Stagecoach, Britain’s largest bus, coach and tram operator, will be using Israeli developed artificial intelligence-based software to help plan bus scheduling and better handle changes in how people travel coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stagecoach said that its planned “technological transformation” will see the rollout of the software platform of Tel Aviv-based firm Optibus, a maker of a schedule-optimizing software for bus fleets and public transportation operators.
The public transportation industry still commonly uses outdated planning tools, like Excel spreadsheets and pencil and paper, to plan and schedule complex systems. The lack of digital infrastructure leads to poor service , excess expenditures, and traffic congestion and pollution.
Optibus software aims to change the way things are done and is today used in more than 450 cities around the world. By combining artificial intelligence, advanced algorithms and cloud computing, the software delivers smarter timetables and transportation network routes to meet continually evolving consumer demand, especially in light of the pandemic.
Optibus’ scheduling module uses advanced optimization algorithms and machine learning to run crew and vehicle optimizations in seconds and minutes, not hours or days e