Five portable kits will provide passenger information across R&J Coaches’ mixed fleet, using standalone screens and accessible audio equipment on service buses while integrating directly with the existing AV systems fitted to its coaches.
Rise Digital Media completed the deployment of five portable passenger information kits to R&J Coaches in Ashford, Kent, on 22 September 2026.
The family-run operator plans to use the equipment across its mixed fleet of service buses and rail replacement coaches. To accommodate the different types of vehicle, Rise Digital Media has delivered a hybrid implementation that combines portable onboard equipment with direct integration into vehicles that already have screens and speakers.
One solution for buses and coaches
On R&J Coaches’ service buses, the portable kits use Rise Digital Media’s passenger information screen together with portable speakers incorporating a hearing loop.
This configuration provides visual and audible passenger information without requiring permanently installed equipment. The kits can be fitted when required and transferred between suitable vehicles as operational needs change.
For coaches that already have onboard audiovisual equipment, the deployment takes a different approach. Instead of adding another screen or speaker, drivers use the Rise Digital Media Driver App to connect directly to the coach’s existing AV system.
The app is supplied on a device secured in a powered docking cradle. An HDMI connection links the cradle to the coach’s onboard equipment, allowing passenger information to be displayed through its existing screens and played through its installed speakers.
Trip data is managed through the Driver App and then broadcast directly to the vehicle’s onboard systems. This enables R&J Coaches to make full use of equipment already fitted to its vehicles without requiring modifications to the coach.
The hybrid deployment gives R&J Coaches the flexibility to provide a consistent passenger information experience across vehicles with very different onboard equipment.
Where a vehicle has no suitable passenger information hardware, the portable screen and speaker configuration provides a complete standalone solution. Where screens and speakers are already present, the Driver App connects to and controls those existing systems.
This approach reduces unnecessary duplication and avoids vehicle modifications while allowing trip information to be managed through a common platform.
Scott James, CEO and Founder of Rise Digital Media, said:
“Mixed fleets present an interesting passenger information challenge because the available onboard equipment can vary considerably from one vehicle to another.
“Our hybrid implementation for R&J Coaches makes the best use of each vehicle. We can provide a complete portable screen and audio solution where it is needed, while our Driver App allows coaches with existing AV equipment to use the screens and speakers they already have.
“It gives the operator a flexible, practical solution without requiring permanent vehicle modifications.”
Demonstrating the portable installation
As part of the deployment, the Rise Digital Media team demonstrated the portable installation aboard one of R&J Coaches’ service buses. The session covered the positioning and operation of the passenger information screen, portable speaker and hearing-loop equipment.
It also demonstrated how the kits can be prepared for service and moved between vehicles when required.
Supporting clearer passenger journeys
R&J Coaches operates a varied fleet serving different types of passenger transport work. The new deployment gives the company a flexible way to extend passenger information across both its service buses and rail replacement coaches.
By combining portable equipment with integration into existing vehicle systems, Rise Digital Media can deliver a consistent platform while adapting the installation to suit the capabilities of each vehicle.
