UK city is first to use AI for bus travel

Eric Sosa
3 hours ago – Reading time: 1 minute, 42 seconds

The Greater Manchester region in the United Kingdom will receive a performance improvement platform on the city’s bus network. The system uses artificial intelligence (AI) and data analysis from the public transport service to propose measures to improve operations. The implementation of this technology is part of the Greater Manchester Bus Strategy announced last year.

Read more: UK bus operators partner with artificial intelligence firm

Developed by CitySwift, the performance optimization platform provides transport operators and authorities with recommendations and predictions based on reading service information. The technology is planned to provide efficient, reliable and on-demand services.

According to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the local authority responsible for transport in the Manchester region, is expected to see an increase in the number of people using buses as they use the technology. The company’s preliminary expectation is a 30% increase in the number of bus users by 2030, compared to the numbers in 2022 and 2023. In total, this equates to nearly 50 million additional bus trips annually.

UK bus network

For the agency, using the platform will facilitate this decision. Using the technology, TfGM will access performance data from the entire Bee network, Greater Manchester’s integrated transport network. For example, this information may help identify service trends and trouble spots.

“This information can be used to prioritize improvements and provide better service to passengers,” says Catherine Dowie, senior bus owner at TfGM. The Bee network covers travel in the region by trains, trams and buses. In total, about 5.6 million trips are made on the city’s roads every day.