Arriva is to become the first bus operator in the UK to partner with Google Transit – bringing users of Google Maps greater access than ever before to real-time service updates.

Utilising Arriva’s existing real-time information (RTI) technology which currently delivers to-the-minute travel advice and live maps to the Arriva Bus App and its website this new initiative will see the same tracking information become available to those planning their journeys through Google Maps.

Launching on June 2 Google Transit will move away from offering only static scheduled timetable information from Arriva, and will now be able to show real-time information at bus stop level for Arriva buses.

Mike Woodhouse, Senior Marketing Manager – Digital Channels & CRM, for Arriva UK Bus said: “We have long been pioneering in the provision of technology which enhances the customers’ experience of bus travel, and are incredibly proud to once again be leading the way in the industry by collaborating with Google Transit on this project.

“As the first national bus operator to share our RTI within Google Maps, both existing and potential new bus passengers will be able to benefit from access to consistent, and accurate information across multiple information channels, giving them the confidence to use public transport. Essentially, by making this detail more widely available, we are putting customers back in control of their travel options and improving their journeys with the simple click of a mouse, or touch of a button.”

Transport data specialists ITO World has been working closely with Arriva to ensure that the real time data from Arriva's 4,000 buses across Great Britain (excluding London) flows smoothly into Google Maps.  As an agency for Google's public transit data, ITO provides data conversion and quality improvement services to help ensure the UK public transport information in Google Maps is as consistently accurate as possible.

David Tattersall, Maps Product Manager at Google, said, “We are excited to bring real-time information to all of our Google Maps users, just in time for summer when people across the country rely on buses to get to and from their holiday destinations. We believe that this will give our users more options and save them more time.”

Through the technology of Google Maps and Google Transit, this real-time information integrates station, stop, route and schedule information to make trip planning quick and easy.

For more information on Arriva services, visit www.arrivabus.co.uk.