Far more useful is the system which tells you, at the bus stop, what the ETA of the next bus(es) is. And that really does need the whole GPS+data system, along with physically robust signs. But on the other hand, that can still be done by a small company - I know there's one here in Edinburgh but I can neither remember their name nor find them in a search.

You can do quite a lot with a small local company. It's global reach that's expensive, as soon as you start needing any kind of high-touch sales.