Speed-assistance technology to improve safety on Cambridgeshire guided busway

A bus and bus stop on the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway, in Impington, Cambridgeshire, England. Image credit: Keith Edkins, licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license

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New technology that automatically reduces the speed of vehicles has been rolled out on Cambridgeshire guided busway.

Stagecoach East implemented the intelligent speed-assistance (ISA) technology – which was developed in partnership with Volvo Bus – to limit the speed of vehicles as they enter safety zones. Stagecoach East says the rollout is pioneering as it marks the first time such technology has been used this way on board UK buses and globally on guided buses.

The Cambridge guided busway was opened in 2011 and is the longest busway in the world, stretching 16 miles between Cambridge, Huntingdon and St Ives. It carries around three million passengers a year.

The ISA technology reduces a vehicle’s speed by limiting its engine power between specific points. Stagecoach East earned an award for Best Use of Technology (up to 150 vehicles) at the 2022 routeone awards for its use of the technology.

Terry Absalom, Engineering Director for Stagecoach East, said: “Our number one priority is the safety of local people, which is why we have worked tirelessly over the last two years alongside our partners at Volvo Buses to develop and adapt this innovative system for use on our Cambridge Busway.

“This is the very first time that intelligent speed-assistance technology will be used in the UK to automatically reduce a vehicle’s speed using the vehicle’s retarder and we are very proud to be the first bus operator in the world to launch this system on a guided busway setting.

“We have provided extensive training for our drivers and look forward to the prospect of having this technology rolled out to other bus operations in the future. We will continue to embrace new technologies and invest in innovative systems such as this one to ensure the safety of our passengers, drivers and other road users.”

Cllr Alex Beckett, chair of the council’s highways and transport committee, said: “I’m pleased Stagecoach has fitted their buses with this new intelligent system. I look forward to it being rolled out across the guided busway.”

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