Onboard bus announcements to be made mandatory

[Flange Squeal]

An article in Route One magazine says that all new vehicles after October 2024 must have visual information displayed within view of the wheelchair bay, with all vehicles used on local bus and coach services having to have both visual displays and audible announcements by October 2026.

Visual and audible onboard announcements will be required by law on buses and local coaches by October 2026. In making the announcement, the government committed £4.65 million in funding for small operators to make the necessary upgrades.

The Department for Transport (DfT) today outlined rules its says will boost public transport accessibility for everyone, particularly disabled users.

DfT says “almost every local bus or coach service” will have to provide audible announcements and visual displays identifying the route and direction, each upcoming stop, and the beginning of any diversions.

The funding will made available to the “smallest bus and coach companies” and the changes will be implemented gradually.

DfT says only 30% of buses outside London provide this information.

Roads and Accessibility Minister Richard Holden says: “Everyone deserves to take the bus with confidence, and this is a massive boost for passenger independence. Simple and effective audible and visible information should be a baked-in feature of a modern bus service to help people reach their destination, wherever they travel in Great Britain.”

The aids will make the announcements available via induction loop systems. All new vehicles introduced after October 2024 must also include visible information which can be seen by a wheelchair user when travelling in a rearward facing wheelchair space.

Claire Walters, Chief Executive of Bus Users UK and Disability and Access Ambassador for the bus and coach industry, tells routeone: “Bus Users UK has been involved in the development of this regulation and, while it’s long overdue, it’s nonetheless welcome. Not only will this improve access to transport, it will enhance the journey for everyone.”

The move may raise passenger confidence in buses, with one in five members of the public surveyed by First Bus recently found to be wary of using the mode of transport.

The development is part of the government’s plan for a transport system that provides equal access for disabled passengers by 2030 with assistance where necessary.

The exemptions are detailed in the DfT’s guidance for operators and incorporates: “closed door” home-to-school, services operated under a section-19 permit, services operated under a section-22 permit where the vehicle is first used before October 2023, services operated by vehicles adapted to carry 16 or fewer passengers, services operated by vehicles first used before 1973, some tour services, services where the combined length of “local service” sections accounts for less than half of the overall route length and any part of a local service where it is operated as a demand-responsive service.

Onboard bus announcements to be made mandatory - routeone

Visual and audible onboard announcements will be required by law on buses and local coaches by October 2026, as £4.65 million in funding is committed.

www.route-one.net

 

[farwest]

I only hope it won't be like the repetitive moronic rubbish on GWR trains?

 

[J-2739]

If it is something like the ibus system in London that is installed, then that's fine.

 

[Ianigsy]

The ones on First Leeds’s X84 announce the stops in the pick up only area - I’d say it was for reassurance, but once it gets to St Michael’s Church it definitely says “alight here for Headingley Stadium”.

 

[scosutsut]

Any idea which parts of the UK this will affect? Not sure any of this is devolved?

 

[jon0844]

Such simple technology that helps so many people should have been mandatory years ago. Many buses with me have a screen but only a few ever have it on, and I think I've only heard audio announcements once so can the driver turn down the volume? If so, why? Or if the system is faulty, fix it.

The information is very clear and useful even for regular passengers, such as on foggy days or when the windows have misted up (thanks to another coat saving in not having air con that doesn't make buses particularly attractive and just helps convince some people that buses are only for certain people).

I do with this country treated accessibility as more important as a whole, not selected areas (like TfL).

 

[Andyh82]

Presumably there will have to be some sort of centralised system that smaller operators can plug into

I can’t imagine a small operator that uses two Solos on a council tender maintaining their own list of bus stop names and spoken recordings

 

[jon0844]

Doesn't the ticket machine (most here use Ticketer) do all that these days? If a bus takes contactless or scans barcodes it should be ready.

 

[TUC]

Disappointing that audio announcements are not mandatory till 2026 as they are so helpful to visually impaired passengers. Given how many years some operators have had this technology in place, it's hard to see the justification for such a long delay.

 

[Goldfish62]

This country is way behind in this respect. Buses I travelled on in Vienna in 1997 had recorded next stop announcements.

Much needed and very welcome. I do however hope that the funding is sufficient for small operators.

