Reading Buses has completed a project that has included the rollout of audio-visual next stop announcements across both its own fleet of buses that are used by the public and those of subsidiaries Newbury and District and Thames Valley Buses. It was made possible thanks to £1.5m secured from the Local Growth Fund via the Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership.
Audio-visual systems have been installed on 51 buses, while those already fitted to 27 other vehicles have been upgraded to the same specification. The ‘back office’ system that provides data has also been improved. That will bring improvements to real time predictions on the operator’s app and website, at stops and railway stations and in its control room.
Says Chief Executive Robert Williams (pictured, left): “We are delighted that we are now able to announce the completion of this amazing project that will help to make buses even easier to use.
“While the majority of our buses in Reading have had next stop announcements for a while, this work has allowed us to fill in all the gaps. The upgrade to the background system allows us to futureproof the business and makes it easier for our team to spot any issues and put them right. It will also allow for more accurate tracking of buses on our website, our app and at stops.
“Our buses have provided passengers with information about the next train departures when they approach a railway station for some time, and it’s great that we now have bus departure information on screens at Reading and Newbury stations.”
The project has also seen various parts of the operator’s online ticketing integrated into a combined web shop. Customers may now use one log-in for its app and website and choose whether they want tickets to be sent to a smartcard or their phone.
