Bus Timetable Information

BUS SERVICES: PROVISION OF INFORMATION

A checklist and suggestions for local authorities compiling an information strategy

Prepared by Roger Slevin,
Chairman of ATCO Information and Ticketing Sub-Committee.

FIRST EDITION: SEPTEMBER 2001

PREFACE

The Transport Act 2000 introduced specific duties on local authorities (in England & Wales) in respect of bus service information – whilst the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 enacted similar duties in Scotland. The Government in London, however, has chosen not to be prescriptive about how these duties are implemented and therefore has not issued detailed guidance. Instead it has encouraged ATCO to produce this document and has offered comment during its preparation. The Welsh Assembly and Scottish Executive have also been consulted during the preparation of this document, and in Scotland this document should be read alongside the relevant guidance issued by the Scottish Executive.

There is an urgency to prepare initial Information Strategies in many areas of the country, particularly in order to underpin the financial arrangements for the collaborative traveline telephone information service. In view of this, ATCO National Committee agreed that this document should be issued originally in a "Provisional" edition, which was circulated to other interested parties, such as the Traffic Commissioners, PTEG, LGA, CoSLA, CPT and NFBU, for their additional comments. The responses from these organisations have been taken into account in this "First" edition, published in September 2001.

I would like to acknowledge the assistance given by colleagues in a number of authorities, and by those who were consulted during the preparation of this document, without which the content would have been much less well informed.

Roger Slevin
Chairman, Information and Ticketing Sub-Committee
Buckinghamshire County Council, County Hall, Aylesbury, Bucks HP20 1UY
18 September 2001

Background

A Bus Information Strategy is an implied requirement for all transport authorities under sections 139 - 141 of the Transport Act 2000 in England and Wales, and sections 33-35 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 in Scotland. It is also an implied requirement for Local Transport Plans - and the section "Information Strategies" in the Guidance for the preparation of Local Transport Plans provides further relevant contextual advice about the Government's expectations for work in this area.

Key points within the legislation are:

What is considered locally to be "required information"
Information must cover routes, timetables and fares on local services, facilities for disabled, travel concessions, and connections with other public transport services; it can also cover any other relevant information
What is considered locally to be the "appropriate way" that it should be made available
It is necessary to consult Bus User Groups and the Traffic Commissioner
The resultant information strategy :
should be written so that it can be used to determine compliance
should include a mechanism that will be used to deliver required information if bus operators do not comply
should recognise that costs of so doing may have to be recovered from bus operators as a civil debt
must have regard to economy, efficiency and effectiveness
must avoid discrimination between operators of local services
should involve collaboration with other authorities where relevant

It is important to recognise that a careful balance must be struck to ensure that the costs of information provision that bus operators will be required to bear are realistic. Placing too many new financial burdens on operators in a short space of time could result in cost cutting elsewhere, possibly with the loss of some commercial services. The requirement for economic, efficient and effective measures means that there must be a realistic prospect of a net "dividend" from each element of the strategy, whoever is paying.

It is also important to recognise what is already being done (by operators and authorities), and think how best to incorporate or enhance this rather than requiring something new. Partnership working with a major operator to secure comprehensive information covering all an area’s services may be an efficient and effective way of addressing most of some areas’ needs

Each Strategy, once adopted, sets the standards that will need to be enforced consistently, and without favour to any particular operator. This requires the strategy to include clearly stated, practical and realistic requirements that are unambiguous and enforceable – and ones which the responsible Council can meet in the event of an operator defaulting.

This document provides a checklist of issues that need to be thought about. The list under each heading seeks to identify most of the relevant issues which need to be considered or which COULD be included in a Strategy – but no individual Strategy is expected to include all of them.

Why is a strategy needed?

To make clear the respective responsibilities of bus operators and local authorities (in each authority's area) for the provision of public transport information, so that both parties can discharge their own responsibilities effectively
To provide a framework for the delivery of information through collaborative mechanisms where appropriate
To make public transport more accessible
To encourage increased use of public transport
To avoid lack of information creating social exclusion
To provide information which will allow people to adopt sustainable travel habits
To help achieve integrated local transport plan objectives, particularly through influencing mode choice
To ensure that the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act are better met in respect of information
To promote economic wellbeing of the local community, including improving travel arrangements for visitors and tourists

What is the focus?

Legislation focuses on local bus travel
Integration with other modes, where appropriate, is also important and required
The aim for seamless travel will be aided through good information which is consistent and well integrated
Information needs to be available, accessible, accurate and timely

When is information required?

