Arriva North East

[sndriver]

RE: Arriva North East

(19/08/2012 19:26)Tango Wrote:  Hi all just a quick question, I've noticed these (link below) in the cabs of arriva busses and always wondered what they were for does anyone here know? And also do any other operators known the northeast use them ie go north east or stagecoach

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3244/3092...2db4c1.jpg

Tango

Those are the on bus real time information screens.

Basically, the drivers use these to communicate with the control room in Jesmond (in conjunction with a cab floor mounted foot pedal to enable hands free). They work differently to CB radios that some operators use in that you can only hear communication if the operator has a direct connection with that bus (no chatter is broadcast).

They can also be used to send/receive 'text' messages between the bus and the control room in the form of simple one line messages and/or information about loadings and such.

Primiarly however, they are used with the system at Jesmond to see on a virtual map exactly where each bus within the Teesside/Durham area is. (Most vehicles in Northumbria do not have these fitted). Using this data, reliability information can be compiled as they update their position when a driver opens his/her doors (i.e. bus stops). They are helpful with supervisors who query of where a bus is located should it fail to appear when scheduled.

Other than that, they are dormant to the driver most of the time. Some are fitted lower down in the cab at driver knee hight on the 40xx series and some 17xx series at least.