 

[Ken H]

How is it a good idea to add this cost onto bus operators when they are shedding more and more routes as costs increase?

 

[LiviCrazy]

I seem to be in a minority here, but for any journey I’m a regular on I actually try and deliberately get one without announcements. It’s useful on unfamiliar routes, and I do fully appreciate that this is to improve accessibility, but if you are on a regular route it can make a journey feel very long when you can’t really tune it out.

Given the prevalence of people having wireless earphones or even smartphones these days is there not some way this could use these technologies for those that need it?

I’d also comment that this feels far more applicable to cities, it in towns and rural areas, I think most people just ask the driver to let them know when to get off and most drivers are more than happy to help. This seems like using technology to replace valuable human interaction which many of those who require assistance most crave.

 

[Goldfish62]

I seem to be in a minority here, but for any journey I’m a regular on I actually try and deliberately get one without announcements. It’s useful on unfamiliar routes, and I do fully appreciate that this is to improve accessibility, but if you are on a regular route it can make a journey feel very long when you can’t really tune it out.

It depends how waffling the announcements are. My preference is the minimalist TfL approach of just the approaching stop name (no "The next stop is... "), followed by route number and destination a few seconds after the doors open.

 

[RustySpoons]

I seem to be in a minority here, but for any journey I’m a regular on I actually try and deliberately get one without announcements. It’s useful on unfamiliar routes, and I do fully appreciate that this is to improve accessibility, but if you are on a regular route it can make a journey feel very long when you can’t really tune it out.

Given the prevalence of people having wireless earphones or even smartphones these days is there not some way this could use these technologies for those that need it?

I’d also comment that this feels far more applicable to cities, it in towns and rural areas, I think most people just ask the driver to let them know when to get off and most drivers are more than happy to help. This seems like using technology to replace valuable human interaction which many of those who require assistance most crave.

But if you aren't a regular user of that route they can be a lifesaver.

It depends how waffling the announcements are. My preference is the minimalist TfL approach of just the approaching stop name (no "The next stop is... "), followed by route number and destination a few seconds after the doors open.

They're not so bad if they are just telling you what you need to know, as you describe. It's very irritating when they ramble on welcoming everyone on board every few stops, introducing them to the route, advising people to download an app, track their bus, buy tickets online... SHUT UP!!!

Also annoying if they refer to the bus stop as something it hasn't been known as for years, or pronounce it wrong...

 

[LiviCrazy]

But if you aren't a regular user of that route they can be a lifesaver.

That’s why I said probably more applicable on city routes, on more rural areas the vast majority of passengers whether local or tourist have long just asked the driver or another passenger for assistance. On busy city routes with lots of passengers and stops that’s less practical.

As noted above a wee route run on a solo with 10-20 passengers on board the drivers are usually helpful and most will actually drop off outwith designated stops to help passengers.

As I said above, technology is ever improving, perhaps there is ways of doing things like this in better ways, ie available through headphones or scan a QR code with your phone as an example.

 

[Andyh82]

The ones on First Leeds’s X84 announce the stops in the pick up only area - I’d say it was for reassurance, but once it gets to St Michael’s Church it definitely says “alight here for Headingley Stadium”.

I’ve noticed on First Leeds buses often the audio announcement won’t match what is displayed on the visual screen, with many stops therefore having two names

 

[jon0844]

I seem to be in a minority here, but for any journey I’m a regular on I actually try and deliberately get one without announcements. It’s useful on unfamiliar routes, and I do fully appreciate that this is to improve accessibility, but if you are on a regular route it can make a journey feel very long when you can’t really tune it out.

Unless a bus is empty, it's rarely a quiet place to be - both from the occupants, the engine, or the squeaks and rattles.

Yes, it absolutely is to improve accessibility, so therefore it should be on all buses and working all the time. I'd even go as far as saying that if the system isn't working, the bus shouldn't run OR the bus company should be arranging alternative transport (like a taxi). It's hardly a feature that should have a high failure rate compared to any mechanical aspects of the bus. Issue fines on operators who don't comply, as if they're not fixing that then what else are they not fixing?

You can tune out, or use earplugs if you really can't take the noise (as others have mentioned, they only say the next stop - without even adding 'next stop is'), and your personal preference should absolutely be outweighed by the need to make the environment better for the visually impaired.

