Bus performance statistics

[infobleep]

Hi there

Are there any apps or Web Sites which give performance figures for specific bus journeys and or routes in London, similar to Recent Train Times.

I am also interested in knowing if buses are running late; early or on time. Given some routes operate a high frequency it may be that times are just notional and it isn't about sticking to them but running a certain number of buses between a set time.

Also are there any apps for past buses, which Milan to Real Train Times or even the ability to go back in time in the National Rail Enquiries App.

I use London Bus Checker but that only includes future buses.

 

[ASharpe]

TFL produce performance reports on their website:
https://www.tfl.gov.uk/forms/14144.aspx

They are simple one page reports but can show if a route is under-performing.

 

[infobleep]

Thanks.

What I am trying to work out is how reliable a bus or series of buses are between a set time of day.

This doesn't seem to provide that. Then I can work out whether it's worth getting the bus from a particular bus stop or using another route.

 

[RJ]

I had to do it manually by observing trips then measuring the data against the schedule data. Even then, I only did it for a specific purpose, such as when someone complained about a specific trip or set of trips repeatedly running early.

 

[infobleep]

Early running isn't a problem on one route I use. The bus is scheduled to leave 2 mins after the train arrives but always ends up leaving 6 minutes after and even before it leaves from its starting point the online departure board estimates it leaving 4-5 minutes after! I don't know if the live departure board system takes into account of the traffic on a particular day.

I do find when at bus stops with multiple services buses never seem to leave at the same time each day. That's less important when there's lots of buses but it does mean your never certain if buses are running on time, late or early.

Buses being on time is more important when the service is only every 15 minutes.

The service I was planning to get seems to be reliable and get me to my destination with a variation of 5 minutes I'm journey time. The main thing is being able to catch it and that seems to be happening because it never leaves at it's timetabled departure time.

Unlike train services there's never anything to say a bus is cancelled or rarely where disruption is delaying services, in fact nothing for the areas I usually travel within. The Twitter TfL Bus Alert service won't mention such things in the areas I travel. The only way to know is by seeing no bus listed on the online departure board or a large gap between services. Seeing 4 buses arrive in a short time frame is also an indication too.

I once saw 3 buses running within 4 minutes of one another on a route where the buses are meant to run 10 minutes apart. Again no disruption notice for such a thing. Less important if your at a stop with many buses. More important if you are at a stop with only one bus route.

 

[Busaholic]

Thanks.

What I am trying to work out is how reliable a bus or series of buses are between a set time of day.

This doesn't seem to provide that. Then I can work out whether it's worth getting the bus from a particular bus stop or using another route.

Being congenitally non-tech I can only say how I view how buses are running in London. First google TfL Buses (not the TfL home page as it doesn't seem to link from there) and then click onto Live Bus Arrivals. Select the route you want to check, and a list of bus stops in each direction on that route will appear. By then clicking on a particular stop you will get the predicted arrivals there in the next half hour, for that and all other routes served by the stop, based on real-time information. The map provided showing all the nearby stops on all routes can then be scrolled up and down to settle anywhere in London. While this can only show you how the buses are running (or not) at the time you are using it, if you keep looking over a period of days and different times it will give a good indication if timetabled intervals are being generally adhered to. It will also show the destination of the bus, but in practice buses may get curtailed with little advance warning. Just be a bit suspicious if, at Streatham following a gap of at least 20 minutes, four 159s are then scheduled within five minutes all supposedly bound for Marble Arch!