Pre-trip information, required both within the locality and from distant locations (for visitors or those returning to an area)
At start of trip - at the bus stop or other point at which the public transport journey begins
During the trip - on-bus and at intermediate interchange locations

What information should be covered?

Timetables : matrix format, departure lists, information about arrival times at intermediate points and interchange points. Different travellers require different information - one size doesn't fit all travellers, nor is one size appropriate for different media and in different locations. However too many different sources could be inefficient and unaffordable, so a careful balance must be drawn.
Service Guides : containing, for each service, details of its route, an outline of its frequency, and the date on which its timetable was last revised
Services to major destinations : "how to get there" information for major local destinations (such as airports, railway stations, hospitals, town centres and other points of interest) showing relevant services, their frequencies and stopping places
Fares : different levels of detail depending on where and how information is made available. The complexity of fares information may be an issue that would be worth discussing with bus operators to see if there is a way that the required information could be simplified.
Fares systems : information if there are specific local requirements, such as no-change or smartcard ticketing, and details of sales outlets for off-bus ticket purchases
Maps and Guides : geographic, spider or line diagrams can aid understanding by at least some travellers. Maps can help to explain the network of services that are available
Multi-operator information : the legislation places responsibilities on authorities to work with individual operators to ensure that relevant information is delivered, but in many cases that information is of best value only if it is combined with that from other operators (area booklets, maps, journey planners, telephone enquiry services, etc). There is no presumption in the legislation that some aspects of information delivery would be best achieved through collaboration. Accordingly the strategy may need to insist on some collaborative methods of dissemination, whether or not operators are required to pay towards them (see below for issues on who pays what)
Commercial and contract : include both in the same material and differentiate between them only if this provides necessary and additional information
Demand-responsive services : how best can information about these be made more widely available, and what is relevant? An indication of the scope of the service offered (between where and where, at what times, how far in advance must bookings be made) and contact details should be the minimum.
Multi-modal : similar issues as for multi-operator, and clearly required by implication within the legislation. Train, Metro, Coach and Ferry are clear candidates for inclusion in this, but so may be taxi and hire car booking numbers and taxi ranks. Strategy may be strengthened if operators of other public transport services are actively supporting the multi-modal aspects of it, and even paying towards them
Car parking : relevant for locations at which car drivers and passengers might transfer to and from public transport services either at formal park-and-ride sites or at other relevant locations
Local access : information about pedestrian and cycle access, and cycle parking and/or cycle hire facilities may be relevant in some areas
Facilities for disabled people : this is an area where considerable improvement in information is expected over the coming years, particularly as more services are operated with wheelchair accessible vehicles. Strategy not only needs to cover information about services of relevance to those with physical disabilities, but also how information will be made available to those with various disabilities (particularly of hearing, sight and learning). In addition, the need for on-street information at low level, particularly for children and those in wheelchairs, should be recognised.
Service disruptions : what information is expected when services are disrupted, through pre-planned events or unplanned emergencies.
Real Time information : what expectations are there for systems that will display real time information about the operation of services, and to what standards (technical and performance) will such systems operate. Is this to be a priority over other investments, such as shelters and lighting at stops? It is important to place a marker in advance for compliance with forthcoming national standards in this area.
Travel concessions : this is an important area that you may want operators to publicise through their own material, or that you may want to cover in some other way within your strategy. This could cover not only statutory concessions for elderly and disabled people and children, but also any discount ticketing schemes that co-exist with these that may be offered by individual operators
Common information : there may be information, such as the national traveline phone and minicom numbers, web address and branding, or details of local interchanges, that you would expect to see included in a range of media. Other information that you might require on particular types of information could include : operator names, addresses and phone numbers; details of Customer Service Offices, Travelshops or ticketing and information agents, relevant to a particular service or area; how to make complaints or offer comments and compliments; and the existence of a customer charter.
Other mode information : what level of information should be given about rail, coach and other public transport services, including community transport, shared taxi and shared hire-car services and their booking numbers

How should information be made available?

