Tait wins contract to upgrade TfL’s bus fleet to DMR Tier III

The agreement will see Tait Communications manufacture and replace both the communications infrastructure providing coverage across Greater London and the terminal equipment on London’s fleet of almost 10,000 buses.

New Zealand-headquartered Tait has designed the upgraded system to be both resilient and future-proof, with multiple fall-back features. The on-bus equipment is based on Tait’s UnifyVehicle platform, which gives users access to multiple carrier standards in addition to mobile radio (i.e. next-generation cellular and Wi-Fi), and the ability to run customised data applications to improve operational efficiency, and the service provided to travellers.

Simon Reed, TfL’s head of technology and data: surface transport, said: “We are pleased, that after a comprehensive procurement process, we have chosen Tait as our partner for the provision of voice radio services for surface transport.

“We have been careful to choose a solution that provides a low risk transition from the existing analogue technology, and also integrates well with the future vision of TfL with open standards based DMR technology and ease of integration with an accredited ITxPT (IT for public transport) supplier.”