Home Menu Search

TfL announces new technology trials on its buses

6 September 2017

Story from the London Road Safety Council.

Transport for London (TfL) has announced that it is to trial new technologies, including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), on its buses.

The Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) will oversee the trials which also include features to alert pedestrians and other road users of the presence of buses, such as lights and audible warnings.

Other measures to be trialled include a redesign of the front of the buses to reduce the impact of a collision, changes to bus interiors – including higher-grip flooring – to improve passenger safety, and improvements to vision for drivers, including enhanced mirror design.

The results of the trials will feed into a new ‘Bus Safety Standard’ that will be incorporated into bus operator contracts from the end of 2018.

TfL has also published a report on the trial of the use of Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) in buses, which took place in 2016.

The report shows that all buses fitted with ISA remained within the speed limit 97-99% of the time, ‘proving its effectiveness’. TfL says the extremely rare incidents of excess speeds were seen on downhill sections of road.

Earlier this year the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, set out a ‘Vision Zero’ approach to road danger in his draft transport strategy. This approach aims for no one to be killed in or by a London bus by 2030, and for deaths and serious injuries from road collisions to be eliminated from London’s streets by 2041.

 

Related news, events and information

London to require ISA on all new buses from next year

6 June 2016 – Transport for London (TfL) has completed trials of Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) technology fitted to...

Speed limiter trial launched in London

14 June 2009 – A six-month trial of Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA) technology, which aims to reduce road casualties and...

ETSC advocates the use of ISA

30 October 2015 – For more than ten years, the European Transport Safety Council has been advocating the benefits of Intelligent...

Transport for London

10 December 2023 – At the heart of the Safe System approach to achieving London's Vision Zero targets of eliminating deaths and...

London intensifies efforts to achieve Vision Zero

22 November 2021 – Bold new commitments include a 20mph speed limit on 220km of the TfL road network by 2024 and enhanced support...

Bus driver fatigue management to become a London priority

9 September 2019 – Following the commissioning of research into bus driver fatigue Transport for London has mandated that from...

TfL's £80 million funding for London's road safety

26 July 2024 – Transport for London (TfL) has announced a funding initiative to enhance road safety and improve bus services...

London Tackles Pedestrian Safety

4 April 2014 – Over six million journeys are made on foot in London every day and millions of people take to the streets as...

ISA essential for EU vehicle safety standards

18 February 2019 – On 21 February, the European Parliament's Internal Market (IMCO) Committee will vote on critical new EU vehicle...