The Public Transport Information and Priority System, abbreviated PTIPS,
is a computer-based system that brings together information about public transport entities, such as buses. Where applicable, PTIPS can also provide transport vehicles with priority at traffic signals.
PTIPS consists of a number of hardware and software components installed on-board buses which wirelessly communicate with a central set of servers. PTIPS also relies on an interface with Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System (
SCATS
The Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System, abbreviated SCATS, is an intelligent transportation system that manages the dynamic (on-line, real-time) timing of signal phases at traffic signals, meaning that it tries to find the best phasing (i ...
- to provide the priority feature) and bus/route/timetable data provided by bus organisations and government authorities.
PTIPS provides:
* Real-time tracking of bus location and status
* Traffic light priority for late running buses
* Bus/Timetable performance and reliability reports
* Real-time Bus arrival information for bus stops
How PTIPS works
PTIPS works by combining, on the one hand, schedule and route path information for buses performing timetabled services (as opposed to, say, charter trips), and on the other hand, live location data transmitted by the buses to PTIPS.
PTIPS receives XML data files from the bus operators, which contain information relating to planned trips (for example, route paths, trips & schedules, bus stops etc.)
Each bus that PTIPS tracks is equipped with a hardware device that records its location via
GPS
The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a Radionavigation-satellite service, satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of t ...
, and transmits it to the central PTIPS servers via the cellular radio communications network. Buses transmit these messages at certain intervals (which are configurable, and which vary depending on what the bus is doing), and also when they pass certain points along their intended route. Apart from GPS location, the transmitted messages also include information about the vehicle and which trip it is doing.
With the above information, PTIPS can compare the location of a bus performing a certain trip, at a certain point in time, with where it should be, based on the planned route and timetable data.
Real time apps
Transport for NSW
Transport for NSW, sometimes abbreviated to TfNSW, and pronounced as Transport for New South Wales, is an agency of the New South Wales Government established on 1 November 2011, and is the leading transport and roads agency in New South Wales, ...
worked with several developers in late 2012 to create, and release smartphone applications with access to the real-time bus data provided from PTIPS. Released in December, several
iOS
iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...
and
Android
Android may refer to:
Science and technology
* Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human
* Android (operating system), Google's mobile operating system
** Bugdroid, a Google mascot sometimes referred to ...
apps went live on their respective App Stores, allowing customers to track where their buses were in real-time, as well as any delays or timetable changes as they occur. In 2013, this real-time data was further expanded to provide live information from
Sydney Trains
Sydney Trains is the operator of the suburban passenger rail network serving the city of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The network is a hybrid urban- suburban rail system with a central underground core that covers over of track and 170 ...
, and private bus operators
Hillsbus
Hillsbus is an Australian bus company that operates services in the Hills District of Sydney. Founded in 2004 when National Express merged its Glenorie Bus Company and Westbus (Hills District operations only) subsidiaries, it is today part of C ...
and
Busways
Busways is an Australian bus company operating services in Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis ...
Blacktown, and was eventually rolled out across bus operators in Greater Sydney.
In 2020, Transport started working with bus operators to introduce real-time tracking to regional bus services. As of April 2022,
PTIPS-assisted real-time tracking is now available for the regional centres of Albury, Armidale, Bathurst, Bega, Coffs Harbour, Dubbo, Forbes, Grafton, Greater Nowra, Parkes, Port Macquarie, Queanbeyan, Tamworth, Tweed Heads and Wagga Wagga.
References
Details of Realtime Data Retrieved on 16 April 2007.
Retrieved on 16 April 2007.
*Besser, Linton
Retrieved on 16 April 2007.
New apps with real time bus information{{reflist
External links
SCATS Website
Intelligent transportation systems
Bus transport in New South Wales