Timetable/Route changes in TFL land

[gage75]

Was just wondering how much time was needed re notification of a route change on a TfL route and can that be done by the operator or is it from TFL??

 

[carlberry]

Was just wondering how much time was needed re notification of a route change on a TfL route and can that be done by the operator or is it from TFL??

Tfl control everything. If any operator wants to change something they have to ask TfL. If TfL want to do something they do as they please!

 

[Busaholic]

Was just wondering how much time was needed re notification of a route change on a TfL route and can that be done by the operator or is it from TFL??

If you're talking about a route change then there will almost certainly be a public consultation exercise, sometimes for very minor changes. These exercises can sometimes lead to plans being altered or even scrapped, as was the case for the Finchley Road proposals a year or two back that would have led to the disappearance of the ancient 13 route. Most changes now are merely minor timetable changes owing to extra running time being required on so many routes, thanks in part to half-baked traffic schemes and in part to extra traffic, especially delivery vans.

 

[CatfordCat]

Unless the route ventures outside the GLA boundary, there isn't a legal requirement for X weeks' notice or anything like that. (although for routes outside London, a tendering authority, which would include TfL, can request a 'short notice' change from the area traffic commissioner.)

There are certain deadlines in terms of getting data in to TfL's i-bus system (this is what feeds the 'countdown' kit at stops and on the web, and TfL journey planner) and producing timetables to post on bus stops - if it's a high frequency route and the first & last bus times aren't changing, bus stop timetables won't need changing.

If it's something that an operator suggests, I guess there's quite a few layers of decision making process at TfL-land.

The operators have entered in to a contract to run a service at X frequency between whatever times between points A and B via specific roads - operators can't just decide they want to vary that.

If it's something TfL want / agree to, it can be done fairly quickly, subject to the deadlines for shoving data in to the systems. The final data has to come from operators to TfL (as TfL - or rather the electronic kit - need to know the bus running number for each journey, for example, so that the real time info kit knows that the bus that's due to arrive at A at 1200 should form the 1210 departure)

and operators of course also have to do their driver schedules (they tend to have union agreements about giving a few weeks' notice, although there's usually an 'emergency' clause), get these out to garages and in to their electronic systems, and produce duty sheets.

 

[Be3G]

If you're talking about a route change then there will almost certainly be a public consultation exercise, sometimes for very minor changes.

If only that could have occurred when the W10 timetable saw significant changes a few months ago. No proper consultation via their consultations hub, just an e-mail sent round to users of the bus ‘proposing’ (their words) a change and asking for people's thoughts – one day before the new timetable began!

 

[Busaholic]

If only that could have occurred when the W10 timetable saw significant changes a few months ago. No proper consultation via their consultations hub, just an e-mail sent round to users of the bus ‘proposing’ (their words) a change and asking for people's thoughts – one day before the new timetable began!

What was the nature of the change? Were there extenuating circumstances? e.g. badly-parked cars rendering operation via a particular road unviable?

 

[Be3G]

Nope, no extenuating circumstances other than TfL's desire to save money. The biggest change was that the bus would start and finish running 90 minutes earlier on weekdays.

 

[gage75]

Thanks for the replies, my reason for the query was that the E7 ( Ruislip - Ealing Broadway) has had its route changed, in that it will no longer serve Ruislip High Street after a certain time, this has occurred from 28 May when Abellio took over ops of route, with seemingly no notification prior to 28th at the bus stops affected

 

[Hophead]

You may well find the same on the TfL website, which seems to be last in the queue for data updates. As of a few moments ago, the E8 extension to Hounslow was still inadequately reported (it's on spider maps and in the route map, but not on the realtime displays).