Delhi is set to redevelop around 3,575 bus stop shelters with digital passenger information systems, route maps and real-time bus tracking, allowing commuters to see approaching buses and their expected arrival times, Delhi government officials aware of the plan said.
The transport department has also been examining the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in bus infrastructure. The planned information system comes alongside efforts to upgrade the city’s wider bus management system. The government is separately examining an AI- and machine-learning-enabled Bus Management System that could use historical and real-time traffic data to improve estimated arrival times, predict delays and optimise fleet operations.
The government had earlier examined bus shelter designs in Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru and Navi Mumbai, as well as international cities including London and Singapore, before preparing the redevelopment framework. Under an earlier proposal, AI-enabled shelters were planned to provide information on routes, frequency, waiting time and passenger footfall, with an audio facility allowing commuters to seek information about bus services.
The system will be integrated with the bus tracking mechanism so that passengers can know when the next bus is expected,” Singh said. “The entire plan is ready and we will be floating tenders next week. This will transform the bus transport system across Delhi with more reliability and transparency in operations. “The aim is to provide commuters with complete information at the bus stop itself, including routes, bus numbers and real-time arrival information.
People will also be able to track their journeys from where they are to where they want to go,” transport minister Pankaj Singh said. Officials said that the department has also been working on metro-style route maps that show the origin, destination and intermediate stops of buses operating from each shelter.
