Public transport software provider Optibus has launched the Real-Time Suite, a cloud-native software layer designed to improve the accuracy of the computer-aided dispatch and automatic vehicle location (CAD/AVL) systems that transit agencies and operators already run, without the need for additional hardware.
The Suite takes in an agency’s schedule data in General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) format, alongside live vehicle data supplied either as GTFS Realtime (GTFS-RT) feeds or raw GPS. From this it produces more accurate estimated times of arrival (ETAs), live fleet monitoring, automatic detour detection, one-click passenger alerts and centralised compliance reporting.
“The Real-Time Suite takes CAD/AVL systems to the next level. It means sharper ETAs for passengers, detours caught in minutes for dispatchers, and authority reports that build themselves,” says Amos Haggiag, chief executive and co-founder of Optibus. “The industry has made the investment in their CAD/AVL; this is how they get even more value out of it, without investing in more hardware.”
Software between hardware and passenger tools
The Real-Time Suite sits between CAD/AVL hardware and the passenger-facing and reporting tools that draw on its data. Because it is built natively within the Optibus platform, its predictions use the same schedules and runtimes that were used to plan the service.
It forms the software core of Optibus Control, the company’s live operations product, and delivers its real-time functions entirely through software. No Optibus hardware is required, and the Suite is available now to agencies and operators with existing CAD/AVL installations.
Four gaps in real-time data
According to Optibus, CAD/AVL systems track vehicles and generate the live data that passengers, dispatchers and authorities depend on, but four gaps often sit between that data and the service passengers actually experience:
- Inaccurate ETAs: when traffic and detours disrupt service, planned timetables and routes no longer reflect what is happening on the road. The company cites a survey by Transit which found that more precise real-time information was the top factor that would motivate passengers to use public transport more.
- Limited live insight for dispatchers: without a real-time view of the fleet, problems often come to light only through driver call-ins and passenger complaints, and are then fixed retrospectively through manual workflows.
- Fragmented service information: with no single publishing point, the same alert is often entered separately in each tool, so passengers receive inconsistent information on different channels and at different times.
- Time-consuming authority reporting: staff assemble on-time performance, ridership and compliance reports from scattered sources. Optibus points to a US Federal Transit Administration (FTA) estimate that National Transit Database reporting takes agencies a combined 456,179 hours a year.
What the Suite does
For passengers, the Suite is designed to deliver more accurate ETAs across stop signage and journey-planning apps, including those from Google and Apple, with the aim of reducing missed connections. Disruption alerts and service updates are synchronised across every channel.
For dispatchers and operations teams, it provides a single live view of the fleet. Detours are flagged and classified automatically within minutes rather than logged by hand after the event, and incorrect service data can be identified and corrected before passengers see it.
On compliance, reports are built from one centralised data source rather than multiple spreadsheets, while an audit trail provides evidence to help resolve disputes with authorities over service delivery. Optibus says none of this requires hardware replacement or new onboard equipment.
Building on Optibus Control
The launch expands Optibus Control, a live operations product that gives control centres real-time visibility of service delivery and tools to act on it. In January 2026, Control gained service alerts, improved ETA predictions, vehicle diagnostics and a map-based workspace for monitoring live service.
Optibus provides a software platform for public transport planning, scheduling, rostering, operations, real-time control and passenger information, using artificial intelligence (AI) and optimisation algorithms.
Demonstrations at APTA Expo
The Real-Time Suite will be demonstrated at the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) TRANSform & EXPO 2026 at McCormick Place, Chicago, from 4-7 October. Optibus will be on booth 3567 in the South Hall, where a launch event with remarks from Haggiag and chief product officer Omri Cohen will take place on Monday 5 October at 3.30pm CT.
