London bus stop question

[Green Lane]

Hi all,

I'm aware that all bus stops in London have a unique 5-digit "bus stop code" (as listed in this official TfL PDF document here http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/corporate/bus-stop-codes.pdf)

But I've also noticed that some (not all) bus stops have a 4-digit code arranged on black lettering on a yellow background vertically down the opposite side of the pole from the flag. This seems to consist of one or two letters followed two or three by numeric digits.

I found an example on Flickr here:-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/route79/2937392/

In that particular photo, the code I'm talking about would be R209

Does anyone know what this code is for, and why only some bus stops have them and not others?

Secondly, is there any geographical significance in the code. i.e. if I have such a 4-digit code, would that tell me whereabouts in Greater London the bus stop having that code is likely to be located?

Thanks for any possible info!

 

[starrymarkb]

Probably the pole number for the council/TfL to maintain...

 

[Green Lane]

Probably the pole number for the council/TfL to maintain...

Hi, thanks very much for the reply.

That's very helpful, because when I Googled something like "London bus stop pole codes", it led me to a website I had not previously found where someone had submitted a freedom of information request to TfL for this information:-

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/unique_bus_stop_identifier

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/69265/response/176492/attach/html/3/FOI 0100 1112.pdf.html

Apparently they are called "BODS" codes. I don't yet know what "BODS" stands for, but I've now got a list of these codes, which might be useful as I'm trying to identify the location of a photograph containing a bus stop, where I can only see the BODS code.

Cheers!

EDIT: In fact I can only see the first three digits of the BODS code in the photo, but I have checked these digits against the list and this has now narrowed things down to merely seventeen possible locations, rather than the whole of North London!

EDIT: Finally I'd just like to say, thanks again and case finally closed. The photo I have was taken at Bus Stop C, outside Ridge Avenue Library, Church Street, Bush Hill Park, Enfield. (BODS code UR03). All I could see was the "UR0" part of the BODS code in the photo, and this bus stop happened to be the ninth one in the list I'd checked with Google Street View.

 

[Deerfold]

Hi, thanks very much for the reply.

That's very helpful, because when I Googled something like "London bus stop pole codes", it led me to a website I had not previously found where someone had submitted a freedom of information request to TfL for this information:-

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/unique_bus_stop_identifier

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/69265/response/176492/attach/html/3/FOI 0100 1112.pdf.html

Apparently they are called "BODS" codes. I don't yet know what "BODS" stands for, but I've now got a list of these codes, which might be useful as I'm trying to identify the location of a photograph containing a bus stop, where I can only see the BODS code.

Cheers!

EDIT: In fact I can only see the first three digits of the BODS code in the photo, but I have checked these digits against the list and this has now narrowed things down to merely seventeen possible locations, rather than the whole of North London!

EDIT: Finally I'd just like to say, thanks again and case finally closed. The photo I have was taken at Bus Stop C, outside Ridge Avenue Library, Church Street, Bush Hill Park, Enfield. (BODS code UR03). All I could see was the "UR0" part of the BODS code in the photo, and this bus stop happened to be the ninth one in the list I'd checked with Google Street View.

The BODS codes identify a location but not a bus stop - if there are two or three bus stops in a row (or on opposite sides of the road) they will all have the same code - they're used by TfL for GIS systems and monitoring passenger flows (and possibly other things).

 

[Green Lane]

The BODS codes identify a location but not a bus stop - if there are two or three bus stops in a row (or on opposite sides of the road) they will all have the same code - they're used by TfL for GIS systems and monitoring passenger flows (and possibly other things).

Thanks Deerfold for the further information. Yes this is exactly correct, indeed I noticed in the document that it is as you describe with multiple stops in the same vicinity having the same BODS code. In the document, these codes are also known as "Transit node markers", which also fits in with what you are saying.

Fortunately, I was able to unambiguously identify the stop in question as I could also see the "C" marker, which designated it as "stop C". On top of which, the view of the Ridge Avenue Library immediately in the background meant the scene in the photo could only have been from that particular stop (thanks to Google street view). The one thing not visible in the photo was the location name on the stop.

Interesting to read that these codes are used for GIS systems and also to monitor passenger flows, I didn't know that.

Not that it matters much to me now, but I never did find out what "BODS" stands for (if anything).

 

[Deerfold]

Not that it matters much to me now, but I never did find out what "BODS" stands for (if anything).

Bus Origin and Destination Surveys.

 

[Green Lane]

Bus Origin and Destination Surveys.

Thanks again, that's great, cheers!