GPS Provides a Smoother Bus Ride Experience

Waiting Time

Everyone hates to wait in line, especially a line for a late bus. Instead of going about your work, you’re stuck wasting time. If you had only known the bus were going to be late, then you could have planned your day better.

Tracking Time 

Several cities are trying to resolve that problem by offering riders a GPS tracking system for their buses. For example, the city of Saskatoon, Alberta recently equipped its buses to accommodate integration with GPS technology.The GPS software tracks buses as they leave the station and travel to their destinations. The GPS receiver connects with the signal from the satellites and then transmits it to a data-enabled wireless device, such as a smartphone or tablet.

On their phone screens, potential riders track the routes of the buses as they progress throughout the city. Throughout that time, riders receive updates on selected buses. If there is a delay because of traffic, then the system is automatically updated, and riders can prepare for the delay. As a bus nears the stop, riders are prepared to board.

Tracking Changes

This new arrangement could help promote use of public transportation, as residents would be able to count on accurate timetables and arrivals. Additionally, people could avoid waiting in line by walking to the next stop or taking another route.

Public transportation officials have also indicated that GPS patterns could be used to create more efficient routes that transport workers to their jobs faster and save costs for taxpayers.

Several universities have also implemented similar programs. As with the Saskatoon system, students can track the status of the campus buses via smartphone. This allows them to avoid being late to class by planning another route, or biking or walking instead. The security of the passengers presents another benefit of tracking buses in real time: women report feeling safer waiting inside than outside in the dark in an empty bus stop.

Waiting No More

So the days of standing in the rain with other grumbling passengers waiting for the bus may be nearing an end. Instead, you could be safe inside by yourself at a coffee shop. All you would need to catch the bus as it arrives would be to open your phone and tap your finger.

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GPS Provides a Smoother Bus Ride Experience