Hop on board: Halifax Transit introduces stop announcements upgrade

When people step onto a Halifax Transit bus starting Monday, they may be surprised to hear a voice telling them where they’re heading.

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As part of the municipality’s $43-million transit technology upgrade, 13 bus routes are getting automated stop announcements. More buses will get the service installed once staff determine how successful the system is on the initial 13 routes, with an estimated launch of early 2017.

The announcements, Halifax spokesperson Tiffany Chase said in a release, will help create “user-friendly and accessible transit service.”

Speakers on the bus will tell riders where they are and what stop is up next, while outside speakers tell people getting on the bus where the bus is going. Display screens are also available on board.

Chase said in the release the screens and announcements can also provide hearing and visually impaired users with additional assistance, instead of having to be told by a bus driver or passengers where their bus is.

The service will also help visitors to the Halifax Regional Municipality know where they’re going when they board a bus.

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An information page on Halifax’s website says the announcements will stop playing if a bus takes a detour, but will start again once the bus returns to its route. It says stop closures present a problem and while short-term closures would not be changed in its system, long-term closures may be able to be reflected in announcements.

Stop announcements are the next stage in the municipality’s ongoing upgrade to its transit.

Earlier this year it replaced its GoTime system with a Departures Line phone number people could call for stop and route departure information, which used GPS satellites to track the buses.

The municipality finished installing GPS on buses this summer.