SOUTH PORTLAND (AP) -A steady eye trained on a digital board could replace the anxious shuffle and wandering look from people waiting at bus stops when the service begins using global positioning systems.

The South Portland Bus Service this summer is expected to install such systems on its buses, which will allow riders at certain stops to check a computer monitor to see where a bus is along its route.

Transportation officials say the system could cut the anxiety of waiting for a bus and bolster the number of riders. If successful, similar systems could be added to the other bus and ferry lines, said David Willauer, transportation and land-use director for the Greater Portland Council of Governments.

“If riders can tell by looking at map when the bus will be there, they are more likely to wait,” Willauer said.

South Portland estimates its bus system handles between 550 and 700 riders a day, and transportation officials said riders call often to ask when buses will arrive. Service dispatchers sometimes gets up as many as 10 calls an hour.

Officials hope the new system should decrease the number of calls and make it easier for a dispatcher to locate a bus if someone does call.

That’s welcome news to frequent riders like Brian Valente Jr., who said Wednesday while waiting for bus at the Maine Mall that he has called the service several times to find out when the next bus is coming.

Some locations being considered for displays, where riders will see bus routes and dots identifying where the buses are, include the Maine Mall.

South Portland still has some work to do on its pilot program. Thomas Meyers, the city’s director of transportation and waterfront, said the service still needs to pick stops for the monitors and hire a contractor to install them.

The City Council also must approve $4,800 in the upcoming city budget to cover the system’s annual operating cost. The buses will use cellular service to transmit their locations, which incur a monthly charge the city must pay.

AP-ES-03-25-04 0217EST