Paper-based in a reference medium (area timetable books)
Paper-based individual service, route or corridor timetables, possibly collated in folders which can be updated
Paper-based displays at bus stops and other key locations, including matrix timetables and/or departure listings
Telephone, and typetalk or minicom, enquiry services, possibly with fax-back and/or e-mail support, including the national traveline phone-based service
Screen based displays at principal interchange points such as bus stations
Screen based displays of scheduled or real time information at principal stops
Interrogatable information through kiosk-based journey planner or timetable (and faretable) display systems
Web-based journey planning and timetable (and faretable) systems, with maps, and with opportunities to print information easily for personal re-use – including the regional traveline web-based service through the national traveline portal (www.traveline.org.uk)
Links to and from other relevant web sites
WAP and/or other electronic delivery mechanisms for information to people on the move
Face-to-face information at Travel Shops or through on-the-ground staff, particularly at major interchanges or boarding points
Announcement systems on bus, at stops and at interchange points, either automated or manned
Bus stop flags and associated displays
Should agreed location names be displayed at individual bus stops? If so, at which ones, and who should bring this about?
Signing within and around bus stations and interchange points
Destination-based displays of departure information
Parish magazines, "Bus Times" newspapers or inserts
Signing and information at Railway Stations and other interchange points
Availability of information in large print, in Braille, and on tape
Don’t be over-prescriptive, so that new opportunities can be adopted and redundant methods discarded without prejudice to the overall strategy
Recognise that different types of information suit different media, and that electronic services often can be delivered on different media at marginal extra cost – eg: real-time information could be on-street, in major activity-centres, on internet and WAP, and in call centres
Recognise that many people will rely on conventional information sources and will not have easy access to electronic sources (eg: internet, WAP) or will not feel comfortable using new technologies (eg: kiosks)
Data held electronically can be sorted and extracted in ways that allow very targeted publications to be produced easily in small quantities or even on-demand

Where should information be available?

In the home
In the workplace
At schools, colleges and universities
At hospitals
In shopping centres
At tourist and other information centres
In hotels
At libraries, post offices and village shops
At bus and tram stops
In bus and rail stations, airports, ferry terminals and other interchange points
At major activity centres
On the move
Distributed house-to-house, or only available to collect
Free, or with a cover price

To whom should information be targeted?

Adults, including the elderly
Children and students
Those with mobility, hearing, visual or learning disabilities
Regular, occasional and prospective users of services,

And

Residents of the area
Businesses in the area
Local educational institutions
Local health facilities – hospitals and clinics
Visitors to the area

Recognising the special needs of

Women, in terms of security and accessibility
Ethnic minorities, in terms of language and culture
Overseas visitors, in terms of language and lack of familiarity

Authorities in Wales will be aware that the Welsh Language Act places specific requirements on them to provide information in both the English and Welsh languages.

What standards should be met?

It is important that the information provided is of a good quality, and therefore one or more of the following standards should apply :

ATCO's "Printed Public Transport Information : a Code of Good Practice" (prepared in collaboration with CPT, ATOC and DPTAC)
ILT's "Passenger Interchanges - a practical way of achieving passenger transport integration"
ILT's "Public Transport Information Websites : how to get it right"
The current national standards for traveline telephone enquiry service and its related internet and other delivery mechanisms
The requirements set out for Local Authorities in the Guidance for the preparation of Local Transport Plans
Other relevant good practice guides
Clarity of information for those who have little or no prior experience of public transport services
When should information about changes be offered – how long before the change (different media and information may have different requirements)
By when should outdated information be removed – how long after the change (again different media and information may have different requirements)
KISS - "keep it simple stupid"

Timescales and targets

What does the strategy require to be delivered now
Consider carefully if your requirements now are to be significantly more than already exists – is the enhancement justified, and how quickly can it be delivered
Set quantifiable and timed targets for progressive improvement over several years

Scope

First consider what is required specifically within your own authority's area – but remember that what you require an operator to do will have a bearing on what they do in other authorities' areas for cross-boundary services
Seek to agree broad policies, therefore, with all adjacent authorities, as well as relevant operators
Avoid any mutually exclusive requirements between adjacent authorities
Consider what level of collaboration can and should exist between adjacent authorities and to what extent strategies can match each other
Recognise that some services (such as traveline) are natural candidates for regional collaboration
Consider whether Quality Bus Partnership services should receive special attention within the Strategy
Remember to keep economy, efficiency and effectiveness in mind - and don't over-specify requirements

Who should pay for what?

