed to Peckham and they will be allocated to route 37. Suitable infrastructure will be needed, i.e. erecting pylons at Peckham Bus Station and at Putney Heath Bus Stand. On a similar vein, the BCI triaxle LX18 DGF will not now be trialled on route X68, an alternative route is being sought.
Here’s the photo of the VHP2 (BV18YAE) which was captured at Heysham Docks on the 9th June 2018; you can view the photo hosted on Flickr here.
Here’s the rest of the London Bus news update from LOTS:
1) This weekend’s changes in London went off quietly with DE for the 268 and TE for the 231 sourced within the existing fleet. The H2/H3 is using the Arriva Solos on hire for up to two months, while the SW class of StreetDecks moved with route 340 from Garston to Arriva Palmers Green. Garston now operates just routes 288, 303, 305, H18/H19 until 31st August, after which all transfer to London Sovereign.
3) Even though all the batch of buses has now been delivered, a delay in installation and re-location of electrical charging points at Holloway Garage for the new BEL class of BYD/ADL E200-EV buses will mean a delay in their introduction onto route 46. This had been due on 23rd June but a new date remains to be decided and meanwhile, DE buses will continue to be used. Numerous VMH class (Volvo B5LH/ MCV) buses have been delivered, so the take-up by Metroline on 23rd June of route 30 and the double-decking of route 274 should get under way quite soon.
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