Link bus passengers get the news

Screens also feature weather and ads. Picture / Paul Estcourt

Passengers on Auckland's Link buses can now learn of breaking news on their way to work, or even where to stop for a curry on their way home.

All 18 Link buses have been fitted with LCD screens, which show news, weather, bus route information and location-related advertising. The buses carry about 70,000 passengers a week.

News is drawn from the TVNZ website and updated in real-time.

MetService provides a seven-day weather forecast, and a map screen shows passengers their location and notifies them of upcoming stops.

The screens, situated behind the driver's seat, also alert passengers to approaching landmarks, shops and restaurants. Advertising automatically changes to match the location.

TransitMedia, an umbrella company comprising Stagecoach, TVNZ, e3 Solutions, the Auckland Regional Transport Authority and isite, has launched the six-month trial.

Stagecoach's Auckland regional marketing and customer services manager Steve Wade said combining information with advertising was important. "If you're new to a city or new to a country, [you might think] where is Sky Tower? Isn't it great that if you're approaching the Sky Tower bus stop, you've got it on the screen?"

At the moment there is no sound, but TransitMedia may install personal headsets or speakers subject to public feedback. It also hopes to provide entertainment features such as music, film and television. If feedback is positive, it hopes to expand nationwide.

Founder of e3 Solutions Keith Chew, the software programmer behind the project, said the biggest challenge was fitting a wireless network to a moving vehicle.

"In the past we've been focusing on the technological side - getting the infrastructure in place and getting the buses to synchronise wirelessly," he said. "Now our challenge is to attract an audience and get the content right."