Lothian Buses screens

[Mal]

Last time I visited Edinburgh was 2014 and all double-deck buses had roller blinds which showed 3 or 4 Via points, destination and the router number. Since then, most buses have had these replaced with digital screens which only show the destination and route number. Admittedly, they are clearer and easier to read at a distance, but surely Lothian could re-programme them to show scrolling Via points and other info like 'Limited Stop', 'Part Route', Route Diverted' below the destination? Lothian don't seem to be helping passengers as they even stopped using Tramboards* a while back.
Be interesting to hear other views.
*These were a legacy from tram days which gave extra info about special events at the front of the tram and this tradition was continued on buses until a couple of
years ago.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Interesting, as last time I was there they were starting to introduce electronic displays and these, other than on the single deckers where there's less space and the roller blinds were about the same, showed pretty much the same layout as the roller blinds did.

Example:

Lothian bus showing electronic destination display

 

[Darklord8899]

I suspect it comes down to money!
The newer vehicles have only a destination and number in white only, previously there were all orange displays; displays with orange numbers, white destination and some could display red N numbers for night services.

I believe there was an issue with the long term brightness of the screens in the above picture as well which has lead to being different manufacturers being used (Mobitec and Hannover amongst others)

 

[Bletchleyite]

I have since seen a (not very good) picture of one of the newest vehicles which only has room for a narrow display and hence has what the single deckers have.

No reason, of course, they couldn't have via points - almost all provincial operators do.

 

[carlberry]

Last time I visited Edinburgh was 2014 and all double-deck buses had roller blinds which showed 3 or 4 Via points, destination and the router number. Since then, most buses have had these replaced with digital screens which only show the destination and route number. Admittedly, they are clearer and easier to read at a distance, but surely Lothian could re-programme them to show scrolling Via points and other info like 'Limited Stop', 'Part Route', Route Diverted' below the destination? Lothian don't seem to be helping passengers as they even stopped using Tramboards* a while back.
Be interesting to hear other views.
*These were a legacy from tram days which gave extra info about special events at the front of the tram and this tradition was continued on buses until a couple of
years ago.

The important point is they're clearer and easier to read. Via points are distracting (and confusing as's usually retained after the bus has passed it) and scrolling ones are just designed to show how clever the idiot who set them up was!

 

[Darklord8899]

.... I have to admit I rather liked the fact that the Deckers had the extra screen not so much for the via points but for the extra information 'Part Route' 'Limited Stop' 'Route Diverted' etc
I'm not aware of any other major city operator showing such information.

(Some of the old single Decker roller blinds had 'Part Route' and 'Limited Stop' destinations on the blinds as well)

 

[90019]

I believe there was an issue with the long term brightness of the screens in the above picture as well which has lead to being different manufacturers being used (Mobitec and Hannover amongst others)

The Mobitec screens shown in the photo above have had lots of problems with brightness, with quite a few of them going dim and being almost unreadable in daylight.
All the buses are now being fitted with Hanover screens instead.

 

[Bletchleyite]

.... I have to admit I rather liked the fact that the Deckers had the extra screen not so much for the via points but for the extra information 'Part Route' 'Limited Stop' 'Route Diverted' etc
I'm not aware of any other major city operator showing such information.

(Some of the old single Decker roller blinds had 'Part Route' and 'Limited Stop' destinations on the blinds as well)

In London I do mourn the passing of via points, often it's a faff to go to the stop and look at the spider maps if a bus is already bearing down on you.

 

[Darklord8899]

The Mobitec screens shown in the photo above have had lots of problems with brightness, with quite a few of them going dim and being almost unreadable in daylight.
All the buses are now being fitted with Hanover screens instead.

Ahh thank you, I wasn't sure if those were the mobitec screens or not.

 

[Hophead]

The important point is they're clearer and easier to read. Via points are distracting (and confusing as's usually retained after the bus has passed it) and scrolling ones are just designed to show how clever the idiot who set them up was!

In the year 2018, one would have hoped it would be a relatively trivial task to have via points updated on the move via GPS. If the interior next-stop information is clever enough to know which stop is next, I would kind of hope that the exterior display could do something similar.

 

[kje7812]

The Mobitec screens shown in the photo above have had lots of problems with brightness, with quite a few of them going dim and being almost unreadable in daylight.
All the buses are now being fitted with Hanover screens instead.

Being a 34 user which usually have mobitec screens I can voucher for this. Sometimes roller blinds are easier to read than those screens.

 

[mark-h]

I remember when there were single deckers with only the route number and a destination of "Circle"

 

[Darklord8899]

I remember when there were single deckers with only the route number and a destination of "Circle"

I remember those as well, then they were changed so each circle had their own circle destinations (eg. Easter Road Circle/Clermiston Circle for the 1/6) similar was applied to 19/39, 32/52, 42/46