Which local authorities do and don't put up proper bus timetables at bus stops?

[LancasterRed]

Lancaster is always up to date. Preston is usually good but the bus stops tend to display incorrect services.

 

[L401CJF]

Last Sunday, passing a bus stop opposite the Waggon and Horses pub at Walsden, West Yorks, and hoping to find the time of the next bus, I was disappointed to find that the poster in the bus shelter only had a phone number to ring for information (no use to me, since I don't have a mobile phone) and no proper departure times. Here in Merseyside I'm used to finding such information displayed, though at times during the pandemic it has not always been up to date. Which local authorities and bus companies do and don't provide such details at bus stops?

Cheshire West were like this too a few years ago, not sure if they still are. For example Liverpool Road, Neston had timetables displayed for the first 4 stops Liverpool bound, however had a note saying times displayed are from Neston,Brook Street which is 5 stops previous. The stops further up from this just had a phone number to ring. I think they may have changed this now though!

Regarding Merseytravel, I notice they have updated their flags and the arched signs on the SMART style shelters to say "Buses Towards" with a few hand picked destinations , some of which arnt right for the stop and never have been, such as the Heath Road/Abbots Drive stop in Bebington which says Woodchurch Road (despite never having a bus to Woodchurch Rd) and some of which still show destinations from old Avon routes which have been gone for years and never replaced such as the stops in Clatterbridge Hospital saying buses towards Heswall.

Useless as always!

 

[Llandudno]

It always amazes me that Operators don’t take responsibility for promoting their commercial bus operations, it’s their revenue after all.

Mind you in north Wales we are lumbered with Arriva....

Imagine turning up at a McDonalds drive thru to find no opening hours, or menu displayed prior to the ordering point.

 

[PeterC]

Bucks displays lists by departure time giving route number and destination. These aren't always helpful with rural routes as there are so many veriations. Simply to get to my village there are two possible destinations . You still have to know that on weekdays it doesn't matter which destination is shown as the routes do a loop but on Saturdays they run out out and back to one or the other.

Displays weren't updated for temporary COVID times and timetables are often not removed if a stop is no longer served.

 

[WY Bus Spotter]

It always amazes me that Operators don’t take responsibility for promoting their commercial bus operations, it’s their revenue after all.

Mind you in north Wales we are lumbered with Arriva....

Imagine turning up at a McDonalds drive thru to find no opening hours, or menu displayed prior to the ordering point.

I live in both Leeds and Newcastle (not at the exact same time) and it's great to have Transdev and Go North East who put a lot of work into promoting their services (more so Transdev). Then you have a company like First who; while the quality of their buses has improved significantly over the past few years it still seems that they don't go out of their way to promote their routes. I get a feeling that there's always been the thought of 'people have to use our buses, they don't have another choice if they don't drive. We will always have passengers' rather 'we actively want more people to use our buses and get out of their cars'.

I mean who would really want to get on a dirty smelly B9 Gemini if they had the option of a car? Whereas I wouldn't consider driving if I lived on the 36 route or Aireline (which I do) for example.

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

I live in both Leeds and Newcastle (not at the exact same time) and it's great to have Transdev and Go North East who put a lot of work into promoting their services (more so Transdev). Then you have a company like First who; while the quality of their buses has improved significantly over the past few years it still seems that they don't go out of their way to promote their routes. I get a feeling that there's always been the thought of 'people have to use our buses, they don't have another choice if they don't drive. We will always have passengers' rather 'we actively want more people to use our buses and get out of their cars'.

I mean who would really want to get on a dirty smelly B9 Gemini if they had the option of a car? Whereas I wouldn't consider driving if I lived on the 36 route or Aireline (which I do) for example.

Agree with the points made here. I find First really quite bland and generic, and similarly, I get the impression that they're just here to shuttle people from A to B without doing a particularly nice job about it. Transdev, however, I agree are very good and their high-quality services do really encourage you to use the bus.

 

[Hadders]

The Intalink partnership provides pretty widespread info about services at all the bus stops that I've seen in Hertfordshire. In towns, some of the bus shelters have screens that show buses due there. Not all services provide real time GPS tracking as the routes of smaller operators tend to show their fixed timetable events, even if the actual bus is running late.

Hmmmm. My local bus stop (not exactly an outpost either) is currently displaying a timetable dated 2017. There have been numerous changes since then. No electronic screen either.

 

[JetBlast]

Im of the belief that we don't need timetables at stops anymore. Technology has taken its place. People who chose not to move with the times and not have a smartphone have done this to themselves. It's a fact of life you have to change the way you do things, it's nothing new and has been happening since the dawn of time.

Cater for the many not the few.

