Catching the bus in Bahrain just got easier!

TDT | Manama  

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Did you ever miss a bus because of not being sure about the correct bus timing? That frustration can spoil the entire day when it affects work or a travel plan. Bahrain, however, has a solution for this particular issue if you are looking for one.

But is there a tech for that...? “Yes,” says the authorities here in Bahrain, who had already rolled it out. They call it the first-ever electronic passenger information service in the Kingdom. The service is now active at bus stops around the capital city, Manama, which the authorities say will provide “accurate arrival and departure times and an improved travel experience.”

This project is part of a national strategy to modernise public transport and transform mobility for all users. The Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunication was responsible for implementing the infrastructure operated by the Bahrain Public Transportation Company.

Solar-powered electric paper

The new displays utilise solar-powered electric paper to provide live accurate bus arrival and departure times and other important information, says a report by the Intelligent Transport. If succesful, very soon, the system could be seen across the entire public transport network, with Bahrain also getting ready for the first evet metro project. “[The new electronic paper displays] will help people use the bus network flexibly and in the future link into the Metro.

Using public transport is important for the energy transition and making our cities more sustainable, and this is a smart contribution to that,” the report quoting Roddy Drummond, British Ambassador to Bahrain, said. Papercast is a robust electric paper technology that can withstand harsh weather conditions, and provides a feature-rich content management system. With this move, Bahrain also joins Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Kuwait, Makkah and Qatar in the E-ink technology.