People in Birmingham can now have accurate bus arrival times at their fingertips, thanks to a real time information project using satellite and mobile phone technology.

As part of the multi-million pound project over 1700 bus stops and shelters in the West Midlands have been allocated special codes, which allow passengers to receive information on their mobile phone about the arrival of the next bus.

The project is a flagship partnership between the region’s public transport body Centro-PTA, local authorities, the Department for Transport and Travel West Midlands.  More than 30 major bus routes into and out of Birmingham city centre will benefit from the equipment.

The initiative works in conjunction with high-tech satellite navigation systems installed by bus company Travel West Midlands on 366 of their vehicles, which track the buses’ exact locations on a route.             

The technology means that bus arrival times at specific stops and shelters across the city can be accurately predicted.

All bus passengers have to do is text the 8-digit bus stop ID code to the number 84268. They will then receive a text message telling them exactly how many minutes until the next few buses are due.

Passengers at many stops in the West Midlands are already used to electronic displays in bus shelters, which use the same technology to display the Real Time Information.  Now they can also make a note of the code at their nearest bus stop, even if it doesn’t have a shelter display, and find out the arrival time of the next bus before leaving home, work or anywhere else.

“Wondering when the next bus will arrive can be very frustrating for bus passengers. This new technology means people have the confidence of knowing, to the minute, exactly when their bus will turn up,” explains Councillor Gary Clarke, Chairman of Centro-PTA.

“The new technology shows passengers that bus companies can actively manage their fleets, with the potential of keeping buses to timetable during the day.  The control centre can keep an eye on traffic problems and watch out for the bunching of buses on busy routes.  It means they can move towards an efficient network and deliver a better service for passengers,” he says.

“Initiatives like this to provide better passenger information can make public transport much easier to use.  That is more and more important as we aim to tackle congestion in the West Midlands and do our bit to help the environment.”

Martin Hancock, Marketing & Development Director for bus company Travel West Midlands adds: “The new system provides an integrated package of information enabling customers to find out when their next bus is arriving wherever they are, at the bus stop, at their office desk or ordering their last pint.  We are pleased to be involved in this partnership with Centro-PTA and the Department for Transport.”