Buses In London Testing New Seat Availability Display And Real-Time Maps

If you commute to work using public transport, then you’re probably aware of how hard it must be to get a seat, especially during peak hours. This might not be a big deal if your ride is only a couple of minutes, but when you’re commuting and stuck in a traffic jam, those seats start looking real comfortable!

Interestingly enough it seems that over in London, the Transportation for London have started to test out a new system where they will actually show you which seats are available in the upper level of the bus. After all no one likes having to climb to the second level of a double decker bus only to find it fully crowded, right?

As you can see in the image above, there will be a display installed on the first floor of the bus that will show passengers which seats are available or not available upstairs. It’s pretty clear cut so you can tell at a glance if the trek upstairs is worth it. So how will the bus know if the seats are taken? Well it won’t rely on sensors like at carparks.

Instead it will rely on surveillance cameras which will be able to detect whether or not a seat has been filled. In addition to the cameras and seat detectors, the bus will also display real-time mapping information to show you where you are now and how long it takes to get to the next stop. We imagine regular commuters won’t need it, but for tourists looking to get around London, it could come in handy.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Transportation
Tags: uk