'Would Auracast help you on the bus?'

‘Would Auracast help you on the bus?’

It’s a simple question and one that was asked to me by someone from a company working on some Auracast solutions so top secret I can’t even hint at it just yet (spoiler, it’s not for buses).

I paused for a moment before answering.

In Reading, the bit of England where I live, we have some of the best buses in the country. They are colour-coded, so once you know what your route is you can instantly tell if the bus that is coming is yours.

They run frequently with many routes operating all night or late into the night.

They link people from the outer limits to the town centre and onward connections via the Elizabeth Line or buses to Heathrow airport. There is even a bus that goes from the town centre to central London. It’s a heck of a route, but for a £3 fare for some, it’s a necessary bargain.

They even have a cider brewed after the Number 17 – a purple route.

The interior of a Reading Bus – the screen can be seen on the right hand side of the picture and it shows where the next stop is. It’s accessible and accompanied by reasonably clear on-board speakers. But Auracast would be better here

On board, there are numerous LCD screens that announce the next stop, while the on-board speakers are pretty good. They even have a Telecoil for those who use the older technology.

So if you know the route and you know the name of the stop you’re getting at – happy days.

But it can be a different story in other towns.

London Buses are already red, so you have to rely on the number to decide if the bus is the one you want

London Buses are like Henry Ford’s first motor car: you can have any colour you like as long as it’s red. Information on stops is scant.

Ultimately, you have to rely on prior knowledge to ascertain whether the bus that’s coming is the one you want, and is going in the right direction.

I’ve been caught out before, so I prefer to take the Underground if I can.

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When it comes to visiting other towns and cities for Gillingham FC‘s away days – well, it can be a lottery.

Later this month, we will be visiting Shrewsbury Town, a ground that is a couple of miles away from the train station and the advice is to catch the bus. But where from? What does it look like? Will away fans be OK on it? And how do I know where to get off?

Strangers in strange towns on strange buses looking for strange stops.

Reading Buses has added Telecoils to some of its buses to help people hear bus stops – Auracast would be a better solution as it works with hearing aids, headphones and earbuds Picture: Phil Creighton

It’s not an easy ride for anyone, let alone someone who cannot hear. The anxiety is real. So much so that more often than not, we’ll look at alternatives, including walking.

Auracast in buses could transform this.

If the technology is added to the circuit that controls the bus speakers, then people with Auracast-enabled hearing aids and headphones would be able to hear their stop loud and clear.

Of course, the downside at the moment is that the Auracast has to be on. So if you are listening to music or watching a programme on your phone, you have to wait or flip between the two.

Hopefully, in the near future, an Auracast update will enable RDS-type technology, like traffic bulletins on a car radio – the programme you are listening to is interrupted by the latest update from the roads. When the bulletin ends, the sound switches back to what you were listening to.

However, even buses fitted with existing Auracast capabilities would make journeys easier, removing the fear of missing your stop. Colourful, even if the bus you are travelling on isn’t.