Onboard announcements on buses set to become standard?

[lachlan]

Are there any significant areas where the provision of onboard announcements/screens is basically zero?

Round here in Essex, only the ridiculously overpriced X30 has these features, with no other buses having this equipment.

I don't think any buses in Aberdeen have them (First did try screens and announcements at one point but I've never seen them functioning correctly).

 

[Bletchleyite]

I don't think any buses in Aberdeen have them (First did try screens and announcements at one point but I've never seen them functioning correctly).

They tend to fall foul of "if it moves, it goes out". Very few bus companies have adequate attention to detail.

 

[The exile]

In theory these announcements are excellent but effort needs to be put in to ensure they work properly. That means, amongst other things:
Consistency of volume. On my local route, the start- up “bong” and the standard part of the announcement are often deafening, while the route number, destination and stop names are so quiet as to be almost inaudible.
Pronunciation- stop names seem to be cobbled together from individual phonemes, leading to wildly inaccurate mispronunciation. Can’t be that expensive to record stop names as “ units”.
Coping with “non stops”. Don’t know what triggers the next stop announcement, but it doesn’t seem to work properly when the bus doesn’t need to stop at a stop ( or even worse at a sequence)

 

[py_megapixel]

Coping with “non stops”. Don’t know what triggers the next stop announcement, but it doesn’t seem to work properly when the bus doesn’t need to stop at a stop ( or even worse at a sequence)

Never had that issue on Stagecoach. It passes the stop, then after 5 seconds or so the display changes and it announces the next one. Repeat as many times as applicable.

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

Never had that issue on Stagecoach. It passes the stop, then after 5 seconds or so the display changes and it announces the next one. Repeat as many times as applicable.

Likewise, never had that issue on Stagecoach - or any other bus operator for that matter.

There is a Stagecoach route with announcements near me, however, which takes a slightly different route on Sundays. It appears that the Sunday diversion hasn't been programmed as the announcements work totally fine until you reach the first Sunday-only stop, and then they break for the rest of the journey (often including after returning to the normal route).

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

I don't think any buses in Aberdeen have them (First did try screens and announcements at one point but I've never seen them functioning correctly).

The two latest arrivals at Stagecoach Bluebird, 11566 and 11567, both have screens/announcements programmed for the JET 727 service

 

[DunsBus]

I did a recent trip on a Stagecoach South E400MMC on Gold service 1 from Camberley to Aldershot via the Old Dean loop. Sitting at the front upstairs, I noticed that the next stop announcements hadn't been set up. As a regular visitor to the Blackwater Valley area, I'm well used to these announcements - but, strangely enough, I didn't seem to miss hearing them on this occasion.

 

[lachlan]

The two latest arrivals at Stagecoach Bluebird, 11566 and 11567, both have screens/announcements programmed for the JET 727 service

That's good to hear, thanks for sharing

 

[175mph]

Earlier today, I was on an East Yorkshire E400 MMC going into Hull from one of the outer areas and the on board voice announcement system kept going to maximum volume at every other stop and at some stops, the announcement could only be heard on the upper deck.

 

[Eyersey468]

Earlier today, I was on an East Yorkshire E400 MMC going into Hull from one of the outer areas and the on board voice announcement system kept going to maximum volume at every other stop and at some stops, the announcement could only be heard on the upper deck.

I have noticed when driving them sometimes the system doesn't work properly

 

[43055]

Coping with “non stops”. Don’t know what triggers the next stop announcement, but it doesn’t seem to work properly when the bus doesn’t need to stop at a stop ( or even worse at a sequence)

On trentbarton the announcements were linked with the ticket machine which goes through all the stops by GPS. Not sure if that is still the case with the ticketer machines.

 

[cnjb8]

On trentbarton the announcements were linked with the ticket machine which goes through all the stops by GPS. Not sure if that is still the case with the ticketer machines.

I don’t think the new MMCs on Rainbow One had them, but last time I was on it was a few weeks ago so I can’t remember

 

[MCR247]

I believe (initially anyway) the removal of the iNiT machines meant the announcements, and onboard screens stopped working. They also reverted to scheduled times on countdown displayed. Not sure if they’ve resolved the first two but they still only show scheduled times

 

[WestRiding]

Recently visited London and had to use the bus. First time experience of on board announcements. Very good idea as I wasn't familiar with the area I needed to be.

 

[The exile]

Never had that issue on Stagecoach. It passes the stop, then after 5 seconds or so the display changes and it announces the next one. Repeat as many times as applicable.

On the First route I used to use regularly the visuals and accompanying audio message would “ lag” after a missed stop. The announcement “Next stop A” would come fractionally before stop A, but hardly in time for someone relying on it to realise “ this is my stop”, find the nearest bell and ring it before the bus sailed ( or rather crawled - it was on a steep hill!) past stop A. The visuals then continued to show “A” as the next stop until fractionally before stop “B” etc.

 

[jamesst]

Are there any significant areas where the provision of onboard announcements/screens is basically zero?

Round here in Essex, only the ridiculously overpriced X30 has these features, with no other buses having this equipment.

