Like many parts of the country, West Yorkshire Metro seems to have used Covid as an excuse to stop providing timetables at bus stops. (One has to ask why? The notion that there is any risk for an individual swopping pieces of paper in a bus stop timetable frame is frankly bizarre.)
I am a keen user of technology and so not one who is averse to it being used for public transport information, but surely by definition a large proportion of people who look to the bus stop for their timetable details are by definition ones who do not use technology for that purpose, so why do local authorities and bus operators think that information online will address all needs?
Moreover, how is one meant to know when timetables have changed? We only found out this week that they had changed for the bus service near us when my wife commented that the service had appeared at different times on a couple of occasions and I looked it up. At the very least there used to be stickers on timetable frames warning of a change in times. What do local authorities and bus operators expect? For passengers to check online on each occasion before they travel in case times have changed?
To make matters worse, in West Yorkshire Metro's case, when I went to look the timetable up, I was met with the following message:
'Some timetables may not be up to date below, on bus stops or on station screens as well as journey planners due short notice of changes. Visit Service Updates for details.'
If they can't even be bothered to keep their online information up to date what hope is there?
I am a keen user of technology and so not one who is averse to it being used for public transport information, but surely by definition a large proportion of people who look to the bus stop for their timetable details are by definition ones who do not use technology for that purpose, so why do local authorities and bus operators think that information online will address all needs?
Moreover, how is one meant to know when timetables have changed? We only found out this week that they had changed for the bus service near us when my wife commented that the service had appeared at different times on a couple of occasions and I looked it up. At the very least there used to be stickers on timetable frames warning of a change in times. What do local authorities and bus operators expect? For passengers to check online on each occasion before they travel in case times have changed?
To make matters worse, in West Yorkshire Metro's case, when I went to look the timetable up, I was met with the following message:
'Some timetables may not be up to date below, on bus stops or on station screens as well as journey planners due short notice of changes. Visit Service Updates for details.'
If they can't even be bothered to keep their online information up to date what hope is there?