Could Bedford pilot which gave real-time bus info be rolled out across England?
Councils across England are exploring a new approach to delivering real-time bus passenger information, following a pilot in Bedford.
You may remember back in 2024 when we revealed how a new initiative from Bedford Borough Council aimed to show real-time bus information thanks to QR codes at bus stops.
The Bedford pilot recorded 4,638 users across a single bus route in four months at a cost of 3p per passenger – a fraction of the £18 European average spend per user on transport apps.
The interest follows a presentation of the Bedford results to England's Economic Heartland (EEH) – a partnership of 11 local authorities spanning Swindon to Cambridge.
Improving analytics was voted the group’s top priority for improving bus usage, and several member councils are now exploring passenger information solutions across their networks.
Passenger information platform Journey Alerts delivered the pilot with Bedford council, which deployed QR code posters on one of their most popular bus routes. Passengers scanned a code at their stop to receive real-time instructions – covering bus times, delays and connections – directly through WhatsApp, with no app download or account registration needed.
By the end of the four-month trial, 4,638 people had taken part, with 50% returning within one month. The platform is already configured to scale across Bedford’s wider bus network.
Alex Froom, chief strategy officer at Journey Alerts, said: “Bus passengers have been let down for too long by information that tells them a timetable exists but offers nothing when things change. The Bedford results show that when you make information easy to act on and deliver it through a channel people already use, uptake follows. More than 4,600 users from one route, with no promotion, is a strong signal of what this model can do at scale.”
Nicola Gribble, portfolio holder for environment at the council, said: “The Journey Alerts’ pilot in Bedford borough is part of our ongoing commitment to making public transport more accessible and reliable for everyone.
“Whether you’re a frequent traveller, someone who finds bus travel challenging, or visiting our town for the first time, this new service provides clear, real-time information to help you get where you need to go with confidence and ease.”