Blind Lamps
 

Paul Corfield wrote
On Sun, 14 Feb 2010 19:06:31 GMT,
(Neil
Williams) wrote:

While I'm on such points, the "The next bus stop is closed"
announcement is bloody pointless if used, as it usually is, after
departure from the previous one or at it but not with enough time to
get up and leave the bus there.

Some drivers get this right and others get it wrong. Some drivers
stop
at closed stops anyway. Half the closures on my regular route are
not
necessary anyway - TfL could provide a dolly stop if only they could
be

It should really say, a couple of
stops beforehand, "The bus stop at Euston Bus Station is closed.
Passengers are advised to use the stop before at Euston Road, or the
stop after at British Library", or something[1]. And if there is a
long-term closure, it needs downloading into the system so the
driver
doesn't have to remember to do it!

I understand I-Bus can only be updated every 2 weeks. Therefore
short
term closures will never be reflected. Buses have a PA system for a

But is there any chance of moving the "The next bus stop is closed"
announcement earlier or forcing a stop and announcement at the
immediately previous open stop ?

--
Mike D

Blind Lamps
 

On 14 Feb, 23:31, "Michael R N Dolbear" wrote:
MIG wrote

They should already have had access to information about where the

buses go. *The main purpose of the blind should be to identify the
right bus in a hurry at a crowded bus stop.

This can be done as long as the posters, timetables and buses all

prominently feature the route number.

Not in fact sufficient, the direction can also be needed.

The number is not necessarily sufficient, but it's sufficiently
necessary that it should be the most prominent detail on the bus and
all information relating to the bus.

I didn't mean it should be the only detail, but there's a worrying
trend towards getting rid of clear, simple codes (like route numbers)
and replacing or burying them with complicated, tiny, scrolling
information which doesn't work half the time.

A large enough white number on black background should be visible even
without a backlight. A non-functioning LED will simply be blank. A
blind is only wrong if the driver makes a mistake. An LED is wrong if
the driver makes a mistake or if the LED isn't working.

Blind Lamps
 

On Feb 14, 8:55*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:

I understand I-Bus can only be updated every 2 weeks. *

That seems a design flaw. I would have assumed such a system could
update automatically each time the bus returned to the depot, either
by way of wi-fi or the ticket machine module (if those are still
used), and that the data in it would be updated on a continuous,
dynamic basis.

Do you know why this is not the case?

Neil

Blind Lamps
 

On Feb 14, 8:55*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:

I had the opposite today - the I-Bus destination changed but there was
no announcement or the "the destination of this bus has changed"
display.

That's odd as well. You'd think the two would be linked to give an
announcement along the lines of "The destination of this bus has
changed. This is now route N to X. Passengers requiring transfer
tickets to travel the full length of the route should request these
from the driver before they leave the bus to avoid paying an extra
fare." (assuming the latter is still done).

Neil

Blind Lamps
 

On Feb 15, 12:31*am, "Michael R N Dolbear" wrote:

But is there any chance of moving the "The next bus stop is closed"
announcement earlier or forcing a stop and announcement at the
immediately previous open stop ?

It's manual, which relies on the driver remembering. That's the
problem.

Neil

Blind Lamps
 

On Feb 15, 11:42*am, MIG wrote:

A large enough white number on black background should be visible even
without a backlight. *A non-functioning LED will simply be blank. *A
blind is only wrong if the driver makes a mistake.

Or it's stuck. Or in the case of those automatic blinds on the
bendies (worst of both worlds?) when the mechanism is broken, which
seems to be a lot of the time.

*An LED is wrong if
the driver makes a mistake or if the LED isn't working.

Though in the latter case it at least will show nothing, not a wrong
destination. No information is better than wrong information.

Neil

Blind Lamps
 

On 15 Feb, 11:37, Neil Williams wrote:
On Feb 15, 12:31*am, "Michael R N Dolbear" wrote:

But is there any chance of moving the "The next bus stop is closed"
announcement earlier or forcing a stop and announcement at the
immediately previous open stop ?

It's manual, which relies on the driver remembering. *That's the
problem.

Neil

Funnily enough, this happened tonight in Shooters Hill Road. While at
the previous stop, there was an announcement that the next stop was
closed.

If it wasn't automatic, I guess that particular driver did remember.