A system for tracking a motor vehicle is disclosed, which includes a device that can be magnetically or mechanically affixed to a vehicle. For one example, the device includes a GPS receiver and a data transmitter. When the device is activated and affixed to a vehicle, the GPS receiver provides to the data transmitter latitudinal and longitudinal earth-referenced coordinate data representing the current position of the vehicle.

Transit systems providing this kind of information assign a unique number to each stop, and waiting passengers can obtain information by entering the stop number into an automated telephone system or an application on the transit system’s website. Some transit agencies provide a virtual map on their website, with icons depicting the current locations of buses in service on each route, for customers’ information while others provide such information only to dispatchers or other employees.