The electronic announcement screen at bus stops and the Bus Travelling System app launched by the Transport Bureau (DSAT) were unavailable on Monday morning and also on Tuesday morning, but on each day resumed normal operations soon after the error came to light, the bureau said, adding that the glitch was due to overloading during peak hours, according to the bureau’s statement on Tuesday.
The bureau ruled out network security attacks after checking with system developers and telecommunications providers, and concluded that it was merely a system failure of the citywide public bus electronic announcement system, the statement said.
The bureau has instructed the system developer to adopt special measures for an emergency response plan, divert access to the system database and strengthen the continuous monitoring of the system, the statement said.
The bureau also said that with the increasing demand for the bus network’s electronic announcements and the increasing daily visits to the online announcement system, it was planning to optimise the overall structure and upgrade the bus stop and bus location announcement system this year to meet future demand and enhance user experience, the statement said.
A “Work in progress” sign is displayed at the bus stop outside Jardim da Vitória on Tuesday morning. – Photo courtesy of TDM
