One million scans and counting for West Yorkshire bus stop codes

Codes on the side of West Yorkshire bus stops which reveal information about impending arrivals will soon have been scanned more than one million times.
3 January 2013.....      Stock picture Vicar Lane buses outside Leeds City Markets3 January 2013.....      Stock picture Vicar Lane buses outside Leeds City Markets
3 January 2013..... Stock picture Vicar Lane buses outside Leeds City Markets

West Yorkshire Combined Authority fitted unique QR (Quick Response) codes and NFC (Near Field Communication) tags on the bottom left of timetable displays at all of the county’s 14,500 bus stops.

When scanned by smart phone they take customers to the web page showing when their next bus is due at that particular stop.

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The authority, which brings together council and business leaders in the county to create a vision for economic growth, says the one million mark for scans will be reached this month.

People are currently using the tags around 17,000 times per week.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee Chair, Coun Keith Wakefield said: “We know from the feedback we receive that people find it invaluable to have reliable, real-time information at their fingertips and having that information makes them more likely to use the bus.

“By providing QR Codes and NFC Tags at every stop we have made accessing that information easier.

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“Through this and other schemes such as MCard travel smartcards, new Park and Ride facilities, more priority for buses and the Bus 18 initiative with bus operators, the Combined Authority is encouraging more people to catch buses.”

The authority is also working to make real-time bus and train information available through the Journey Planner on the Metro website. In 2017, the most scanned bus stops in the county were in Illingworth, on the Headrow in Leeds Centre, and Harehills Road.

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