"Intelligent Speed Assistane" for London Buses

[jopsuk]

Buried in this (not recreating it all, as it's huge) is this little paragraph

TfL also continues to maintain its newly updated 'Digital Speed Limit' map for London, which is helping to support the development of the next generation of in-vehicle technologies and mobile phone apps for the road. Making such information freely available, and keeping it accurate, means existing services such as sat-navs and GPS can provide drivers with the best information on the speed limit of the roads they are travelling on, giving them greater certainty, helping them to keep safe and avoid speeding penalties. The data will also be used in TfL's forthcoming trials of Intelligent Speed Assistance software on London Buses, which will begin later this year.

At yesterday's "20s Plenty" conference in Cambridge TfLs Ben Jonhson expanded a little on this, saying that the intention is to fit ISA to buses to help enforce the 20mph limit (among other objectives). It's an interesting idea.

 

[BestWestern]

Why?!

Are they not already fitted with GPS, 'drivegreen' or whatever it's called, and god knows what else... Is there an acknowledged problem with speeding buses in London? If so, has anybody looked at why? Sounds like a waste of public funds on needless gimmickery to me.

Now where did we see that before with TfL's buses...

 

[RJ]

Buses do speed in London, particularly towards the end of the day when drivers are ending their shift. It's not something that people really complain about, unless the driver is actually being reckless or it causes discomfort.

There are already buses on the road that take control away from the driver through severe power impediments and things like the bus not picking up any speed for up to 8 seconds after flooring the gas. Such buses are adorned with dents and long scratch marks on the near/offside bodywork so I'm yet to be convinced that's the answer.

 

[PermitToTravel]

If the acceleration restrictions are replaced with speed restrictions (to the legal limits) then a lot of buses will get quite some way faster!

 

[radamfi]

Buses do speed in London, particularly towards the end of the day when drivers are ending their shift. It's not something that people really complain about, unless the driver is actually being reckless or it causes discomfort.

I thought most London buses have a 30 mph speed limiter?

 

[pompeyfan]

I thought most London buses have a 30 mph speed limiter?

I think it's 40, stagecoach have shipped out to tridents from London to Portsmouth, and I recall them being banned from the 700 route until the limiter was removed.

 

[Bletchleyite]

If the acceleration restrictions are replaced with speed restrictions (to the legal limits) then a lot of buses will get quite some way faster!

I'd be more concerned about the inevitable inaccuracy of GPS when driving under a tree, bridge or on a very cloudy day. My satnav has a speed limit warning on it, and while usually accurate it isn't unknown for it to pick up the limit from an adjacent or crossing road, and give a 30mph warning when you are quite legally doing 70. If that caused the vehicle brakes to kick in, or even a loss of power at a crucial moment, it would be downright dangerous.

Neil

 

[RJ]

I thought most London buses have a 30 mph speed limiter?

It's variable. A lot of Abellio's buses are limited to 40. Some are limited to 30, 50 or 56. One certain batch appears to be devoid of limiters, I got one up to 60mph once and it wanted to keep going, I didn't though!

Many of London United's buses are limited to 56mph, though most Enviros, Citaros, Optares and inner London Tridents are limited to 36-39mph. Some of the Tridents are limited to 60 and others don't seem to be limited.

 

[Mojo]

Where are these London buses that go fast? Most buses I'm ever on crawl along between stops.

 

[PermitToTravel]

I'd be more concerned about the inevitable inaccuracy of GPS when driving under a tree, bridge or on a very cloudy day. My satnav has a speed limit warning on it, and while usually accurate it isn't unknown for it to pick up the limit from an adjacent or crossing road, and give a 30mph warning when you are quite legally doing 70. If that caused the vehicle brakes to kick in, or even a loss of power at a crucial moment, it would be downright dangerous.

Neil

TfL's new speed limit map stores changes in speed limit, rather than limits for each stretch of road as the old one did, so confusion is rather less likely unless there is a speed limit change above or below

I'm sure they'd have to respond to (missed) speed limit decreases with an annoying beeping noise, rather than a power cut-out / brake application. It'd surely be ludicrously dangerous otherwise?