London Bus Stops Experimenting With Kindle-Style E-Paper Timetables That Update In Real-Time

Transport for London (TfL) is experimenting with e-paper timetables at various bus stops in London.

The technology is the same as that used in the popular e-reader gadgets and allows the timetables to be continuously updated in real time.

Each one is fitted with solar panels that provide power and can be updated to show passengers how long they have to wait for the next bus.

So far, four bus stops in the capital have been fitted with the new technology.

"We're at a very early stage," Simon Reed, head of bus systems and technology at TfL told the BBC .

"What we're investing in here is a trial for four stops to prove that the technology is viable, and then to work out what the costs of that would be, network-wide or just in specific circumstances," he said.

While potential vandalism could mean a higher repair bill (and therefore higher fares), Reed believes that quicker, cleaner information is something travellers would value.

"As long as the information is accurate and timely then Londoners find it useful and our rates of vandalism are actually very, very low," Reed said.

"Something's useful, people value it, it doesn't get vandalised."