Bus passengers in Otley will now know exactly when their bus is about to arrive, thanks to the introduction of real-time information displays that show live bus arrival times on a screen located in the windows of Otley Town Council’s offices in Orchard Gate.

First West Yorkshire has been working in partnership with Leeds ward councillors, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Otley Town Council to bring the real-time service information to Otley in a bid to improve the information available to its customers. The system uses a GPS system to track bus progress and display information accordingly on a screen at the Otley Core office, steps from the town’s bus station.

Will Pearson, Operations Director at First West Yorkshire, said: “We are pleased to unveil the new real-time displays at Otley Bus Station, which will now provide customers with live information on when their bus is due to arrive. The bus displays are the efforts of an ongoing partnership between Otley Town Council, Leeds City Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. We have been working with a local business to build the new displays and we look forward to hearing customer feedback as we strive to provide reliable and value-for-money bus journeys across West Yorkshire.”

Cllr Colin Campbell (Lib Dem) said: “Residents have been asking for some form of real-time display for a number of years and this is a welcome addition to the bus station. The uncertainty over when your bus might arrive is something that could deter people from using public transport. We have been working hard with our partners to overcome this obstacle and give passengers more certainty about their journey. We would like to thank First West Yorkshire, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Otley Town Council for all their support in ensuring that this service is now available.”

Chair of Otley Town Council, Cllr Ray Georgeson (Lib Dem) commented: “This is great news for bus passengers and a great example of what can be achieved through partnership working. We want to see more people using public transport and the more reliable and attractive we can make it, the more likely we are to achieve this and making it a realistic alternative to using the car. The real-time information will help to make bus travel a much better experience for people in Otley.”

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority is responsible for the processing and administration of the data that feeds the information screens on street, which is also available via it’s transport website http://www.wymetro.com where real-time information is available for every stop.