Print Page - Call for bus website like National Rail Enquiries

Title: Call for bus website like National Rail Enquiries
Post by: Surrey 455 on July 09, 2018, 00:13:51

This appeared in the print edition of Fridays Metro. I'm struggling to find any similar articles online from a mainstream website though.

Title: Re: Call for bus website like National Rail Enquiries
Post by: grahame on July 09, 2018, 05:44:06

Quote from: Surrey 455 on July 09, 2018, 00:13:51

This appeared in the print edition of Fridays Metro. I'm struggling to find any similar articles online from a mainstream website though.

Thanks for that - I'll make the text findable here (via FreeOCR (https://www.free-ocr.com)) not that we're a mainstream website ... yet ...

Quote

Call for bus website like National Rail Enquiries

A WEBSITE and app giving bus passengers real-time travel information could be available under plans to force all firms to share data.

The Department for Transport [DfT] wants bus firms to provide information on routes, fares and timetables. developing a site equivalent to National Rail Enquiries. Bus data sharing has mostly been limited to bigger cities such as London, Birmingham and Manchester, where the Citymapper app helps passengers find the best routes.

The DfT may also call for audio and visual prompts on buses to assist the disabled and elderly.

The Bus Services Act requires data to be made available; this is perhaps about implementation. The Act was rushed through in the lead up to the last election, and although the act says "what", "how" has be be defined through executive orders.

Title: Re: Call for bus website like National Rail Enquiries
Post by: LiskeardRich on July 09, 2018, 08:04:26

Go Ahead’s group app is pretty good, I can see the location of my bus, and I can see its fleet number. It appears customised for each of its OpCos.

Title: Re: Call for bus website like National Rail Enquiries
Post by: WelshBluebird on July 09, 2018, 10:33:22

Quote from: richwarwicker on July 09, 2018, 08:04:26

Go Ahead’s group app is pretty good, I can see the location of my bus, and I can see its fleet number. It appears customised for each of its OpCos.

The main two problems current systems like that in use at the moment have are:

There is nothing that covers nationwide as far as I am aware. There are some apps (like the "UK Bus Checker" one I use) that are pretty much nationwide, but in some areas they just use timetable data as there is no real time data available.
Even where it does work, it can be unreliable and misleading. Especially when a service just doesn't run, quite often it'll show as the timetabled time, then just disappear when that time passes, no hint of it running late or being cancelled.

Of course, even having the option in some areas is a better situation than in the past (where you just had to wait and hope), but I certainly agree moving to an NRE equivalent would be a very good thing for bus users!

Title: Re: Call for bus website like National Rail Enquiries
Post by: SandTEngineer on July 09, 2018, 13:29:46

I use Google Maps Route Planner and it seems quite acurate (well, for all the journeys so far).

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All across the Great Western territory => Buses and other ways to travel => Topic started by: Surrey 455 on July 09, 2018, 00:13:51