City councillors in Guelph have to decide whether they want to spend $3.1 million on upgrading bus technology systems.

The system would allow Guelph Transit to monitor how many passengers board and leave the bus at individual stops, and to provide automated stop announcements.

“One of the things that we want to do is be a more efficient transit system. This is going to allow us to do that,” says Phil Meagher, acting general manager of Guelph Transit.

Only $2.4 million has been budgeted for the project at this point, but transit officials want to make up the difference by delaying plans to install new fare boxes on buses.

Councillors will vote on the issue next week.

Coun. Ian Findlay is one councillor in favour of the project.

“We have a number of systems right now, but unfortunately they don’t talk to each other,” he says.

“This new system will allow all the different systems that we have to talk to each other.”