Since about 2011, passengers waiting at bus stops are able to get real time information on bus arrival time, from a digital sign energized by a solar panel facing south - both mounted on a nearby pole. The distance between pole and bus shelter may slightly differ from place to place, depending, probably, on the condition of the sidewalk near the bus shelter, and on finding the best angle for the solar panel .
the sign and the solar panel (near street lamps and bus shelter)
info visible on the sign during the dark hours
This, no doubt, highly improves the level of public transportation service. The problem is that not all bus stops are equipped with this smart system, and not all bus companies have adhered to the solar project. It takes time and money, but there's no way back; the future belongs to the energy produced by sun, wind, water, and other 'green' sources.
panel facing sun,at the top; sign, facing bus shelter
As far as I know, Israel is not among the first countries that have introduced the above system.. Australia, Singapore, California , and other countries have preceded us. Good for them, and good for us to have them as model, and be able to learn from their experience.
I'm seeing more attention being paid to renewable soueces in unlikely places. The bus stops are a good use.
ReplyDeleteWe have sunny days most of the year. So, why not make use of this free,available resource?
DeleteThe solar panel gives quite an accurate reading of the bus time arrivals.
My landlords have solar panels on the roof of their house. My electricity usage is linked to theirs.
ReplyDeleteSolar energy saves on electrical bills. Hope you benefit too from your landlords' panels.
DeleteWe've only now got those digital signs, but only at some of the more important bus stops in the centre of the city, it is very helpful indeed! I do hate the electronic bus tickets because we have to check them twice (when we enter and when we leave the bus) and sometimes they steal our money :)
ReplyDeleteWell, better late than never.As I said, it takes time and money to introduce more bus stops to the project.
DeleteWe have solar powered road signs usually the ones that flash SLOW DOWN. Lots of roofs here have panels. We have been waiting for a company to finally get here and quote for us.
ReplyDeleteSolar powered road signs , street lamps , and garden lights are becoming common sight in many countries/places.
DeleteHope you get a good quote from a reliable company.
"The bus arrival information is based on data transferred to a control center from a satellite navigation system (GPS) installed on buses."
ReplyDeleteWe are living in Star Trek!
Yes, you could say so. It's kind of science fiction reality. We see the marvels od science and technology every day.
DeleteIt would be great if there could be solar panels installed on the rooftops of this mill apartment, but I don't know if that idea was ever considered. After reading this post, I may inquire by asking the facilities manager. I am not a frequent bus rider, so do not know if there are solar powered information panels on any of the stops. The ones I have seen do not appear to have any.
ReplyDeleteYes, it would be great. You may certainly inquire about the subject. Why not?
DeleteAnyway,in a country with sun in abundance like Israel, almost everything regarding solar energy is possible.
Wow! Nice post and its new to me about the solar technology for buses!! In Japan the buses don't use that system, but they are amazingly efficient. They are almost always exactly on time. Actually I always wonder how they do it! Your post makes me curious what the system is here. I ride buses pretty often for any distance out of bicycle riding range as I don't have or use a car, so I am always thankful for the buses!! Must be a lot of happy riders there in Israel to have such care go into the bus system!
ReplyDeleteThe government is trying by various improvements, to encourage people to leave private cars in favor of the public buses.
DeleteThere seems to be no real solution to ease the very crowded and frustrating road traffic. It's a tiny country with lots of cars.
The bus stops in Malaga Spain were digitized but I don't recall them being solar - great idea though. Canada doesn't have any, we are so behind the times on a lot of things
ReplyDeleteIt probably depends on which province in Canada you live in. I know that Ontario gets financial incentives to produce solar energy.
DeleteCanada is a great producer of wind and hydro energy. Solar energy is growing but perhaps slower.
A lot of farm buildings around here now have banks of solar panels, but hardly any domestic houses. We would have solar but it is very expensive and other things have to take priority unfortunately. There are no solar gadgets being used that I can see, and definitely none bus stops. But battery run vacuum cleaners and lawn mowers are popular!
ReplyDeleteIndeed, solar installations are costly. I think it has partly to do with the electric companies that are afraid they'll find themselves out of business.
Deletethis is great..its taking baby steps to secure a better future i guess!
ReplyDeletethank you so much for the congratulations as well!!
'baby steps" indeed. Everything good takes time, and renewable energy (wind, hydro, solar) is the best. It has great potential.
DeleteI'm just glad the sun is actually out in Minnesota today. Although, so is the snow. Thanks for visiting! You've been missed.
ReplyDeleteThe sun is out - that's great news, and a sign that the real, good old Spring is not far behind.
DeleteThat's interesting. Here, in the city of Ottawa, they've had bus GPS for years. They aren't solar powered, though. You can phone in to a number and find out where the bus is. It is a practical idea.
ReplyDeleteBuses have indeed undergone interesting changes over the years. In this post, I'm referring to the bus stops/shelters. All
Deletethe person waiting for the bus has to do is to lift his eyes and look at the sign that tells him exactly how many minutes left till the bus' arrival.
That is neat to use the sun. I wish we had more solar power things here.
ReplyDeleteSun energy is clean and reduces electricity bills. The electric companies are not happy about it and that affects its progress.
DeleteThis is very cool and makes public transportation so much nicer and easier. All these new tech things are amazing!!!!
ReplyDeleteYes, it does. It's part of the government's effort to encourage public transportation. The number of private cars has increased over the years and traffic is disastrous as we are a small country with limited road possibilities.
ReplyDeleteOlá, o futuro tem que estar obrigatoriamente na energia limpa, a energia do sol, vento e movimento do mar, tem que ser aproveitado para bem de todos.
ReplyDeleteFeliz Pascoa,
AG
No doubt about that. This kind of energy has several names: green, sustainable, renewable - but the meaning is one - the energy of natural, free resources.
DeleteVenho só desejar-lhe continuação de boa semana,
ReplyDeleteAG
Thank you.
DeleteWhat a boon for public transportation! You're way ahead of us on solar power, we have very little of it, it would be a great way to cut back on electric bills! Good post, Duta! It takes money to make money! Take care.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, it's very helpful. Solar energy for us comes very natural because of the sunny days all year round.
DeleteVery cool! I haven't noticed those here, but in California everyone drives. I'll have to take a look though, I'm sure they are using them.
ReplyDeleteOne solar thing that I really see a lot of now is that in parking lots they are putting up solar parking canopies in parking lots, especially in schools. I've not checked into how much it is saving the schools, but it's interesting to see them.
I'm sure California doesn't have our traffic problems and the authorities make no great effort to encourage public transportation as is in our case. We're a tiny country with congested traffic and we need to try and do things about it.
DeletePositive site, where did u come up with the information on this posting?I have read a few of the articles on your website now, and I really like your style. Thanks a million and please keep up the effective work. luxury coach with driver paris
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. You can get any information on solar power and solar devices on the Web. There's plenty of it as this is the kind of energy which will take over in the future.
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