Strategy should not just cover what bus operators should do at their own expense
Authorities have a role to make information available about their own services (such as travel concessions)
Authorities also can achieve transport benefits from better public information being available and therefore should be prepared to be a contributing partner where relevant, perhaps sharing costs in proportion to the "dividends" that operators and authorities respectively will derive from the measures that are required
Some elements of strategy require a "broker" to achieve collaborative information services (such as Area Booklets, Area Maps, traveline, etc)
Local authority role in compiling and maintaining a comprehensive timetable database is a key one as it can secure the delivery of information across a wide range of channels. The cost of this probably cannot be charged to individual operators, and it is a good basis for the work of authorities as the "broker" for shared efforts
Consider what role your authority might take in securing and managing the provision of roadside information infrastructure, from each bus stop pole and sign through to timetable displays and more complex information display systems
Establish a framework for the sharing of costs where appropriate and possible, and make it clear that such a mechanism in respect of bus operators' responsibilities will be enforced as necessary through the provisions of the Transport Act 2000 or Transport (Scotland) Act 2001
Recognise the importance of this approach in relation to the reasonable costs of delivering information about individual operators' services through traveline, the national multi-modal telephone (and internet) service.
Establish clear principles for whether operators of contract services are expected to pay their share of all costs, or whether these are to be met by the contracting authority over and above agreed contract prices
Where possible, seek and obtain commitments from other transport operators for support, financial or in kind, to the strategies that affect the other modes
Is there a role for parish councils, tourist boards and/or other community organisations to help with public transport information services … and how would their costs be met?

Consultation

Legislation requires consultation with those who represent bus users, and with the Traffic Commissioner for your area
It is also essential to consult also with bus operators, particularly to ensure that they recognise and accept the obligations that it is proposed to include in the strategy. Whilst it is ultimately for the local authority to determine what should be provided, to do so without taking account of the views of operators as well as bus users could make it very difficult to enforce the Strategy if that became necessary.
It would also be wise to consult with other principal public transport operators in the area, to encourage their active support for the multi-modal aspects of the strategy, including proportionate payments where relevant
Cross boundary issues also point to the need to consult all adjacent authorities

Meeting the Traffic Commissioners' aspirations

In responding to a draft of this document, the Senior Traffic Commissioner set out the aspirations of all the Traffic Commissioners. Local Authorities will wish to consider the extent to which they can meet these, and the time period over which compliance might be achieved. In essence the Commissioners' aspirations included :

Local Authorities and Bus Operators must agree who is responsible for providing roadside information at each stop, and who should ensure that sufficient space is available at each stop to do this adequately
Service numbers, times and destinations of buses should be displayed at all bus stops
Information at bus stops should be stop-specific wherever possible
Ideally, information about routes and interchange points, and maps, should be displayed at stops, and principal fares should be given particularly in tourist areas or where there is a no-change fares system in use
Displays at stops must be changed each time a service or timetable is revised
Three weeks prior notice of changes to services or timetables should be displayed at stops and on buses, particularly on Quality Partnership routes (this is a Regulation which applies to all service changes in Scotland)
Static information should be maintained at stops even when real-time information is available
Public holidays timetables should be included within displays
Local authorities should name all stops and ensure that the agreed name is displayed at each stop
Local authorities and bus operators involved in a Quality Partnership service should set three or four dates each year when timetables can change, and two of these dates might coincide with railway timetable change dates
Local authorities and operators should agree common timing points on shared sections of route to make it easier for the public to understand services and timetables

Some other issues

Can you work with your operators to establish preferred dates for service and timetable changes – maybe three or six a year?
Can you agree both commencement and expiry dates for timetables so that the validity of printed material (in particular) is not open-ended?
Can you agree that operators give you at least the standard notice for service changes on Public Holidays – and preferably that they include their expected Bank Holiday services in original registration documents (to simplify database management)
How often should publications be updated and how?
Will bus operators reasonably face higher costs if they do not fall in line with the preferred dates for service revisions?

Technical issues

Encourage operators to adopt TransXchange [the recently agreed national protocol for the exchange of bus service Registration details and more comprehensive timetable information, using the XML language] at an early date, and to go beyond the minimum necessary for Registrations so that they offer sufficient electronic information to allow its rapid and accurate integration into collaborative aspects of service delivery (eg: composite databases for publications, traveline and other electronic systems)
Seek electronic data feeds from operators ahead of electronic registration starting, using either the TransXchange protocol or some other format, if relevant
Encourage all operators to adopt standard names and grid references for all stops, and to agree standard "principal timing points" to be used in all Registrations, particularly to facilitate good information at interchanges. This probably is a function on which authorities would need to take the lead in establishing the necessary directory of stops by name and location, and negotiating with operators to agree standard names
Encourage all operators to abide by an agreed convention about route numbering to achieve consistency and avoid duplications within any one area

Review and Revise

Recognise that the strategy will need to be kept under review. Information requirements will evolve and information technologies will develop. From time to time, therefore, these changes will need to be reflected in an update of the local strategy.
Set, and include in the document, a date at which the document will be reviewed thoroughly and re-published in full - perhaps five years after initial publication