Tait Radios Keep London Buses Moving

Tait Electronics has been chosen by Siemens VDO to provide MPT 1327 analogue trunked mobile radio equipment, as part of a comprehensive communications upgrade for London Buses Ltd.

The winning proposal, based on the TaitNet TN5100 trunked network products and TM8255 mobile radios, succeeded by meeting all the project's technical requirements and by using proven and readily available standard products.

Tait was also deemed the best able to support its proposed solution, both during development and throughout the lifetime of the installation.

The contract is worth about NZD$21 million to Tait. It represents one phase of an overall London Buses upgrade by Siemens VDO - including 90 garages and 171 despatch workstations in Greater London, and more than 8,000 buses operated by 15 private bus operators.

A trunked system was considered optimal for such a large number of vehicles and such a widespread area bounded by the M25 London orbital motorway.

"This is a valuable project win for Tait, which demonstrates yet again the tremendous value that we can bring to a project of this magnitude. I'm sure Siemens VDO and London Buses will be delighted with the technology, expertise and energy that we will deliver," said Tait Electronics Managing Director Michael Chick.

Tait customises network, mobiles

The TaitNet TN5100 network will be customised to integrate with the Siemens VICOS-LIO despatch equipment, providing seamless Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) and voice communications. This will enable bus operators to efficiently manage services by using real-time location information, preventing buses from bunching or running early. Other facilities such as emergency signals are also supported by the Tait system.

Each bus will be equipped with a customised TM8255, Tait's latest trunked mobile radio, to meet London Buses' specific requirements. This will be integrated with the Siemens IBISplus on-board computer to be installed in each bus as a part of the larger upgrade project.

IBISplus provides the driver with a user interface, and tracks vehicle location by combining GPS information with mapping.In addition to GPS-based AVL services, vehicle telemetry can also be recorded such as odometer, engine and bus door activity.

As well as supplying radio communications equipment and supporting integration, Tait will also provide coverage predictions and verification to deliver a turnkey, system-level solution. "We have an outstanding track record as a total solutions provider, which was another important aspect making our proposal the most attractive," added Michael.

Prior to the Siemens VDO collaboration, Tait recently supplied 1500 trunked mobile radios in a separate project with London Buses. Tait's solution allowed direct replacement of the original vehicle radio terminals.

Tait was able to quickly configure a custom solution, based on its modern T2000 series conventional mobile terminals.This allowed London Buses to avoid major investment in infrastructure and operator training, before embarking on the comprehensive upgrade now in progress with Siemens VDO.