On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 13:14:40 +0000, Mrs Redboots
wrote:

why don't they have
them on buses? Inside the bus, too, would be helpful - how often have I
had to ask the driver what number bus I've actually boarded......

Agreed! I've also come across buses where the numbers on the front, back, and
side blinds didn't agree, and the driver didn't think it was a particular
problem! At least with electronic blinds they'd all be wrong...

As for inside displays, since GPS/AVL is to be fitted to buses, it'd be
relatively easy to add a bunch of features inside:

For passengers, a display with:
- Bus number & destination.
- Clock with exact time
- Next stop display/voice announcement.
- Messages from TfL / bus company
- Messages from advertisers, or other entertainment

For the driver:
- Clock with exact time
- Speed up/Slow down directives to stick to the schedule
or to maintain separation with other buses on same route.
- Messages from dispatcher
- A repeater for the number displayed on the outside :-)