Vancouver 98 B-Line bus info signs 'duds'
Last Updated: Thursday, March 8, 2007 | 4:13 PM PT
CBC News

TransLink admits the electronic information signs at stops along a major bus route between downtown Vancouver and Richmond don't work, can't be fixed and could soon be gone.

The digital signs along the 98 B-line between downtown Vancouver and Richmond are supposed to let people waiting at the bus stop know when the next bus will arrive.

The digital bus signs along the Vancouver-Richmond bus route don't work, TransLink officials admit.
(CBC)

The signs, which are linked to a GPS system on the buses, haven't been working for the past week, freezing up and requiring frequent reboots.

"The signs at the bus stops have been duds," said TransLink spokesman Ken Hardie, adding the company that installed the system said it cannot be fixed.

"This system unfortunately just has never worked properly. Siemens has basically thrown up its hands and say they can't make it work."

Hardie said the GPS part of the system is working, and will continue to be used to hold green lights if buses are running late.

Officials haven't decided whether to continue to reboot the signs, or turn them off altogether.

Translink has already spent $30 million for a new system to provide real-time estimates on other major bus routes throughout Greater Vancouver.

It's expected to be installed by August, and Hardie said he is confident the new system will work better than the old one.

So it never worked and they accepted it without problems? They should tell them to fix it or sue them. How hard can this be to make? They already did all of the required work, they just need to debug it to track down the memory leaks/bugs...

I always liked it when I took the 98 B-line to Richmond. It worked decently well for a while a year or two ago; then I noticed a lot of the signs started to get taken down or shut off. Too bad, hopefully the new system works better.

This is a disgrace for Siemens. First, their cell phones went BenQ, and now this.

This is a disgrace for Siemens. First, their cell phones went BenQ, and now this.

Siemens was never very good at making cellphones, which is why they sold to BenQ in the first place. But BenQ couldn't save them. :|

Siemens was very good at making the base for the cell phone (radio), but everything else had problems.

i hope the new system will work.. ive always liked the idea of using gps and counters at bus stops cause that way you dont have to stand there like a dummy wondering when the next bus will come