Bus timetables, your next bus

scottcross · 10-07-2010, 12:03

A few years ago 'your next bus' and a number appeared on the top of our bus stop. You could text to find out the time it was due, was actually NOT the time of the next bus but the time on the timetable pasted on the bus stop. What a waste of paint that was.

Yesterday I went to catch my bus and we now have no timetable but have an advertisement telling you that you can text the number (which is still painted atop the bus stop), to find out when the next bus is due.

I do have a mobile and I do know my services alleged timetable, but what good is that to many people who do not use a mobile phone, a lot still don't, another waste of public money.

algy · 10-07-2010, 13:14

Not a waste of public money, a saving of the cost of putting up and maintaining timetables. What do you think this is, a public service?

Vague_Boy · 10-07-2010, 13:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by algy

Not a waste of public money, a saving of the cost of putting up and maintaining timetables. What do you think this is, a public service?

The timetables are put up by SYPTE, which (in theory) is a public service.

algy · 10-07-2010, 13:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vague_Boy

The timetables are put up by SYPTE, which ](in theory) is a public service.

Maybe they're making a start on their 40% cut?

HeadingNorth · 10-07-2010, 14:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by algy

Maybe they're making a start on their 40% cut?

I very much doubt that the advertisement is any cheaper to produce than the timetable would have been - the vast majority of costs must be the copying of a sheet of paper, and the distribution to umpty-umpt thousand bus stops.

algy · 10-07-2010, 15:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadingNorth

I very much doubt that the advertisement is any cheaper to produce than the timetable would have been - the vast majority of costs must be the copying of a sheet of paper, and the distribution to umpty-umpt thousand bus stops.

True, but it only has to be done once, not every time the timetable changes.

bus man · 10-07-2010, 16:19

Unfortunatley the PTE/Operators cant win can they if they put timetables up then they are throwing money away if they dont then they are not providing a public service.

A lot of stops in south yorkshire now have the "real time" displays although these only work if the bus on the service as the "chip" in the ticket machine which tracks the bus, there are also problems in some areas with the chip not been tracked due to high buildings - although I think this is a problem which as not occured in south yorks.

If you are stood at the bus stop and the screen gives a number of minites or due next to your bus then it is on its way and should arrive in that time.

If the screen gives a clock time then that is when the bus is due at the stop in line with the legal registration under the 1985 transport act.

The equipment can not actualy dectect a chip for that journey so it gives the due time, this can be due to a n nuimber of factors: bus doesnt have chip, cant read chip due to various factors, bus not there.

algy · 10-07-2010, 17:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by bus man

Unfortunatley the PTE/Operators cant win can they if they put timetables up then they are throwing money away if they dont then they are not providing a public service.

.

No-one's suggesting timetables are a waste of money bus man. The complaint was that timetables were being superceded by a mobile phone call, and not everybody has one. Also checking a paper timetable at the stop is free, phoning to find out when the bus is due costs money. If you go to a library, or a council office etc, you expect to see the opening hours on display, not have to stand outside and ring up. It's part of the service.

scottcross · 11-07-2010, 10:29

After finishing work last night I rang my other half asking where we were meeting up, he said " I have just missed the bus, oh there's no timetable on this stop". Believe it or not I had not mentioned posting about the very subject on here only hours earlier.

I know our local stop is bad enough but this was in town, what good is that to foreign visitors to our city, I have always been glad when abroad that we can at least read bus and rail timetables if we can't understand at the info points.

I already have a problem with the buses regularly making me late for work, now the lack of a timetable, is it all a conspiracy to enable buses to turn up when they feel like it and for us not to notice we are late.

S10er · 11-07-2010, 10:44

Last time I tried texting the number for the next 51 it took 24 hours to get a reply. Very helpful...

HeadingNorth · 11-07-2010, 11:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by algy

No-one's suggesting timetables are a waste of money bus man.

Not on this thread, and not yet. The complaint's been made innumerable times in the past, but probably by different people from the ones now complaining that timetables are not being provided.

slimsid2000 · 11-07-2010, 13:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by bus man

Unfortunatley the PTE/Operators cant win can they if they put timetables up then they are throwing money away if they dont then they are not providing a public service.

