A number of connected bus stops that use electronic paper technology to display live timetable and other information have been installed around Sydney’s Town Hall.

The solar-powered digital bus stops, dubbed eStops, provide real-time bus arrival information, along with capacity information on the approaching buses, service notifications and any other relevant commuter information.

The eStops have been designed and manufactured by Sydney engineering company Mercury Innovation and the EU-based Visionect, which claim to be world leaders in outdoor e-paper products. They have not indicated if there are any plans to rollout the bustops to other locations in Sydney.

Underpinning both is the Visionect Platform, which streams the data to the signs.

Visionect says the new eStop displays allow service disruption information about major events such as the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras to be communicated to the public in real-time, before and during the event, allowing for efficient interaction with bus commuters, increasing the service experience for passengers and providing an effective management system for the city.

Also, “in cases of emergency, the eStop can provide crucial emergency information to not only the bus ridership, but Sydneyites in general, displaying notifications even during blackouts, when other digital displays fail,” Visionect says.

This is their second collaboration in Sydney. In 2016 they installed solar powered e-paper traffic signs in Sydney. These enable real-time management of 5.2km of critical parking conditions in and out Sydney’s busy entertainment precinct. Visionect says this was a world first and the signs have now been running for two years without failure.