BUS passengers along the A32 between Gosport and Fareham will no longer have to wait and wonder when the next bus is due.

Sixteen electronic bus stops giving passengers up-to-date information on bus running times are being installed along the route.

And highways chiefs are also pumping £300,000 into improvements at Gosport bus station.

The project is part of an ongoing bid to cut massive tailbacks on the well-used A32 between the two towns.

A Bus Departure Information System (BDIS) is to be installed at Gosport Bus Station with screens that will display the next bus departures.

Announcements can also inform passengers of service disruptions, such as late-running services or cancellations.

Automatic vehicle location technology will enable buses to be tracked to identify where they are on the road network. A prediction of the bus arrival time to each stop is then calculated and relayed to waiting passengers via the electronic message signs.

County environment chief Councillor Keith Estlin said: "These improvements spell good news for bus passengers along the A32.

"It can be very frustrating if you're left at a stop wondering whether the bus is late or you've already missed it."

Work is scheduled to start this month with an anticipated completion date of March 2005.

The work forms part of the Fareham-Gosport Quality Bus Partnership between the county council and First Bus.