First Bus android app: room for improvement?

[whole diary]

[Mark A]

From using it, it would benefit everyone if the authors spent a bit of time with the Stagecoach app (or for that matter the Scottish Borders buses app). That would give them leads to improve its appearance and also borrow a couple of really useful bits of functionality, such as Stagecoach's timer till the next 'Live map position and ETA update' and both apps rather more elegant maps.

Also, when it can't reach its server, the app could do without the fact that it reports that there are 'Technical issues' as though the server's down - rather than it just being the creaking mobile phone network - and have a specific set of messages for actual technical issues. It's an app that's quite good at playing dead.

For good measure the current Android version has broken a couple of things including one feature that's central to its function. (I dropped them a line, they know it's broken but haven't fixed it so this is presumably going to be bundled into update schedule, which is inappropriate).

Bus times apps are so positive when they do work, it would be good if this one received some major TLC^▸ (three letter code ).

Mark

[Ralph Ayres]

It works okay for me, though there are some odd quirks where it shows live times half covered by a menu and you have to press an extra button to see it properly; that may just be an incompatibility with my old phone I suppose. I find it rather better than the Arriva equivalent, which has an emphasis on planning journeys assuming you're a novice traveller, rather than just seeing times from a particular stop when you know what you're doing, particularly awkward if you're not in the area of the stop in question (eg on a train 5 miles away but getting there soon).

I mostly use the generic Bus Checker, which does what I need fairly well, and only have the company-specific ones because there's sometimes a disconnect in the live data for non-TfL^» (Transport for London - about) routes serving stops inside London and occasionally elsewhere.  I don't tend to load tickets, particularly with the current £2 cap, so can't comment on that side of things.

[Mark A]

Thanks for this and for flagging Bus Checker. Liking its instant disclosure of where buses might be.

Mark

[Mark A]

Fast forward two months and bus checker app's now overdoing the advertising and has earned itself an uninstall.

The First Bus app is either unchanged or has got worse and has now earned itself a demotion.

The bustimes.org web site's map is currently number one. For good measure, their map works well on mobile. I've reminded myself that it's simple to create a home screen web site icon so no need to pffaff with the browser. Currently, Bustimes slings ads from the Google platform, they're integrated with the content, and no interstitials, (which may change of course).

Stagecoach app is holding up well, as is Borders buses.

Looked at the likes of Moovit too: it's a war out there, so perhaps this is as good as it's going to get.

Mark

[Phantom]

I noticed that the live map and map for a number of services stopping at WSM Hospital the route maps show the names of stops in the wrong order

[grahame]

I noticed that the live map and map for a number of services stopping at WSM Hospital the route maps show the names of stops in the wrong order

  ... Should stops on public transport be listed in order of importance (number of passengers going to that place?) - after all printed and broadcast media starts with the most important material "above the fold" and then you scroll down if interested.

"The train at Platform 15 is for Bath Spa, London Paddington, Reading, Swindon, Chippenham and Didcot Parkway"

[Mark A]

Probably not, but made me wonder how passengers were directed to slip portions of trains.

Mark

[ChrisB]

Signpost fingers inserted into slots bolted to upright pillars, station names printed/painted thereon. Certainly remdmber these in my lifetime pre digital boards

[grahame]

Probably not, but made me wonder how passengers were directed to slip portions of trains.

Mark

Ah - memories of Weymouth on a Saturday afternoon

"Front carriage for Chetnote, Yetminster, Thornford and Avoncliff. Front 3 carriages for Bradford-on-Avon, Freshford, Bath Spa, Oldfield Park, Keynsham, and Bristol Temple Meads, 4th carriage for Melksham, rear two carriages for Chippenham and Swindon, any carriage for Dorchester West, Maiden Newton, Yeovil Pen Mill, Castle Cary, Bruton, Frome, Westbury and Trowbridge"

Actually, we didn't - we asked people where they were headed and told them which carriage, noting that saying "4th carriage" was no good as we had to count from the rear.  To my knowledge, we got everyone right!

[grahame]

Signpost fingers inserted into slots bolted to upright pillars, station names printed/painted thereon. Certainly remdmber these in my lifetime pre digital boards

[eightonedee]

Probably not, but made me wonder how passengers were directed to slip portions of trains.

as well as the signage mentioned above, I guess there were also rather more "real" people around (rail platform staff, either appropriately trained or having acquired the knowledge on the job) who could be asked.

There were also those wonderful long station announcements, telling you each stop (in order, of course) and where you had to change to get to other destinations.