A lot of stops in south yorkshire now have the "real time" displays although these only work if the bus on the service as the "chip" in the ticket machine which tracks the bus, there are also problems in some areas with the chip not been tracked due to high buildings - although I think this is a problem which as not occured in south yorks.

If you are stood at the bus stop and the screen gives a number of minites or due next to your bus then it is on its way and should arrive in that time.

If the screen gives a clock time then that is when the bus is due at the stop in line with the legal registration under the 1985 transport act.

The equipment can not actualy dectect a chip for that journey so it gives the due time, this can be due to a n nuimber of factors: bus doesnt have chip, cant read chip due to various factors, bus not there.

I think the problem is when buses do not operate according to the timetables. If they did there would be no problem. Remember you are the customer and are paying for this service so why should they not turn up when they say they will?

Funky_Gibbon · 11-07-2010, 14:25

I was going to bring up this topic myself. Yesterday was the first time I noticed a bus stop that didn't have timetable info. I thought nothing of it until a few hours ago when I got to a different stop in a different area and found the same poster up asking us to make a 12p phonecall if we wanted to know what time the next bus is.

Obviously this isn't a cost-cutting exercise because it costs more in printing costs to print those colour heavy posters than it does to print a black and white timetable. This looks to be purely a money-making scheme cynically introduced right before a couple of dozen bus routes are systematically changed and everyone gets confused.

Rather than pay for that, I'll be heading into the bus interchange and picking up a load of timetables for free.

Funky_Gibbon · 11-07-2010, 14:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadingNorth

Not on this thread, and not yet. The complaint's been made innumerable times in the past, but probably by different people from the ones now complaining that timetables are not being provided.

I believe the complaints have been about the bus companies not sticking to the timetables, especially when there is no logical reason for them being late or missing such as at times of the day when there is no traffic.

Telstarbox · 11-07-2010, 14:53

If you've got internet on your phone you can go to

http://tsy.acislive.com/pip/stop_sim...ptan=333333333

and replace the numbers at the end with the stop number, thus saving 25p

HeadingNorth · 11-07-2010, 15:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Funky_Gibbon

Obviously this isn't a cost-cutting exercise because it costs more in printing costs to print those colour heavy posters than it does to print a black and white timetable. This looks to be purely a money-making scheme

If it turns a cost into a profit, then it is cost-cutting.

jibbs1977 · 11-07-2010, 16:53

I have an issue with this txt service malarky, I have a stop accross from me but what happens if you dont have any credit to txt or have contract phone your buggered. You could be waiting for ever not realising you have missed your last bus and for a woman it could be dangerous. I am doing the if's and buts but surely they should put the time tables up for these exact reasons.

jibbs1977 · 11-07-2010, 17:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Telstarbox

If you've got internet on your phone you can go to

http://tsy.acislive.com/pip/stop_sim...ptan=333333333

and replace the numbers at the end with the stop number, thus saving 25p

Ive tryed it on my phone doesnt work

matthewluck · 11-07-2010, 17:12

I don't think that this service is meant to or going to replace timetables.

In my opinion the service works and for the majority of buses I catch I will be able to check and see how many minutes the bus is away.

I often catch the 97/98 buses in the evening (which are often late) I already know the scheduled times on the timetable. If I can check using your next bus then it often means an extra 15 minutes with my friend and not hanging around at the bus stop.

And i dont pay for texting as I use it online on my mobile

ClaireTrudy · 11-07-2010, 20:17

Hi, yes your spot on. But you know what i think, because thease Mainline buses are never on time or don't turn up or 2 buses turn up at the same time. That's why there is no time tables!. And not only that you pay again to text what ever your bus is to find out what time your bus is. It's just stupid, you pay £17. 50 bus pass a week for late buses and smelly buses and rude bus drivers. But i know not every bus driver is like that!. Just the trouble i have had. So i have switched to Stagecoach. You get a good value for money, clean buses and trams and the drivers are nice. And not only that there are on time!.