IT Pro and Yahoo News report that the Department for Transport is hoping to transform rural bus services with a digital system that opens up bus location data to developers.

Buses Minister Nusrat Ghani announced £4 million, part of the Future of Mobility strategy, to create a platform to provide better information to passengers about when buses will arrive.

She said: ‘People expect to turn up to a bus stop knowing when their next service will arrive, particularly in rural areas… We’re investing in systems to make it easier for people to find out where their bus is, how much it will cost and how long it will take.’

The Department for Transport found that one of the barriers to young people using buses is not having information readily available on their phones.

Full articles:

→ IT Pro - Government will open up bus data to improve rural services

→ Yahoo News - UK Government announces £4m to overhaul rural bus systems