DEVON County Council has approved the installation of "Real Time" information boards for bus travellers at various locations across the county, including Crediton High Street. The old system currently in operation in Exeter will also be replaced as well as the installation of bus priority equipment at selected signalised junctions and bus only gateways. A Bus Real Time Information system or RTI works through a website and smartphones or other mobile devices to deliver accurate information on the arrival and departure times of buses, including if they are running late and when the next one is due. For those with smartphones the "app" will be one of the easiest ways of accessing the information on the move. For those who do not have direct access to a computer or smartphone but do have a standard mobile telephone, they can text a bus stop code to Traveline South West and receive up-to-date real time bus information for that stop. It is anticipated that the information stream from the system will come on-line in stages from Autumn 2014. The new bus priority system will replace the obsolete equipment currently in use in Exeter and the new RTI system will improve the performance of bus priority at signals by prioritising services that are running late. The new system also provides the opportunity to provide priority at signal locations outside Exeter. Whilst detailed sites are still to be confirmed, it is expected that these will be focussed on the growth areas of Barnstaple, Bideford and Newton Abbot. Crediton High Street will be one of 45 receiving real time display boards which will be high quality 38" or 46" screens similar in quality and appearance to televisions but designed for outdoor public locations. Depending on the location some will be within existing bus shelters whilst others will be freestanding. These should be in place by Spring 2015. The county council will encourage town and parish councils to work with local businesses and chambers of commerce to provide displays within public and private buildings, particularly those near bus stops. The cost of the installation of bus real time information displays is £465,375 and the bus priority equipment £190,000. Cabinet member with responsibility for roads, Councillor Stuart Hughes said: "This scheme is all about a new real time bus information and management system across Devon which also has the capability of giving buses priority at traffic signal junctions. "We are working closely with Torbay Council who have also made a real time solution for buses. We see this as an important tool to encourage bus usage across Devon and Torbay in the future, it will enable passengers to understand how long they should expect to wait for their service and to be informed of any delays. "Not everyone owns a car and they are very dependent on the services to get them to work or to shopping areas so we feel that the scheme is essential in improving the network and continuing the upward trend in bus patronage across Devon."