Progress being made on fix for Transit GPS issues

Two-step solution being rolled out on every bus 

Winnipeg Transit bus stop display showing arrival times for BLUE routes
A GPS issue affecting our fleet since summer has caused real-time arrival inaccuracies to appear online and on-board buses.

We continue to work to fix an ongoing GPS issue on our buses discovered last summer. We’re pleased to share we’re making good progress.  

The issue made schedule and real-time arrival information less reliable across a variety of transit systems. Inaccuracies appeared online and on-board buses. The timing couldn’t be worse, as the issue was discovered shortly after the launch of our new network. While unrelated to our network change, it didn’t help passengers who were adjusting to new stops and routes.  

We initially thought the problem was only on some buses. We’ve since discovered the issue could affect all buses. It was caused by a Y2K-like bug unique to GPS systems.    

At this point, we’re working on every single bus to:   

  • Install hardware that connects to an alternate GPS signal  
    • This step is complete on approximately 2/3 of our fleet  
  • Update software and test the new connection  
    • This step is complete on nearly half of our fleet   

We’re working directly with our GPS supplier to implement this fleet-wide fix as soon as possible. It is taking longer than we initially anticipated.   

We apologize for the inconvenience inaccurate GPS data has had on our passengers.  

Transportation and streets

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