Destination displays & blinds.

[83G/84D]

Outside London do any bus operators still use traditional destination blinds rather than the electronic type?

 

[Busaholic]

Outside London do any bus operators still use traditional destination blinds rather than the electronic type?

Lothian Buses

 

[Kuyoyo]

Lothian Buses

Lothian have now followed the rest of the country and gone for LED destination screens from Mobitec (who also make the Power blinds for London) in their latest new stock.

 

[Strathclyder]

A few of Avondale Coaches' Darts & Solos still retain their traditional displays while the majority of the fleet has green LED displays.

 

[Robertj21a]

Trent still use blinds, but have changed to LEds on the more recent new deliveries.

 

[Be3G]

Roadrunner (or whatever their name is this week), who operate buses in Hertfordshire, use sheets of A4 paper in the windscreen if that counts?

 

[Qwerty133]

Trent Barton, and Kinch, in fact I believe Kinch have recently swapped a LED display for a blind.

 

[Busaholic]

Western Greyhound, run by an ex-London busman (but see other recent threads on WG)

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Western Greyhound, run by an ex-London busman (but see other recent threads on WG)

Their more recent solos had LEDs?

 

[fgwrich]

Western Greyhound, run by an ex-London busman (but see other recent threads on WG)

Their more recent solos had LEDs?

They did, but like a lot of things with WG have recently gone backwards and started using the roller blind boxes of their older 'newer' arrivals. As per this rather full looking MPD - Presumably with used blinds from the ex Beaver 2 fleet - which much to my surprise is showing a Destination as well, unlike the usual wonky Westerngreyhound.com which seems to spend more time filling WGs destination boxes.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/118283754@N07/14944639194

 

[Robertj21a]

Trent Barton, and Kinch, in fact I believe Kinch have recently swapped a LED display for a blind.

All the same company overall - Wellglade.

 

[pemma]

Loads of the smaller operators still use buses with them fitted. Although, some of those don't use anything more than the number on them with cards being placed in the front to show the destination.

 

[Busaholic]

I know all the arguments in favour of LED and I can see their advantage from the operator's point of view, but from the passenger perspective I always prefer a roller blind provided (a) the font is good and (b) when dark, the blindbox is lit up. On the latter, would it not be beyond the wit of someone to connect the headlight on/off switch to the front blindbox?

 

[Mutant Lemming]

What ever happened to Norbury Bros ?

 

[Hophead]

I know all the arguments in favour of LED and I can see their advantage from the operator's point of view, but from the passenger perspective I always prefer a roller blind provided (a) the font is good and (b) when dark, the blindbox is lit up. On the latter, would it not be beyond the wit of someone to connect the headlight on/off switch to the front blindbox?

I think (without wishing to put words in your post), you might also want to add:
c) the blind hasn't faded
d) it's correctly set (i.e. not showing half where it's going and half where it's come from or something like that).

 

[Busaholic]

I think (without wishing to put words in your post), you might also want to add:
c) the blind hasn't faded
d) it's correctly set (i.e. not showing half where it's going and half where it's come from or something like that).

You're welcome to put words in my mouth (I'm not proud) because that is indubitably true, but in that case I'd have to add
e) LED blinds can be incredibly difficult to read in direct sunlight, rather like cash machines outside banks and
f) LED blinds can also be incorrectly set e.g in my area a First no. 1 bus from Land's End can show Penzance via Helston, which display appertains to the no. 2 route from Falmouth.

 

[Robertj21a]

If we all lived in a regulated area then blinds would be excellent. As it is, other than London, we all live in de-regulated areas where competition can turn up at 56 days notice. Any operator needs to adjust quickly if they wish to stay in business. Good quality LED screens are excellent in this regard.

 

[jon0844]

Faded LEDs are bad, but that's nearly always bad design. They last ages and should be able to do 20-30,000 hours before fading. Sadly, there seem to be many terrible screens in use that probably aren't fit for purpose.

If a decent design, they're plenty bright enough to be read in all conditions.

 

[Hophead]

Have to say that, on a visit to Hull a year ago, I was surprised to see EYMS electronic blinds that cycled through a noticeable on/off sequence (over 3-5 seconds or so, I'd say) - I've never noticed anything like that round here (or anywhere else, for that matter).

Is that common elsewhere?