 

[AM9]

Im of the belief that we don't need timetables at stops anymore. Technology has taken its place. People who chose not to move with the times and not have a smartphone have done this to themselves. It's a fact of life you have to change the way you do things, it's nothing new and has been happening since the dawn of time.

Cater for the many not the few.

So it's tough on those that can't use smartphones. Mmm, so much for the caring society. May you never have anybody in your acquaintance so inconveniently stricken.

 

[JetBlast]

So it's tough on those that can't use smartphones. Mmm, so much for the caring society. May you never have anybody in your acquaintance so inconveniently stricken.

They put themselves in a position of not being able to use use them. Nobody was born with the natural ability to use one. My in-laws in their late 80's made an effort to learn them and now help their friends. Providing there isn't a disability, the reason people can't use a smartphone is due to them being resistant to change.

Unfortunately we are in a society that people don't take responsibility for their actions (or lack of).

 

[route101]

My local bus route has no timetables on the bus stops I noticed. 31 JMB Travel.

 

[PeterC]

They put themselves in a position of not being able to use use them. Nobody was born with the natural ability to use one. My in-laws in their late 80's made an effort to learn them and now help their friends. Providing there isn't a disability, the reason people can't use a smartphone is due to them being resistant to change.

Unfortunately we are in a society that people don't take responsibility for their actions (or lack of).

I am not clear about the utility of a smart phone in a place with no signal.

 

[Dai Corner]

They put themselves in a position of not being able to use use them. Nobody was born with the natural ability to use one. My in-laws in their late 80's made an effort to learn them and now help their friends. Providing there isn't a disability, the reason people can't use a smartphone is due to them being resistant to change.

Unfortunately we are in a society that people don't take responsibility for their actions (or lack of).

I take it your in-laws don't suffer from failing eyesight or arthritic fingers?

 

[L401CJF]

They put themselves in a position of not being able to use use them. Nobody was born with the natural ability to use one. My in-laws in their late 80's made an effort to learn them and now help their friends. Providing there isn't a disability, the reason people can't use a smartphone is due to them being resistant to change.

Unfortunately we are in a society that people don't take responsibility for their actions (or lack of).

I'm young and use my smartphone for literally everything, I don't carry cash and use my phone to pay for everything etc.

However I disagree that bus stop posters should be discontinued to be replaced by phones. Issue being where I live a number of the bus operators still don't track live times, and even with time the journey planners in my area are absolutely useless. My local bus that does track is Stagecoach operated however the "live" times seem to be way off, often telling you it's passed live 10minutes ago then turns up.

Hop across the County boundary into Merseyside and Merseytravels journey planner in my eyes is completely useless as it makes unusual journey suggestions and ignores some perfectly viable route options, it's often easier for me to check the time on my phone then see what's due at the stop using the poster.

No bus stops in my local area have real time displays, and the ones in Merseyside are usually inaccurate / not working. Maybe in a few years when realtime is rolled out properly and reliably but until then, not for me

 

[JetBlast]

I am not clear about the utility of a smart phone in a place with no signal.

The transport app I use works offline.

I take it your in-laws don't suffer from failing eyesight or arthritic fingers?

They don't have great eyesight. However they have changed the settings on the phone to suit. Another relative of my partner is blind and uses a smartphone. This did surprise me.

However I disagree that bus stop posters should be discontinued to be replaced by phones. Issue being where I live a number of the bus operators still don't track live times

The piece of paper they replace don't have this either...

 

[L401CJF]

The transport app I use works offline.

They don't have great eyesight. However they have changed the settings on the phone to suit. Another relative of my partner is blind and uses a smartphone. This did surprise me.



The piece of paper they replace don't have this either...

This is true, but for the smaller operators which don't show live times and don't produce timetables online that show stops other than timing points in each village, the piece of paper showing a specific time for that stop is quite useful.

For example Helms of Easthams 272 doesn't track on bustimes or live maps etc, but the timetable online only shows times for the timing points along the route which are few and far between. The poster at the stop shows what time it should arrive at that particular stop.

Google maps has however proved pretty reliable for me recently, clicking a stop showing the times at that stop, and showing fairly accurate realtime for Stagecoach and Arriva services. I personally use this over each companies own apps.

By all means ditch the paper eventually, but until there's a proper reliable roll out of online information in one place with accurate live times for every operator, the paper should stay

 

[JetBlast]

but until there's a proper reliable roll out of online information in one place with accurate live times for every operator, the paper should stay

Agreed.

 

[Deerfold]

Im of the belief that we don't need timetables at stops anymore. Technology has taken its place. People who chose not to move with the times and not have a smartphone have done this to themselves. It's a fact of life you have to change the way you do things, it's nothing new and has been happening since the dawn of time.

Cater for the many not the few.

How about catering for the passengers you want to catch your buses?

I realise some operators don't seem to care about that.