Yeah Merseyside, absolutely no on board information on any of the buses

 

[py_megapixel]

I believe (initially anyway) the removal of the iNiT machines meant the announcements, and onboard screens stopped working. They also reverted to scheduled times on countdown displayed. Not sure if they’ve resolved the first two but they still only show scheduled times

If it's anything like most countdown displays I see, they'll just say "No information available - please refer to timetables" or something along those lines

 

[station_road]

I believe (initially anyway) the removal of the iNiT machines meant the announcements, and onboard screens stopped working. They also reverted to scheduled times on countdown displayed. Not sure if they’ve resolved the first two but they still only show scheduled times

Onboard announcements and next stops displays are still not working - I don't know why it is taking so long to fix this as they have had the Ticketer machines for almost two years now. The bus stop displays seem variable - in Derby, some routes are showing live times and some are still showing scheduled times

 

[MCR247]

If it's anything like most countdown displays I see, they'll just say "No information available - please refer to timetables" or something along those lines

It depends where I think. Nottingham’s are pretty reliable

 

[cnjb8]

It depends where I think. Nottingham’s are pretty reliable

They were. Recently they seem to have gone a bit crazy. Council are apparently trying to fix it

 

[MCR247]

I wonder if it’s anything to do with the newer LCD ones they decided to switch to. They’re pretty hard to read in the sun

 

[cnjb8]

I wonder if it’s anything to do with the newer LCD ones they decided to switch to. They’re pretty hard to read in the sun

If you mean those proper screen ones, I agree

 

[507020]

The Lakesider tourist buses from Bowness-on-Windermere to Grasmere, operated by Stagecoach, have acquired next-stop announcements in a female voice, followed by commentary about the area in a male voice.
The First Greater Manchester Vantage routes in Manchester have dot-matrix displays with a text-to-speech voice reading out stop names.

“We believe this is the best view from a bus stop in the UK” The announcements on the Stagecoach open top buses in the Lake District add a lot of information to the journey because it also serves as a sightseeing tour. If I remember correctly, it’s only the open top 599 service that has announcements and no screen. The 505 and 555 which aren’t open top don’t. The other advantage in the Lake District is you can take bikes on buses. That should be standard everywhere.

I went on one of the First Vantage buses recently and found the announcements very helpful in telling me where to get off. “The next stop is Ellenbrook Primary School” being the one I remember most. They also have the best seats I’ve seen on a bus. Why can’t new trains have comfortable seats like new high spec buses have? A railway carriage is much more crashworthy than a double decker bus that can fall over, even when travelling at 3 times the speed. The reason they are so high spec is that they run via the guided busway to Leigh, the largest town in the North West without a railway station, so they can charge higher prices when people have no choice but to use the bus.

Transdev make a feature of their next stop announcements and for routes like Mainline and 464 in Lancashire actually ran a competition for local people to do the announcements. They are running this again at the moment for the 1 service in Blackburn. https://www.transdevbus.co.uk/blackburn/could-you-be-1

Over in Harrogate, Look North presenter Harry Gration does the announcements on the 36 bus.

The announcements on the X43 Witch Way “Sky Class” also run by Transdev Blazefield from Manchester to Rawtenstall and Burnley via the M60 and M66 motorways (and the notorious Simister Island) have automated announcements featuring the voice of Jennie McAlpine, who plays Fiz in Coronation Street! Again high spec buses for places that have no rail connection.

In County Durham some of the Arriva buses have the LCD screen and audio announcements now. It only announces the next stop, other than at major stops (bus stations, market places, etc) where it also says "if you're leaving the service here please remember your personal belongings...". It also says when the bus is reaching the end of the route.

Does this include the X75/X76 MAX to Barnard Castle? I can see automated announcements being of particular importance on these routes as a significant number of passengers will require an eye test upon their arrival.

gimmicky local accent ones

Another point is that it should be compulsory for ALL announcements on buses to be in the local accent of the area in which they are running, with no exceptions. This serves to give regular passengers a more comfortable journey as they shouldn’t be able to hear any perceivable accent and visitors will be introduced to culture of the local area which includes its distinct accent. This is more challenging to provide on trains which run between areas with different accents.

We must be behind the times In Merseyside, I cant remember ever getting a bus with automated announcements

We definitely are. Some of the Arriva buses I’ve been on in Merseyside are the worst I’ve seen anywhere. All of the single decker buses in Southport are now over 10 years old and I went on a number 20 from Earlestown to Haydock last week which was run by an 05 plate bus!

The new bus services in Preston, the 74, 75 and 153, all have announcements installed. Likewise Lancaster has seen them rolled out on the 100.

I also went on a Transdev Blazefield Little Hotline 153 recently and don’t recall hearing any announcements.

 

[northken]

Recently visited London and had to use the bus. First time experience of on board announcements. Very good idea as I wasn't familiar with the area I needed to be.

It's really impressive that TfL have had iBus since 2007. Leaps and bounds ahead of almost all operators.

 

[johncrossley]

It's really impressive that TfL have had iBus since 2007. Leaps and bounds ahead of almost all operators.

And such announcements were in use in other countries years before London. Even before technology automated it, decades ago drivers used to announce the bus stops using the microphone.

 

[Bletchleyite]

And such announcements were in use in other countries years before London. Even before technology automated it, decades ago drivers used to announce the bus stops using the microphone.

And German buses in the 90s had display screens, not controlled by GPS but by the driver pressing a button each time he passed a stop. Less of an overhead there, though, as stops are usually spaced about 1km, here it is often much closer.

 

[XAM2175]

Meanwhile, First Glasgow don't even seem to able to get their drivers to announce service alterations that affect the bus you're already on.

 

[dm1]

Given that many bus stops still don't have consistent, unique (at least for the area) names that are usable for journey planners/timetables, even that would be a start!

 

[Ken H]

Everywhere I go I get bombarded with damn automatic blathering. The self checkouts, on trains, stations. and now buses. Nightmare.

 

[Deerfold]

Another point is that it should be compulsory for ALL announcements on buses to be in the local accent of the area in which they are running, with no exceptions. This serves to give regular passengers a more comfortable journey as they shouldn’t be able to hear any perceivable accent and visitors will be introduced to culture of the local area which includes its distinct accent. This is more challenging to provide on trains which run between areas with different accents.

I'm a local, the accent on the Aireline is not typical of its passengers. For many non-locals it may not be very comprehensible.