Talking buses come to Sheffield

Monday 4 December 2017 saw the launch of a new service aiming to improve journeys for visually, or hearing-impaired, customers has been running on bus service 120, connecting Halfway to Fulwood, in Sheffield. 

In a three-year pilot scheme, now extended until July 2023, buses belonging to local operators First South Yorkshire and Stagecoach Yorkshire have been equipped with screens and speakers announcing the next stop along the route as the bus approaches it.



The Audio-visual Displays on Buses project is part of the Better Bus Area Fund programme. 

Service 120 was selected for the trial because it serves the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, city centre and Sheffield University campus; making it one of the key transport links in the city. 

It connects south-east Sheffield to the west of the city and is jointly operated by First and Stagecoach, making it a good test of the system. 

The announcements help reassure occasional customers and visitors to the city when their stop is coming up, so they can sit back and relax on one of the most popular routes in Sheffield.

What our customers said:

“I love the talking buses on the 120 route in Sheffield. It makes things so much easier. If this was on all busses I would be able to travel a lot more independently, maybe even at night when it’s dark.”

“I don’t have to worry about looking out for my stop anymore, I just listen to the announcements”.