 

[CBlue]

We might be going a little O/T here but online information isn't a be all and end all still even with a smartphone.

I consider myself very literature with regards to technology, but I'll still refer to a paper timetable first and foremost, then find the service on bustimes or an app to see if it's running late.

Before Covid I used to regularly have a jolly out on public transport via several pubs, often in out of the way locations in areas and towns I didn't know. Some of the larger bus stations wouldn't have been navigable without printed timetable displays - Google maps and bustimes may say that the service you're catching stops at "Stop Q" but good luck finding out which one that is!

 

[David Goddard]

Reading do this very well, with virtually all stops on all routes they operate being furnished with information, even in the most rural areas.

My only gripe is that they (along with many other operators of late) insist on using the "list of departures" rather than a proper timetable.
The former is fine when there is a high frequency timetable and everyone is going to the same place (i.e. radial town routes into the suburbs) but on longer distance routes then a proper timetable is able to show the time of the buses and when it will get to its various destinations.

Timetable cases at stops with good footfall (such as those near shops) also serve as good promotional space, as people walking past can stop to see what the service on offer is, which could influence them to make a journey.

 

[Megafuss]

Im of the belief that we don't need timetables at stops anymore. Technology has taken its place. People who chose not to move with the times and not have a smartphone have done this to themselves. It's a fact of life you have to change the way you do things, it's nothing new and has been happening since the dawn of time.

Cater for the many not the few.

We certainly do need them. They are the "shop window" of bus services

Can you imagine Primark boarding up its windows and still wanting customers to come in?

 

[JetBlast]

We certainly do need them. They are the "shop window" of bus services

I post in the middle of the pavement? Surely not? The bus itself is a bigger advertisement.

 

[Deerfold]

I post in the middle of the pavement? Surely not? The bus itself is a bigger advertisement.

But it's not as easy to advertise where it goes and when as at a bus stop.

 

[JetBlast]

But it's not as easy to advertise where it goes and when as at a bus stop.

That’s why you can use a Smartphone.

 

[Non Multi]

That’s why you can use a Smartphone.

It's all me, me, me on here! Buses have to cater for those far less able or those in hardship. Think about them for a change.

 

[Deerfold]

That’s why you can use a Smartphone.

I'm not sure how that helps the bus company advertise its services.

It's great if someone's already looking for them.

 

[PeterC]

I'm not sure how that helps the bus company advertise its services.

It's great if someone's already looking for them.

That is a discussion that I have had in other fields. If you want to promote any product or service you need to put it in front of the customers.

 

[Oscar M]

The councils of Bath and Bristol and South Glos do put up roadside publicity. However, don't know if North Somerset are quite as good.

Somerset is left to operators though I think some district councils (like Mendip) do provide limited roadside info in towns. Wiltshire is mainly operator led IIRC

A lot of the bus stops I've seen in North Somerset still have the Covid-19 Emergency Timetable notices, usually with no actual up-to-date timetable whatsoever.

 

[daodao]

Cheshire East deterring public transport use!

Last week I arranged to meet some pals at Macclesfield Rail Station to walk the Middlewood Way to Marple. Various train delays led to meeting 90 minutes late. To make up time we decided to catch the bus to Bollington to save time.

There is a prominent bus shelter opposite Macclesfield station promoting Arriva buses to Bollington every 30 minutes on the timetable display. It then occurred to me that the timings may have changed due to Covid so I walked up to the Tourist Information Centre, remarkably they do not have any information on bus timetables and advised me to go to the library.

The Covid dragon on reception advised me they don’t have bus timetables, I indicated that the TIC staff told me that the library did, she checked with a colleague and then pointed to the timetable carousel ten feet away from where she was sitting!

The timetable was indeed completely different from the one at the Rail Station, but the library copy didn’t have a route map, I was then advised to go back to the TIC as they hap maps!

I didn’t trust the information I was given so walked to the bus station instead, which is just as well as the Bollington buses no longer operate via the rail station.

I suppose I could have consulted the Arriva website, but that as we all know is totally incomprehensible!

Ended up a good day out, a couple of beers enroute and even the Northern train home from Marple turned up and on time!

Arriva routes 10 and 10A from Macclesfield to Bollington are clearly shown on Arriva's website, with maps, albeit in separate files, and there is a link to them from Cheshire East Council's website. All bus services in Macclesfield originate at the bus station and buses to it call opposite the railway station, but not generally on the outward journeys (High Peak routes 58 and 60 excepted). Reasonably up-to-date bus timetable information is displayed by Cheshire East Council at Macclesfield bus station, and at key stops such as on Victoria Road close to the hospital.

 

[route101]

Most of the timetables on display in Glasgow are out of date. Used to using the first app on my phone to check the bus or google maps. Google maps is not always accurate.