A system which displays bus arrival information at stops is being introduced in Jiading.

At the Jiading No 9 and No 11 bus Qinghe Road and Chengzhong Road stops, a black-and-white electronic screen has been installed to display arrival times.

The system can track and locate buses by GPS to estimate the arrival time of each vehicle.

"The arrival time on the screen will be adjusted according to real-time road traffic conditions so that passengers are able to change their travel plans in time," said a staff member from Jiading Bus Co.

Jiading No 11 bus was chosen as the first pilot bus line for the forecasting system because it has a relatively large passenger volume. It runs through the old town area, busy road sections and major residential areas and can provide more data for later improvements and applications.

"At present, the accuracy rate (within one minute) is over 97 percent. Later, we will continue to collect the data and further improve the accuracy," said the staff member.

So far, 29 black-and-white and 14 color screens have been installed. Similar to an e-book reader, the black-and-white screens consume less energy and are easier to read in bright sunlight.

The small and medium-sized color screens are mostly powered by solar energy. Some display screens in places with weak lighting are equipped with lithium batteries to ensure they can work continuously for 40 days at temperatures ranging from minus 15 degrees Celsius to 65 degrees.

By the end of this year, two 32-inch large screens will be installed at the Shugou Road and Yingyuan Road bus stops. After a series of trials and improvements, the system will be applied to all busy bus stops in urban areas.