The City of Edinburgh Council announced on Friday 13 September that its digital bus travel tracking screens are “now displaying real-time information” nearly a year on from their initial roll out last November.
The £2.9 million system is intended to make the trackers easier to read but received criticism for showing only bus timetables rather than live times.
Speaking to The Student during the initial rollout, one passenger described feeling frustrated as they were unable to know when their bus was going to arrive and if they had already missed their bus.
As they replaced the previous tracking boards, only those with access to the Bus and Tram app could see accurate bus tracking information.
In addition to announcing that the existing 322 screens are now live, the Council revealed that a “further 100 signs” are to be installed across Edinburgh.
According to Edinburgh’s Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Stephen Jenkinson, this new development will “make journeys easier”.
Taking to Reddit and TripAdvisor forums, residents have said they are “delighted” that the bus trackers are “finally working”.
Yet, not all passengers of Lothian buses are aware of this update, with one passenger telling The Student that:
“I’ve gotten so used to the timetables never being right that I didn’t even bother to think about checking if they work now”.
The Student compared the LED tracker times with the Bus and Tram app at the busy Surgeon’s Hall bus stop and found that the LED bus trackers are indeed accurate and showing live bus times.
However, reviewing other bus stops we found that real-time information continues to not be available for all buses.
Image via Jack Davies