Modernisation of Public Transport in Plzeň

A New Digital Communication Network for Smart Mobility

This year, Plzeň City Transport Company completed one of the most ambitious transport management projects of recent years. In cooperation with our company, a complete modernisation of communication and safety technologies across public transport was successfully delivered. What exactly has changed in Plzeň, and why is this project unique even on a European scale?

A New Era of Communication: The TETRA Digital Network

The cornerstone of the project is the deployment of a brand-new digital TETRA radio network based on Motorola Dimetra Express technology. The network covers the entire city and surrounding suburban areas and is built on four base stations. Thanks to geographically redundant control centres, the network is extremely reliable and secure – all communication is encrypted and protected against outages.

How Does the Transport Company Evaluate the Cooperation?

“Our cooperation with Herman Technologies was very beneficial. During the modernisation, we appreciated their professional approach and technical support. The new digital network provides us with reliable and secure communication across the entire public transport system, creating a solid foundation for further development of smart technologies. Vehicles are now ready for expanded use of C-ITS, for example priority at intersections, safety warnings, or data sharing with other systems.”

— Tomáš Mráz, Head of Operations Control Centre, Plzeň City Transport Company

Smart Vehicles: Installation in Nearly 400 Vehicles

The most significant technological change was experienced directly by drivers and passengers. A total of 392 vehicles (117 trams, 155 buses, and 120 trolleybuses) were equipped with:

• C-ITS OBU units (Universal Communication Unit) – integrated communication units combining antennas (LTE, V2X, GPS) and control electronics in a single housing, enabling communication with surrounding infrastructure, dispatching systems, and other vehicles.
• Motorola TETRA radios – ensuring secure voice and data communication.
• Hands-free microphones, antennas, and Ethernet switches – for safe and comfortable operation.
• CAN bus isolators – vinstalled in selected vehicles for advanced data collection from onboard systems.

A special solution was implemented for bidirectional trams, where two radios per vehicle are installed to ensure communication from both driver cabs.

Next-Generation Dispatch and IT Systems

A new server infrastructure was deployed at the dispatch centre, including a virtualised server environment hosting key applications:

• Anbos – manages, monitors, and configures all OBU units installed in vehicles.
• Transportella – a dispatch system for managing communication between dispatchers, vehicles, and the telephone exchange.
• A system for recording and archiving all voice communications.

Dispatchers are equipped with new touch-screen consoles used for control and clear visualisation of call histories. These consoles enable efficient handling of voice communication, including searching and playback of recordings. The workstations also include hands-free headsets, ensuring comfortable communication without manual operation.

Operational data is securely stored and backed up on a new dedicated network storage system.

Hybrid Communication and European Standards

The project introduced so-called hybrid communication to Plzeň. Vehicles exchange information not only via LTE and V2X (vehicle-to-vehicle / vehicle-to-infrastructure communication), but also via the backup TETRA network in the event of outages. This is the first deployment of the C-ITS Basic Interface in the Czech Republic for server-to-server message transmission.

The system supports European standards C-ROADS and ETSI ITS-G5, enabling features such as::

• Public transport priority at intersections (vehicles can “request” a green light),
• Warnings about hazardous situations (jred-light violations, collisions, roadworks),
• Transmission of safety messages between vehicles.

Testing, Training, and Support

The project included extensive testing of all functions, staff training, and pilot operation on selected vehicles. The entire fleet was then gradually upgraded. Herman Technologies provides both warranty and post-warranty service, regular maintenance, and ongoing technical support.

Benefits for Passengers and the City

Thanks to this project, public transport in Plzeň is safer, faster, and ready for the future. Passengers benefit from smoother passage through intersections, drivers have access to modern technologies, and dispatchers gain a comprehensive real-time overview of operations across the entire network.