The London Borough of Croydon will introduce a network of smart bus shelters from March next year to provide features such as free public Wi-Fi, traffic sensors and air quality monitoring.
US smart city operator VALO Smart City will install, operate and maintain the smart bus shelters, which will be located in 185 locations across Croydon.
VALO Smart City signed a 10-year contract with Croydon Council following a tender process in what is understood to be a “multi-million-pound deal”.
The smart bus shelters will also offer LED edge lighting, voice announcements and accessibility improvements for people with disabilities, along with noise and traffic sensors.
The network of smart bus shelters will provide borough-wide environmental data in real-time, which can be used to inform and influence sustainability strategies.
The deal will also see VALO manage digital advertising spaces, replacing the previous provider JC Decaux.
Smarter bus shelters for a smarter London
The project comes as part of a strategy to transform London into the smartest city in the world.
“I am very excited about the arrival of these smart bus shelters which will make residents’ travel experiences more enjoyable, informative and safer,” said Councillor Muhammad Ali, cabinet member for sustainable Croydon. “The smart city sensors will also act as a great tool in our continued mission to become a greener, more sustainable Borough.”
VALO Smart City has previously partnered with cities around the world to assist with projects ranging from LED lighting to energy saving.
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