New tech so buses miss bridges

A major Perth-based UK bus operator has announced it will become the first in the country to invest in new alert technology that helps prevent bridge collisions.

Stagecoach’s £4 million project will strengthen existing measures and build on use of the GreenRoad driver safety and fuel efficiency system.

The system will use GPS vehicle location data and mapping services to alert the driver to nearby low bridges.

It also utilises a trafficlight-like LED system on the dashboard, and gives drivers instant feedback about their driving manoeuvres to encourage safer, more fuel-efficient driving for passengers.

Stagecoach has been in discussions with GreenRoad over the past eight months on how to extend the telematics technology to further improve safety for its fleet around low bridges.

Recent data from Network Rail shows there were 1714 railway bridge strikes across the country in the 2019-20 financial year.

Most of these incidents involve heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), with between 40 and 50 a year related to buses.

Stagecoach chief executive Martin Griffiths said:“Everything we do starts with safety: for our customers, our people, pedestrians and other road users.

“Buses are already one of the safest forms of travel.

“But every year we invest millions of pounds in training our professional driving team and new technology to make our public transport operations even safer.

“Our country’s infrastructure includes many railway bridges designed in an era before modern transport vehicles went on the road, creating a safety risk.

“We have been working for many months with GreenRoad to design this important low bridge alert enhancement to their proven safety technology, and are now implementing it to bolster the extensive measures we already have in place.

“We look forward to delivering the benefits from our investment across the country.”