Taipei City Government

The Public Transportation Office (PTO) announced that solar-powered smart bus stops will be installed at selected sites in the near future as a part of a pilot program.
 
In the interest of making public transportation more accessible, the expansion of smart bus stops has been a focus of Taipei’s public transportation strategy. However, there are a number of bus stop sites within the city which has problem connecting to power lines.
 
As a result, PTO will be implementing the pilot program to test out two kinds of smart bus stops which utilizes solar power to run on its own. The two models include:
 

1. Smart bus stop integrating solar panel and hand crank generator: This bus stop includes both solar panels and hand crank unit, allowing users to help power the bus stop if they want. When fully charged, the bus stop can operate for 14 days without sunlight. The stop’s running display can show up to 4 bus routes at once.
2. Smart bus stop with solar panel: This bus stop comes with solar panels covering a larger area. When fully charged, the bus stop can operate for 30 days without sunlight. The stop itself also offers a running display which can show a maximum of 8 bus routes at once.

 
According to PTO, these bus stops can be monitored remotely to keep track of battery status. Furthermore, the display units of the bus stop are the first in the nation to incorporate electronic paper technology. This helps to reduce power consumption and – factoring the protection offered by UV anti-dust coating – significantly extends the life expectancy of the facility in outdoor environment.