By using the remote control viewers can check when their next bus is due, before leaving the house. YourNextBus uses satellite technology from ACIS to track the location of the bus during its journey. It knows exactly where the bus is on the route during the hours of operation. Covering all bus routes in South and West Yorkshire, this service is key to people in more rural areas and those who rely on public transport.

YourNextBus is run by South and West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executives and has been made available on digital interactive TV in partnership with DigiTV and the local government DiTV portal Looking Local. Viewers simply insert their bus stop number (found on the bus stop flag), route number or postcode and the information comes back telling them when the next buses are due at that stop. 

YourNextBus has been available on the web and on mobile for some time and required little engineering to make it available on DiTV as it runs from existing databases and technology. The DiTV interface is simply an extension of the system to give equal and fair access to all.

YourNextBus is a welcome addition to the wealth of services already available on DiTV via Looking Local in the Yorkshire area, including doctors’ appointments, checking benefit claims and finding jobs. This key local service adds to the existing train and travel information supplied by Transport Direct and gives Yorkshire residents a raft of transport information on which to make decisions.  

Tim Rivett, Head of IT at SYPTE and Travel SouthYorkshire says: “We are keen to see public transport information on interactive television services as the technology is so wide spread. Often people are more comfortable using a television than they are a computer or a mobile phone, as a result it was an obvious choice as a method of providing information. We need to provide information to the whole population, not just a select few, and are keen to ensure that we do everything we can to ensure that we do not widen the divide that exists in many areas of life between those with access to the internet and those that don’t.

As a partner in E@SYConnects and DigiTV, enhancing the already excellent services in South Yorkshire with interactive public transport information on Looking Local was easy to justify. The service proved as easy to develop as it is to use, and I hope that it encourages more people to develop more interactive services on DiTV.” 

Looking Local is free to access and digital interactive TV is a key channel for people across the digital divide who do not have PC access or skills. Looking Local is run by DigiTV which is wholly owned and managed by Kirklees Council. Kirklees residents will also benefits from the YourNextBus service, as well as those in Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham, Barnsley, Wakefield, Bradford, Calderdale and Leeds.  

Steve Langrick, Kirklees Business Strategy & Access Manager, who runs the DigiTV service says: "Digital TV is really making a mark in local service delivery now and the addition of more services that are frequently needed only helps to add to its usefulness from a citizen perspective. YourNextBus was an obvious candidate for DiTV integration and I hope will bring real value to the citizens of South and West Yorkshire. It allows people to manage their time more effectively and get the latest transport information easily and for free. DigiTV is always keen on this type of community focused initiative making 'Looking Local' more compelling overall and a valuable personal resource." 

With over 80% of homes now owning at least one digital TV set, Looking Local and other interactive services are growing in popularity and viewers are realising the wealth of useful services behind the programming. It is the key services, like Transport and Jobs, which are properly maintained and of daily use to citizens that will drive usage of DiTV services.