Asking the driver to help has indeed worked for years, but I've been on buses where the driver has forgotten. I bet that's quite common, and what then? Even if the driver goes back (I've been on buses that have gone off route to get someone to a missed stop, and then other passengers get upset for being delayed, and the poor person ends up feeling they're being blamed!) that's hardly helpful for anyone. Or they make someone now have to walk back, or get another bus, or have to travel to the end and back on the same bus..

..All while we have the tech in 2023 to do this automatically. Heck, the tech has existed for decades. It's just that outside of London few councils seem to have cared about buses, and then wonder why they have traffic problems and can't fund underused buses (because anyone who can avoid using a bus, will).

 

[Bletchleyite]

I seem to be in a minority here, but for any journey I’m a regular on I actually try and deliberately get one without announcements. It’s useful on unfamiliar routes, and I do fully appreciate that this is to improve accessibility, but if you are on a regular route it can make a journey feel very long when you can’t really tune it out.

Given the prevalence of people having wireless earphones or even smartphones these days is there not some way this could use these technologies for those that need it?

I’d also comment that this feels far more applicable to cities, it in towns and rural areas, I think most people just ask the driver to let them know when to get off and most drivers are more than happy to help. This seems like using technology to replace valuable human interaction which many of those who require assistance most crave.

The key is to keep the waffle down - repeated stuff is particularly annoying. London dealt with this early on, e.g. it was originally "Route X to Y" and is now just "X to Y" because the repeated "route" was annoying and unnecessary. Similarly "the next stop is" is spurious, and junk like the 3 Ss should be avoided like the plague.

 

[DDB]

It is often suggested that it is much easier to get car drivers to switch to trams than it is to buses. One of the factors might be is that trams have long had much better information on-board for unfamiliar users including on board announcements of where you are.
When I first started visiting London I much preferred tubes to buses as the tube would tell you where you were.
Nowadays it is much easier for people with smartphones but that also means it should be really easy to get systems for buses to do this for those without them.

 

[jon0844]

Absolutely. I feel comfortable and in control on a train, and similar on a tram. Buses have always been a gamble for many, and we're still lagging behind on providing real time information and tracking so you can be sure your bus exists.

Then there's almost no way to know the fare for the many operators that don't publish rates and simply hope to sell a day pass. They're really not user friendly for many, and that's where a London bus has always been the gold standard because TfL has made them as accessible as the other modes of transport.

Heck, even the (Uber) Thames Clippers are well managed and probably easier to use than many buses.

 

[dm1]

Unless a bus is empty, it's rarely a quiet place to be - both from the occupants, the engine, or the squeaks and rattles.

That's also testament to the poor quality specifications of most buses outside London, and the shoddy quality of the roads. Buses elsewhere tend to rattle and squeak far less than here.

It is often suggested that it is much easier to get car drivers to switch to trams than it is to buses. One of the factors might be is that trams have long had much better information on-board for unfamiliar users including on board announcements of where you are.

In my neck of the woods, most bus stops don't even have proper names - at least not any names that are in widespread use or clearly displated anywhere. Just having that sorted out would be a significant improvement.

 

[Ken H]

The fun ones are the ones at announce the bus stop before the one you are approaching. Unless the system is reliable then its worse than nothing.
And pronunciation. There is a Coutances Way in Ilkley. Its pronounced coo-tonce as its French. - Ilkley is twinned with Coutances. But First buses announce it Cow-tan-sez. Attention to detail....

 

[Ken H]

That's also testament to the poor quality specifications of most buses outside London, and the shoddy quality of the roads. Buses elsewhere tend to rattle and squeak far less than here.



In my neck of the woods, most bus stops don't even have proper names - at least not any names that are in widespread use or clearly displated anywhere. Just having that sorted out would be a significant improvement.

Do the buses' PIS match the names on Bustimes and Google Maps. ?

 

[roadierway77]

Great news, not only of great benefit to the disabled but will also make bus travel less stressful for those making journeys in unfamiliar areas. As a young person it's easy for me to follow along with an unfamiliar bus route on Google Maps on my smartphone to know where I need to get off, yet it can still be a bit of a stressful experience - it must be all the more difficult for those less well-versed in technology or those who don't own a smartphone. It seems rather silly that it's taken this long for announcements and visual information to become mandatory but at least it's finally happening.

