London buses to improve road safety with speed technology trial

A speed technology trial designed to increase safety on London’s roads will be installed on 47 buses during July 2015.

The implementation of the new technology is the result of the Mayor of London and Transport for London’s (TfL’s) Pedestrian Safety Action Plan designed to reduce the number of casualties on London’s roads. The new technology, known as Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA), ensures the vehicle stays within the correct speed limit on the appropriate bus route using TfL’s Digital Speed Limit Map of London.

The technology will be trialled on 47 buses serving route 19 which runs from Battersea to Finsbury Park and route 486 which runs from North Greenwich to Bexleyheath. The routes have been chosen for their variety of road environments and speed limits.

The Deputy Mayor of London for Transport, Isabel Dedring, said: “London’s buses are central to keeping the city moving and our fleet is one of the safest in the world. However, with nearly 9,000 buses on the Capital’s roads it’s clear they have a major role to play in continuing improvements in road safety. This trial is a great example of how we’re harnessing innovation and new technology that will aide bus drivers on the job and help to improve the safety of other road users.”

Leon Daniels, Managing Director of Surface Transport at TfL, said: “London’s bus drivers are some of the best trained in the world, carrying more than 6.5 million passengers a day. However, in a city that is becoming increasingly busy, it is important that we do everything we can to make our roads safe for all.

“Intelligent Speed Adaptation improves road safety by reducing incidences of speeding for all road users, allowing drivers to focus on looking out for potential issues on the road rather than checking their speed limit. If this trial confirms that this technology could be beneficial to the safety of London’s roads, it could be introduced across our bus fleet.”

The trial will continue until the autumn when TfL will review the effectiveness of ISA in improving road safety and the attitudes of drivers and passengers using the service. If successful, ISA could be introduced across London’s 8,700 bus fleet.