Powering Smart Mobility on London's Electric Bus Network

Transport for London (TfL) carries over 6.5 million bus passengers daily across the UK capital. As part of its modern smart city initiative, TfL deployed Navaho Technologies' 38" ultra-wide LCD Enhanced on Bus Next Stop Signs (EoBNSS) across its high-frequency electric bus routes (Routes 507 & 521 serving Waterloo, Victoria, and London Bridge). The project won a London Transport Award in 2017.

The challenge

Traditional LED text displays provided minimal context during service delays or detours. Commuters routinely had to check third-party mobile apps to track connections. TfL needed an intelligent display system integrated with its central iBus network capable of handling signal loss, mapping live route diversions, and providing multi-modal transit connections.

The approach

Navaho developed custom 38" widescreen EoBNSS displays natively integrated with bus chassis manufacturer Alexander Dennis (ADL Enviro 200 electric fleet) and TfL's iBus data management platform:

1. Comprehensive journey visuals: displays real-time "This Stop" / "Next Stop" arrival predictions, route ladders, location maps, safety guidelines, and live connecting London Underground / National Rail departure times.
2. Automatic diversion mapping: if a bus deviates from its route due to road closures or traffic accidents, the display automatically switches from a static route list to a live map highlighting the vehicle's position relative to the original path.
3. Graceful degradation & data prioritization: features intelligent fallback hierarchies. If external cellular connections fail, the system smoothly caches journey data and switches to secondary GPS inputs or alternative messaging without screen blackouts.

The result

1. Award-winning success: recognized with a prestigious London Transport Award in 2017 for innovation in customer communication.
2. Reduced passenger stress: provided clear multi-modal connection updates, allowing commuters to make informed travel decisions on the go.
3. Zero fleet aesthetic impact: custom ultra-wide hardware seamlessly integrated into the interior architecture of TfL's modern electric bus fleet.

"This is an important step forward in how we communicate with our customers and enable them to make decisions about their journey while on the move... making their journeys easier and more efficient."

— Simon Reed, Head of Technology and Data (Surface Transport), Transport for London