You can receive arrival times for all Sydney Buses services direct to your mobile when you SMS your bus stop number to 0488 898 287.

All you need to do is send an SMS to 0488 898 287 quoting the bus stop number, which is a 6 or 7 digit number posted on the bus stop sign and also available on www.131500.com.au.

The predicted arrival times of buses at that bus stop, for the next 30 minutes, will then be returned to your phone as an SMS message.

Hint:  if you'd like to find the arrival time of a particular bus route at your stop, simply enter bus stop number, followed by the route number.  For example, if you're seeking the arrival time of a Route M54 service at stop 2150147, simply quote "2150147 M54", and send the SMS.  This is useful for bus stops which are serviced by many bus routes.

How does it work?

The SMS service is linked to the PTIPS bus tracking and traffic signal priority system, which tracks buses via GPS.

The SMS service is part of our commitment to make catching buses as easy and convenient as possible.

You will not be charged for receiving SMS messages containing the bus arrival information, but will be charged at the regular rate for sending the initial SMS with the bus stop number, just as you do for other text messages.

For more information, including your local bus stop numbers, visit www.131500.com.au or call 131500.

PTIPS and the SMS service is provided by Roads & Maritime Services.

The benefits of Real Time service information

The SMS service will help take the guesswork out of bus arrival at your stop.  And by noting and saving your regular bus stop number, you can plan your trip before leaving your home or office.

The use of GPS technology on board our fleet of 2,200 buses allows us to find the specific location of your service, then send the estimated arrival time of the bus to your stop straight to your phone.

Diversions & Service Disruptions

When temporary diversions and unexpected service alterations occur, the SMS Real Time Bus Information service may be unable to reflect these details.

Whilst the SMS service will continue to work normally for most routes and bus stops, buses that are operating off their normal route path may not accurately show the arrival time at stops further along the bus route until it returns to its normal path.  

Like most GPS based systems, the SMS service isn't able to automatically anticipate when the bus will return to its normal route path.  Additionally, buses that are departing from bus stops not usually serviced by the bus route may not be shown in the SMS results for that stop.