London buses to trial speed safety technology

New cutting-edge technology will be trialled on London’s buses next month as part of the Mayor and Transport for London's (TfL's) continuing work to halve the number of people killed or seriously injured on London's roads.

In a UK-first, 47 London buses will carry Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA) technology developed by Zeta Automotive – part of the Arriva group – to help reduce speeds and increase vehicle safety.

ISA recognises speed limits on route using TfL's Digital Speed Limit Map of London, before controlling the bus’s acceleration to ensure it doesn’t go any faster.

The trials will take place on two routes – route 19 (which runs from Battersea to Finsbury Park) and route 486 (which runs from North Greenwich to Bexleyheath) – to understand the effectiveness of ISA, while also seeking the views of drivers and passengers towards the technology.

If successful, ISA could be introduced across London’s 8,700 bus fleet.

The Deputy Mayor of London for Transport, Isabel Dedring said: “London’s buses are central to keeping the city moving and our fleet is one of the safest in the world. However, with nearly 9,000 buses on the capital’s roads it’s clear they have a major role to play in continuing improvements in road safety.

“This trial is a great example of how we’re harnessing innovation and new technology that will aide bus drivers on the job and help to improve the safety of other road users.”

Leon Daniels, Managing Director of Surface Transport at TfL, added: “Intelligent Speed Adaptation improves road safety by reducing incidences of speeding for all road users, allowing drivers to focus on looking out for potential issues on the road rather than checking their speed limit. If this trial confirms that this technology could be beneficial to the safety of London's roads, it could be introduced across our bus fleet.'

Phillip Shadbolt, Chairman of Zeta Automotive, commented: “The team at Zeta Automotive are proud to be working with TfL during this trial to evaluate the impact of our Intelligent Speed Adaptation technology on speed compliance and improved road safety.”

ENDS