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Commuters to track buses on app

Commuters will be able to track their Transperth bus.

A high-tech system that allows commuters to track the real-time movements of their bus - and know when it is due to arrive at their bus stop - will be rolled out across the Transperth fleet next year.

Transport Minister Dean Nalder will today announce that a $17 million contract to install the technology in 1300 buses has been awarded to Downer EDI Engineering Power.

The Real Time Tracking System will allow passengers to track their bus on the Transperth website or app.

"You will be able to look at your smartphone, your tablet or your work PC to determine the exact location of your bus, rather than referring to a timetable," Mr Nalder said.

Transperth has already tested the technology in 130 buses out of the Karrinyup depot.

The success of the trial has prompted the decision to roll out the system to the entire fleet.

The Public Transport Authority previously worked with Downer in the successful rollout of the SmartRider ticketing system from 2005.

"SmartRider is widely viewed across industry as the best cashless ticketing system in the country," Mr Nalder said.

It is hoped that all buses will have the tracking technology by the middle of 2016.

Mr Nalder said the fully-integrated technology would allow Transperth to look at other ways to improve on-time running.

"Already Transperth has been sharing the information gathered during the Karrinyup trial with Main Roads and testing signal priority for buses running behind schedule," he said.

The system will also feed into electronic signage at the new Perth busport, similar to an airport-style departure gate system.

Bus information will be displayed to passengers in the central waiting area.

Known as a "dynamic bus allocation" system, it has already been used successfully in the Christchurch Bus Exchange and the Kamppi Terminal in Helsinki, Finland.