How Hayden AI is helping Barcelona build a smarter bus network

Barcelona is one of Europe's most pioneering cities for innovations in urban mobility, and we're proud to have played a role in making its bus network smarter.

Hayden AI recently piloted our AI-powered automated transit zone enforcement platform in partnership with Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), Barcelona's main public transport operator. The pilot was funded by a €100,000 award we won from the Barcelona Innova Lab through a competitive program hosted by the Barcelona City Council, the Barcelona Institute of Technology for the Habitat (BIT Habitat), Fira de Barcelona, and Tomorrow.Mobility.

Barcelona is not immune to the transport problems plaguing many cities around the world: vehicles illegally parked in dedicated zones like bus lanes, bus stops, cycle lanes, and no stopping zones. When cars, motorcycles, and delivery trucks park in bus lanes or obstruct bus stops, they slow down bus service and create significant safety hazards, especially for people with disabilities who depend on accessible bus stop curb deployment.

Understanding how frequently these disruptive violations occurred – and where – was the focus of our pilot in Barcelona. We equipped four TMB buses with our automated transit zone enforcement platform, which includes a forward-facing, AI-powered camera system mounted behind the windshield of each bus. Two of the buses operated on line H12 (Besòs/Verneda – Gornal) and two on line D20 (Marítim – Ernest Lluch). No tickets were issued to drivers during this pilot.

The findings were striking. Across the 7-month pilot, our system identified over 13,000 interference events in dedicated bus zones — vehicles driving in bus lanes, entering restricted areas, parking in bus stops, or otherwise obstructing bus operations. Violations peaked around midday, aligning closely with delivery activity. Specific corridors, including Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes and Carrer de Sants, emerged as violation hotspots.

These violations had a significant impact on bus operations. Analysis of bus movement data showed that buses spend a meaningful portion of their time either stationary or crawling at low speeds, with these slowdowns concentrated during the same midday windows when interference was highest.

This pilot demonstrated the ability of our bus-mounted, vision AI platform to better understand urban mobility in real time – from curb activity to bus speeds. By integrating this technology into public transport fleets, cities can expand analytical capacity without additional infrastructure. Cities can also use this technology to significantly reduce violations that slow down public transport – like in Santa Monica, where our technology has reduced monthly bus lane parking violations by 67%.

Working alongside TMB and the Barcelona Innova Lab Mobility program has been an incredible opportunity to prove our technology in a new context. We're grateful to the Barcelona City Council, BIT Habitat, Fira de Barcelona, and TMB for their partnership, and we look forward to supporting Barcelona in delivering safe, reliable, and accessible public transport services for everyone.