Live bus updates on your mobile phone

[Captain_Scarlet 10]

Ever since I changed jobs a couple of months ago, I've been using the live bus timetables for the bus stop I use to get home, however the default website that it uses doesn't work very well at all. (I wont go all geeky and explain why, send me a DM if your as sad as me )

 

So a couple of days ago I wrote a little website that takes that information and presents it in a format that should work properly on as many different phones as possible.

 

It's dead easy to use, just enter the stop number on the sign at the bus stop and click "Submit" to see the live info for your stop. You can even bookmark the page so it's easy to get to next time.

 

Hopefully you'll find this as useful as I do.

Bear in mind that despite your valliant effort, had their been a bus there you wouldn't be wondering how long you're "meant" to wait for four buses to show up.

Also, you don't pay or need a mobile to look at timetables on the bus stop pole.

Sad but allthe money poured in these gadgets don't make buses any more reliable.

I think the bus drivers update there whereabouts as they go along the route?

 

But i could be wrong?

That would have to be the most stone age way to do it

[Foggy Eyes 10]

I've been using the 'official' website on my phone for ages, and have bookmarked all the stops I use on a regular basis. I find that most of the time it is fairly accurate, but sometimes a few minutes out. This could be simply because there is congestion at, say, Church Street, which cannot be taken into consideration so I simply get a 'Due'. At least I know it is near though.

 

And yes, as far as I know if it describes the bus as being in 'X' mins, then it's using the GPS, if it just says a time ie "16.23" then it is displaying the timetabled information as a default.

 

Generally the system works well and it helps me enormously on my commute.

[Foggy Eyes 10]

Bear in mind that despite your valliant effort, had their been a bus there you wouldn't be wondering how long you're "meant" to wait for four buses to show up.

Also, you don't pay or need a mobile to look at timetables on the bus stop pole.

Sad but allthe money poured in these gadgets don't make buses any more reliable.That would have to be the most stone age way to do it

 

True, but that's missing the point, which is that the system helps you to plan your travel...ie you can check if it's on time before you leave the office. No it isn't perfect, but it sure if useful.

[Parapou 10]

When it works it is good, unfortunately it seems to go down regularly. It also assumes that if a bus is early, then the driver will stop and wait, so for stops near the end of a route can say 5 mins and the bus flies by a minute later.

One question - why can it sometimes say different times on the WAP version from the display at the stops? Not just a time lag cos I've tried refreshing, just different info?

Stubbs and NJ, I agree the WAP system is poor, on some phones displays two departures, others four, and poor design (though positive is that it uses very little of my data allowance). Will try out your systems later in the week.

 

Scarlet - imo it made a significant difference to reliability. Drivers know that if they don't keep to timetable it will be noticed, and I think even more effectively bus companies know its harder to get away with missing buses out.

 

I do hope PTE and bus companies can get it working more reliably for more of the time. Then put it on trams too.

 

Then perhaps they can get Yorcard to work too. And bring the fares back down.

[njnj 10]

That just seems to go through to the official website?

 

yes, it's just a redirect.

[The_Legend 10]

wow this sounds mint, im going to cancel my football updates and have this instead

[stephenr 10]

I use the West Yorkshire Metro mobile wap site and find it better than the SYPTE one.

 

How it works is:

The bus has to have an arial on the roof to give you an accurate estimated time. If not it will only give you the original timetable time. All arials are property of SYPTE.

 

Stagecoach Chesterfield depot and TM Travel do not have the arials fitted as most of their work is outside of South Yorkshire.

 

You use you mobile to type in the bus stop number (370 S Yorks 450 W Yorks I think) and then the system pings the busses to see where they are. It then uses the prevous bus on the route and the time that took to get to your bus stop to calculate the rest of the busses giving you your times. This all takes seconds.

 

It is usually very accurate and i think refreshes every 5 mins.

 

West Yorks had the system up and running including S Yorks busses a year before SYPTE.

[RPG 10]

I'm using this every day now, works a treat. Saved me hours of standing in the rain at various bus stops!