It isn't. You will still be sharing bandwidth with how ever many other users. A local WiFi AP and a fixed connection will be better. In time the buses that have WiFi will switch to 5G backhaul and have the advantage of a larger externally mounted aerial.
If TfL wanted wifi they could just specify it in their contracts - even as a retrofit it would be fairly straightforward and could probably be rolled out in a year or two. It would be to a defined quality standard and with a common network name not the plethora of different arrangements seen on buses elsewhere. But they would have to pay for it and they're not exactly flush at present.
It'll be down to the next Mayor to specify it. If in the next election the successful mayoral candidate put it in their manifesto, it'll happen whether TfL like it or not!
They must already have boarding data via the touch-ins which are sent to the TfL back office for processing (excepting the probably very few passengers still using paper Travelcards). Getting actual loadings along the route would need either passenger weighing equipment (possible if the buses have air suspension) or some kind of counter at the centre exit door, as well as wifi.
Last time I had a paper Travelcard the driver pushed a pass button as I got on. Has that stopped?
Shows how long it was since I last used one. They probably still do that so they have full data on numbers of boardings.
Their data for predicting alightings from oyster data is terrible though.
Bought one last week as it was the cheapest option for my travel that day. Most of the bus drivers pressed a button.
I have a concessionary pass issued by the county where I live. On London buses, some drivers press a button, some don't: the ones that don't tend not to show any sign that they've registered your presence. It's about 50:50 overall I reckon, with some routes and areas more likely to, and others where it's almost unknown.
I don't see any sign of this happening any time soon. The London bus contracting regime is actually highly successful and there's a really mature working relationship between the operators and TfL that puts DfT Rail to shame. The last thing TfL wants to do is be involved in day-to-day operations. Remember East Thames Buses? Total embarrassment.
Pretty much my experience as well.
I don't see any sign of it happening soon, either, but edwin m is of the opinion that franchisees really don't want extra passengers, as they'd slow buses down and provide more scope for trouble, and, as he usually speaks good sense imo, I have to say that is a serious drawback to the system, as is the associated practice of 'control' exhibited from above on to individual buses, or whole routes, which is driving many passengers to despair and off the buses altogether. Almost my last trip on a London bus, when I had a very limited amount of time to spare, was on a 159 from Streatham Hill to Oxford Street, not that I ever made it through to there: 90 minutes after boarding the bus, and a totally unexplained diversion via the Elephant and Castle, we were unceremoniously booted off the bus in Lower Regent Street, again without prior warning, and too late to take advantage of a Hopper Fare for those so minded. The driver was curt, but I informed several passengers they were entitled to transfer tickets, which he ungraciously issued. For me, I decided the next time I wanted to get from Streatham Hill to Central London, it'd be the train, even though I'd have to pay as against free bus travel.
As someone who has spent nearly all my working life in the London bus industry, I agree with nearly everything you say (ETB's routes were not a particularly problematic set), although I won't go any further off-topic.
Problematic was probably the wrong word: I recognise the different circumstances in which ETB operated those routes, but the no. 1 seemed to be unpopular enough not to get any sensible tenders, so maybe that was considered problematic to the obvious candidate(s)! As you say, off topic though, so I'll shut up.
There was such a trial, but I never heard about it until it had finished and the claim was that minimal use was made of the WiFi.
I doubt that the disruption would make it worthwhile. TfL doesn't keep buses that long anyway.
Tha bandwidth required to provide those services is far less than demanded by half a bus load of serial downloaders all demanding that they can download an entire movie during their 15 minute journey. The ticket machine has a link to send GPS data every few minutes/seconds and most drivers that I've seen talking back to base are using a regular mobile. Security CCTV records to on-board storage.
14 years is the projected life, with a refurbishment at seven years, or the nearest contract renewal/start date. Any retrofitting of USB ports would form part of the refurf spec.
