Solar-powered, colour e-paper bus information display under testing by LTA
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A solar-powered bus display that is up for testing and feedback, near Little India MRT station on May 11.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
Justine Ong
- LTA and NCS are trialling solar-powered, colour e-paper bus arrival displays at Little India until Oct 2026. This tests technology advancements and low-power systems.
- The new e-paper display operates 24/7, showing clear bus times even in strong sunlight. It is easier to read and more eco-friendly than current LED boards.
- This trial addresses issues from a failed 2016 test. Commuter feedback via QR code will inform LTA's future plans and technical feasibility.
AI generated
SINGAPORE - A solar-powered colour electronic paper display, which looks like ink on paper, is being trialled in Singapore – a decade after an earlier version of the technology was tested.
The Land Transport Authority said during the first trial in 2016 that e-paper was meant to be easier to read than other displays that use light-emitting diode (LED) technology.
However, the trial then found that the display faded under strong sunlight.
As the technology has advanced, LTA is again testing its performance in displaying transport information for commuters under outdoor conditions. LTA is also testing the effectiveness of solar and battery systems to sustain low-power display devices, it said.
It is partnering with tech services firm NCS to test the e-paper display from April to October 2026, at a bus stop outside Little India MRT station.
When The Straits Times visited the bus stop in Little India on a sunny Monday evening at 6pm, it was observed that the bus information screen was smaller and the colours were duller than those on an LED display. The bus stop surroundings were also reflected on the e-paper screen, making it harder to read the information on it.
NCS, which manufactured the colour e-paper display, declined to disclose how much the display costs, compared with other bus displays currently in use, when asked by ST.
Commuters are encouraged to share their feedback by scanning the QR code on the trial panel.
In 2016, LTA carried out a one-year trial where solar-powered colour e-paper display panels with bus arrival details were deployed at 11 bus stops islandwide, with one display installed at each stop.
