Go-Ahead using location technology to improve air quality and customer experience

This is to update you on some exciting innovations on our bus services, both involving location enabled technology, to improve air quality and customer convenience.

Buses have a vital role in connecting communities. 60% of all public transport journeys are by bus. Buses ensure people get to work, school or college and connect people with family and friends.  Go-Ahead continues to call for a National Bus Strategy to set targets for bus use, accelerate the transition to zero emissions, and strengthen the role buses play in social wellbeing and tackling loneliness.

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We have rolled out UK’s first geo-location zero-emission buses

We have launched the first vehicles in a new generation of electric buses, which will use the latest technology to cut emissions in key parts of Brighton, introducing 30 of the new buses in Brighton as part of a £10m investment in green transport.

These unique buses are fully electric – an electric motor drives the bus at all times – but they use a small Euro 6 diesel generator to recharge the battery, which is additionally fuelled by regenerative braking.

The buses will deactivate the generator and, using geo-fencing technology, switch to a zero emissions mode when entering Brighton and Hove’s Ultra Low Emission Zone. Nearly 98% of bus movements in Brighton pass through the zone, meaning the benefits of cleaner buses will be extended throughout the city

Go-Ahead bringing contactless bus fare capping outside of London

Go-Ahead is rolling out a unique new cap on contactless bus fares, limiting the cost of travel for passengers using multiple bus companies.

Thanks to specially designed location-enabled readers using open standards, passengers will benefit from a single daily cap on the cost of travel whether they use Brighton & Hove or Metrobus services.

It marks the first time that passengers outside of London can benefit from a “tap-on tap-off” ticketing cap across multiple bus operators.

The system, which was launched this week, automatically limits the cost of travel at the appropriate day fare that passengers pay for unlimited use of both Brighton & Hove Buses or Metrobus services, offering passengers greater flexibility in their journeys.

Public transport should be easy, convenient and affordable. This new tap-on tap-off scheme will allow the customers to travel with ease and the comfort of knowing they are only ever paying for the exact trip they take.

- - - calls continue for a National Bus Strategy

Earlier this month the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) launched its vision for the future of buses.  Entitled Moving Forward Together, it set out a vision of achieving one billion more bus journeys by 2030, and declared the industry’s readiness to buy only ultra-low or zero emission buses from 2025, offer discounted ticketing for apprentices and job seekers, and introduce price capped ticketing in urban areas.  It called on Government to play its part by supporting the industry through the transition to new technologies, maintaining funding streams and requiring local authorities to introduce targets for reductions in bus journey times – underpinned by a National Bus Strategy.

The Government’s announcement of £200m to transform bus services in the recent Spending Round is welcome.  More detail is anticipated but the Chancellor’s statement referenced funding for ultra-low emission buses and trials of on-demand services.

To get more people on buses we need to tackle congestion and unpredictable journey times, and we look to work with Government and local partners to make this happen.  #betterwithbus