Ana Botella, Mayor of Madrid, and representatives from the Madrid city government, the Municipal Transport Company (EMT), CEMUSA and FCC presented a pilot project to optimise public transportation by applying new technologies to bus shelters and bus stop poles.

This new system will enable users to receive details, in Spanish and English, about the bus service and tourist information on their phones, and also provides free Wi-Fi and e-ink bus schedule displays. “With Smart Madrid, Spain's capital advances further as a leading intelligent city", said Botella.

The city government plans to integrate near field communication (NFC) technology, which allows for data transfer between devices in close proximity; QR codes, capable of storing data that can be easily read on mobile devices; free Wi-Fi; and e-ink displays at 500 bus shelters and bus stop poles (i.e. approximately 10% of the 4,205 shelters and 1,200 poles that CEMUSA manages in Madrid).

As part of the pilot test, CEMUSA will also install free Wi-Fi at 10 bus shelters with automatic handover to the buses; combined with the service already provided on EMT buses, this will allow users to maintain an internet connection when boarding or alighting.

CEMUSA promotes the development and application of technological and innovative solutions through Cemusa Tec. Since its creation in May 2011, the brand has focused on improving urban furniture efficiency, adapting existing infrastructure, and creating novel furniture and applications that meet the needs of new approaches to intelligent sustainable cities.
It has also driven growth in advertising on urban furniture and points of sale due to the added value that interactive digital solutions offer advertisers: flexibility, immediate updating of content, and a greater visual impact of messages.