Are Paper Bus Timetables still in your area?

stuartn · 2026-10-14T21:54:46+0100

TUC said:
Genuine question. Do people take paper timetables out with them, or just just them as collectables? I'd find it far too faffy to have multiple bits of paper out with me rather that just looking up online what I need.

Yes I do, it's way easier and faster to re-plan on the way, with paper timetables- especially where there are area books. In fact it's easier to plan at home with area books. Another Stagecoach one which I got last Summer (dated 31 August 2025) is Preston, Leyland, Chorley & South Lancashire. I can't remember where I found that one.

Lloyds Coaches at Machynnelth in mid Wales have produced a new system timetable this summer, and are reporting double digit growth in passengers over 2025 on all routes.

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overthewater · 2026-10-14T22:28:31+0100

I prefer Paper timetables aswell, there right thier in your hand and you can see ALL of the information usually at once.. what if you had bad signal which happens lot you can't get information up,

Fawkes Cat · 2026-10-14T22:33:02+0100

overthewater said:
what if you had bad signal which happens lot you can't get information up,

What if it's raining? What if it's dark? Your paper timetable won't do too well in those scenarios.

That's not to say that there may not be something to be said for one timetable medium over the other, but please can we be careful about pleading one point and taking that to conclude the issue.

Andyh82 · 2026-10-14T22:33:48+0100

It’s interesting now variable it across the country.

Whereas the good companies that you’d expect to mostly do timetables, and those you wouldn’t expect generally don’t, there are some key exceptions

Lothian for example not doing timetables for their main city services when you’d expect them to be one who would

I think it always stands out where one operator does and one doesn’t in the same city operating the same type of services, for example Oxford Bus do, but Stagecoach Oxford mostly don’t. Thames Valley, Reading and Carousel do, but First Beeline don’t.

overthewater · 2026-10-14T23:00:37+0100

Fawkes Cat said:
What if it's raining? What if it's dark? Your paper timetable won't do too well in those scenarios.

That's not to say that there may not be something to be said for one timetable medium over the other, but please can we be careful about pleading one point and taking that to conclude the issue.

What if your phone goes dead, what if you drop it in a puddle? what if someone steals the phone?

That does not mean I don't look up bus times for stuff etc etc etc I personally really do dislike timetables on phones.

Fawkes Cat · 2026-10-15T06:30:14+0100

overthewater said:
What if your phone goes dead, what if you drop it in a puddle? what if someone steals the phone?

The last two of these could apply equally well to paper timetables....

To stop teasing, it seems to me that the real tests are surely
- whether the existence (or otherwise) of paper timetables has any impact on the level of use for the buses, and
- the cost (specifically the net cost after any uplift in usage) of providing paper timetables.

Are there any figures on these points?

Gareth1990 · 2026-10-15T10:24:55+0100

route101 said:
I use the guides like the Lakes bus guide and the Dales bus guide. I often find quicker than looking at my phone

Especially in the Lakes where mobile reception is often nonexistent

staleydm01 · 2026-10-15T21:51:05+0100

overthewater said:
I prefer Paper timetables aswell, there right thier in your hand and you can see ALL of the information usually at once.. what if you had bad signal which happens lot you can't get information up,

I support that, I like paper copies of everything over digital stuff that won’t scan, try looking up timetables on public transport WiFi, the apps often won’t even load.

Are Paper Bus Timetables still in your area?

stuartn

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overthewater

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Fawkes Cat

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Andyh82

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overthewater

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Fawkes Cat

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Gareth1990

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