Passengers travelling on the Outer Circle bus route in Birmingham will finally see real-time information screens at bus stops when completion of the longdelayed project is approved by councillors today.
The satellite-based system has been promised on the route since the turn of the century but the Passenger Transport Authority is now set to approve completion of the £ 6 million project at approximately 200 shelters on the 27-mile route.
The screens will tell passengers exactly when the next bus is due and the system will enable travellers to obtain bus time information via text message to their mobile phones and on the internet.
Bus company Travel West Midlands will install satellite-tracking devices on all Outer Circle buses to ensure that timetable information is accurate and to put an end to the notorious bunching of buses on the route.
The Outer Circle Showcase Project has already seen new low-floor buses and improvements to 230 of the route's 271 shelters and stops.
A further 25 shelters will be improved by March 2006 and CCTV installation at interchanges will also be completed by this date.
Councillor Len Clark, lead member for buses on the PTA, which sets policy for Centro, said: "We have already seen a substantial improvement to the Outer Circle route thanks to the Showcase Project.
"With the addition of real-time information, this highly important route will become even more convenient for its passengers."
The showcase project, which cost £17 million overall, is a partnership between Centro, Birmingham City Council and Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council.
