Looking back over what is now ten years since I retired it’s been heartening to see many aspects of travelling by bus have hugely improved for passengers during that time.
First and foremost, the availability of tracking information so passengers can ‘see’ their bus further back along the route until it approaches the bus stop has been a game changer for me as I travel around. There’s nothing better for reassurance that your wait is not going to be in vain in knowing where the bus is.
Many bus companies now have this available on their websites or through an App and comprehensive coverage is also available from the Bus Times website (bustimes.org) which is also an excellent resource for timetables too.
Despite this, I find it odd such an excellent facility is not promoted more widely so it becomes second nature for passengers to consult it. I appreciate it relies on having a smartphone and a signal or Wi-Fi, which isn’t always the case, especially in rural areas, but you’d think such a revolutionary development would be more widely known about. There’s huge scope for promoting this more, perhaps through QR codes at every bus stop linked directly to the webpage displaying the information.
Payment improvement