I just hope most operators go to the effort of recording full voice-acted announcements - I remember a few years ago I was in Bristol and the on-board announcements were using a text-to-speech program that kept mispronouncing stop names. Amusing, but a very poor effort.

 

[Segedunum]

So long as this is implemented properly and consistently it'll be great.

Go North East originally started out with radio announcers and the like - every route was different and it felt almost comedic. You'd even have two routes calling the same stop different things. Now, everything has Emma Hignett (voice of London iBus) and its a lot better.

Transdev's "x is next" followed by "get off here for x" and "next stop is x" all mixed up are pretty bad - especially as the volume is so low. I know they want to be "quirky" and all, in line with their branding, but there should be a consistent standard for these things.

Stagecoach's text-to-speech is a garbled mess.

 

[Goldfish62]

Transdev's "x is next" followed by "get off here for x" and "next stop is x" all mixed up are pretty bad - especially as the volume is so low. I know they want to be "quirky" and all, in line with their branding, but there should be a consistent standard for these things.

All said with an annoyingly happy voice.

The other thing is the voice needs to be completely neutral in tone, like Emma Hignett. Anything cheerful sounding is just going to p*** people off if they've had a bad journey.

 

[Geordie driver]

Yes, it absolutely is to improve accessibility, so therefore it should be on all buses and working all the time. I'd even go as far as saying that if the system isn't working, the bus shouldn't run OR the bus company should be arranging alternative transport (like a taxi). It's hardly a feature that should have a high failure rate compared to any mechanical aspects of the bus. Issue fines on operators who don't comply, as if they're not fixing that then what else are they not fixing?

If it's a legal obligation they will fix it or the bus won't run. In theory. From what I can see, it will be a legal obligation

If it's not a legal obligation it will be at the bottom of the list for servicing, along with heating, water leakage, bangs and rattles, dash warning lights.

 

[alex397]

It is about time really, but I do hope that smaller operators will be supported.

The ones I’ve seen in Germany, Austria and Poland (for example) are high quality, and better than London’s iBus. Not just showing the next stop, but the next few ahead, and also showing connections for buses/trains at major stops. This is very useful for routes which passengers may not have travelled on before. Yes, Google Maps is useful, but reception can sometimes be bad to keep current location updated (plus this can drain the battery quite quickly).

It’s not just for unfamiliar routes either, it can still be tricky to work out when to press the stop button on regular routes, especially at night time. I tend to find journeys a bit more relaxing having next stop announcements, as I don’t have to worry so much about missing my stop.

I just hope they will be high quality systems used. The few routes I’ve travelled on in the UK, outside of London, with such screens/announcements seem very inconsistent. Not often working, either completely or on certain sections. Or it may only be available on buses allocated to the route, so buses put on the route which are not normally on it won’t have the system in place
An example is the Stagecoach East Kent ‘Loop’ route in Thanet. The buses allocated to this route have next stop announcements. But they doesn’t always work, and the route often has different buses allocated which don’t have the system.

 

[JKP]

Some Swiss buses I have used in the past also showed times of train connections.

I happened to be on a bus last week which showed upcoming bus stops including virtual ones on a screen between pictures of how to store your bike safely on the bus. It was only after passing the first couple of ‘stops’ that I realised they were being shown in reverse order!

 

[175mph]

So long as this is implemented properly and consistently it'll be great.

Go North East originally started out with radio announcers and the like - every route was different and it felt almost comedic. You'd even have two routes calling the same stop different things. Now, everything has Emma Hignett (voice of London iBus) and its a lot better.

Transdev's "x is next" followed by "get off here for x" and "next stop is x" all mixed up are pretty bad - especially as the volume is so low. I know they want to be "quirky" and all, in line with their branding, but there should be a consistent standard for these things.

Stagecoach's text-to-speech is a garbled mess.

On the Stagecoach buses in Hull that have the next stop announcement feature installed, there are the occasional stops it can't seem to pronounce and comes out sounding like a murmur or a grunt.

Another issue that often crops up is that the feature doesn't always work even when the bus is on a route the next stop announcement feature is definitely programmed for, instead showing the scrolling 'Welcome aboard' message, followed by the 'We're on Twitter' & 'Download the Stagecoach app' information.