This report provides Transforma Insights’ view on the Road Public Transport market with a primary focus on buses.
Gradually, manufacturers are incorporating connectivity in their buses in order to save on operational costs and improve the efficiency of public transport by tracking critical vehicle information in real-time. This ensures that buses are running on time and any faults can be detected well in advance to further reduce operational downtime. Commuters also stand to benefit. Connectivity allows them to track buses in real-time and access the internet when onboard. Most buses rely on cellular connections (mainly 4G) to provide connectivity services to commuters. The adoption of 5G and Wi-Fi 6 will allow for the provision of improved services to passengers by providing higher speeds and lower latency rates.
The report provides a detailed definition of the sector, analysis of market development and profiles of the key vendors in the space. It also provides a summary of the status of adoption and Transforma Insights’ ten-year forecasts for the market. The forecasts include analysis of the number of IoT connections by geography, the technologies used (including splits by 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, LPWA, short range, satellite, and others), as well as the revenue split between module, value-added connectivity, and services.
A full set of forecast data, including country-level forecasts, sector breakdowns and public/private network splits, is available through the IoT Forecast tool.
The report examines key factors that are influencing the development of the market, including:
This section of the report begins with reasons why major transport authorities are upgrading their public transport systems (which also includes providing connectivity in buses) and the benefits of doing the same. For instance, connectivity is used to provide fleet management services to operators, to create an efficient transit system.
It then explains why buses, in particular, are increasing in number, owing to factors like increasing concern for sustainability or due to the deployment of dedicated bus lanes by authorities.
This section talks about the kind of issues passengers face in traditional non-connected buses, such as being unable to gather information regarding their schedule, relying on pre-defined schedules, and being unable to account for accidents or other delays on roads. It also talks about how such issues can be effectively addressed by incorporating connectivity in buses; for example, onboard connectivity can allow passengers to track their buses in real-time via GPS and make payments while boarding and deboarding.
This section talks about the limited availability of onboard Wi-Fi in buses in developed countries and explores how incorporating connectivity will help operators provide seamless services to commuters, who can then engage in a range of activities like playing games. It mentions that even in developed economies, although buses are typically connected, the availability of onboard Wi-Fi still has room to grow. For instance, almost two-third of Luxembourg’s 1,540 buses are yet to be equipped with Wi-Fi.
It also explains the possibilities for additional revenue streams for operators from onboard Wi-Fi in buses, as commuters can choose greater access to internet services at an additional charge based on their usage and the duration of their journey. In this context, it also adds that despite adding more connectivity, usability may still be limited due to throttled bandwidth.
This section describes how the provision of online payments also makes a compelling case for adding onboard connectivity and its benefits. For instance, it can eliminate the usage of cash, making the process of boarding and deboarding faster and improving the overall efficiency of services.
It also adds that onboard connectivity allows passengers to check the availability of empty seats, which informs passengers of bus occupancy in addition to the presence of disruptions on the route, such as delays or cancellations of buses, improving their overall experience.
This section of the report considers how deploying IoT helps operators to manage their bus fleets more efficiently. For instance, buses equipped with connectivity allow the collection and transmission of telemetry data, which enables monitoring of the health status of the vehicles and alerting the authorities about impending malfunctions, thereby reducing reliance on routine maintenance.
It then talks about TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems) that are deployed in most vehicles and discusses how they increase fuel efficiency, extend tyre life, reduce maintenance costs, improve fleet safety, avoid accidents, and reduce carbon footprint.
This section considers the benefits operators can reap by deploying onboard connectivity in vehicles. For example, onboard connectivity allows operators to constantly monitor drivers’ behaviour (ensuring that they are alert and sober while driving) and provide the best possible routes to commuters.
It also talks about the implementation of certain regulations in this context. Case in point, starting July 2024, the introduction of EU General Safety Regulations has made safety-oriented connectivity features mandatory for heavy commercial vehicles.
This section discusses how connectivity allows for monitoring emissions from buses, allowing operators to regulate their maintenance accordingly to ensure minimum emissions from these vehicles.
This section primarily focuses on how the growing advancements in autonomous vehicles (especially in the case of driverless vehicles) will fuel the deployment of connectivity solutions in public transport vehicles and their benefits. For instance, IoT solutions can identify vehicle problems early, improve safety, and reduce downtime.
This section of the report provides some examples of relevant IoT deployments in this Application Group, including Transport for London (TfL) buses deploying IoT for remote monitoring and Greenville County Schools equipping more than 400 school buses with Wi-Fi.
The key vendors section lists some of the main providers of products and services related to the market such as Volvo, Scania, Daimler Trucks, BYD Auto, Semtech Corporation, Teltonika Networks, Telia, and Wavecom Technologies. The report provides profiles of the various vendors including aspects most relevant to this Application Group, such as product offerings, pricing, financial results, and technology.
In the market forecasts section, we provide a summary of the forecasts from the Transforma Insights IoT Forecast Database:
The report charts the growth in the number of devices in the road public transport application group, which will grow from 5.4 million in 2024 to 7.2 million in 2034.
Transforma Insights forecasts are compiled on a country-by-country basis. This report includes a regional summary, showing splits between Australasia, Greater China, North America, Europe, Japan, Latin America, MENA, Russia & Central Asia, South East Asia, South Korea, India & South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Transforma Insights’ IoT forecasts include splits between the various connectivity technologies as follows: 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G mMTC, 5G non-mMTC, LPWA (non-mMTC), Satellite, Short Range, and Other.
This section discusses which technologies will be used in the road public transport application group.
This part of the report discusses the market growth in terms of revenue (module revenue, service wrap revenue, and VAC revenue). Transforma Insights estimates that the revenue in the Road Public Transport Application Group will grow at a CAGR of 3%.
