"Mrs Redboots" wrote in message
...
John Rowland wrote to uk.transport.london on Mon, 13 Dec 2004:

"Dave Arquati" wrote in message
...

Does anyone have any information or insight into when the mooted
audio "next stop" information might be introduced to buses?

Audio announcements are very annoying.

True, but I'd rather be told "Next Stop: Streatham Station" than "Bus
stopping at next bus-stop, please stand well clear of doors", which is
what one is told with monotonous regularity every 2 minutes or
thereabouts..... "Next stop: Lambeth Town Hall, please stand clear of
doors" would be less infuriating by a very long way!
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 12 December 2004



Would be much better to not need to tell people to stand clear of the doors.
Do they listen take notice anyway?

On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 14:21:24 +0000, Mrs Redboots
wrote:

True, but I'd rather be told "Next Stop: Streatham Station" than "Bus
stopping at next bus-stop, please stand well clear of doors", which is
what one is told with monotonous regularity every 2 minutes or
thereabouts..... "Next stop: Lambeth Town Hall, please stand clear of
doors" would be less infuriating by a very long way!

A chime to get attention (preferably in the German style of using a
bell chime sample rather than a nasty electronic bing-bong) followed
by the name of the stop once should suffice. It may be worth
including information on important connections if there are any.

The latter above (yes, I've heard it and was equally unimpressed) has
been represented very well using a simple "ding" over many years, and
doesn't really need to be announced.

While London's bus operations are generally rather better than
elsewhere in the country, I really don't understand the obsession with
avoiding useful technology (e.g. LED destinations for their added
flexibility and internal displays, PA systems etc to inform passengers
of where they are) yet using useless technology (the above
announcements) at all.

Neil

--
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK
When replying please use neil at the above domain
'wensleydale' is a spam trap and is not read.

"Neil Williams" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 14:21:24 +0000, Mrs Redboots
wrote:

True, but I'd rather be told "Next Stop: Streatham Station" than "Bus
stopping at next bus-stop, please stand well clear of doors", which is
what one is told with monotonous regularity every 2 minutes or
thereabouts..... "Next stop: Lambeth Town Hall, please stand clear of
doors" would be less infuriating by a very long way!

A chime to get attention (preferably in the German style of using a
bell chime sample rather than a nasty electronic bing-bong) followed
by the name of the stop once should suffice. It may be worth
including information on important connections if there are any.


It wouldn't have to be every stop either, as that would get irritating. But
major stop announcements could be useful. For example, on the 21 (picked out
of the air because I used it today), Moorgate, Bank, Monument, London
Bridge, Borough, Bricklayer's Arms, Old Kent Road/Dun Cow, etc. That's
somewhat less than half the stops, and would perhaps mean an announcemetn
about every three minutes. For those who don't know the route it would be
very useful.

Jonn

Jonn Elledge wrote:
"Neil Williams" wrote in message
...

On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 14:21:24 +0000, Mrs Redboots
wrote:


True, but I'd rather be told "Next Stop: Streatham Station" than "Bus
stopping at next bus-stop, please stand well clear of doors", which is
what one is told with monotonous regularity every 2 minutes or
thereabouts..... "Next stop: Lambeth Town Hall, please stand clear of
doors" would be less infuriating by a very long way!

A chime to get attention (preferably in the German style of using a
bell chime sample rather than a nasty electronic bing-bong) followed
by the name of the stop once should suffice. It may be worth
including information on important connections if there are any.



It wouldn't have to be every stop either, as that would get irritating. But
major stop announcements could be useful. For example, on the 21 (picked out
of the air because I used it today), Moorgate, Bank, Monument, London
Bridge, Borough, Bricklayer's Arms, Old Kent Road/Dun Cow, etc. That's
somewhat less than half the stops, and would perhaps mean an announcemetn
about every three minutes. For those who don't know the route it would be
very useful.

It would be a vast improvement on current information. Then people could
give directions like "it's the second stop after Borough station" and
others might actually be able to follow those directions.

However, some of the stops you mentioned (basically the Tube stations)
are already the most obvious stops, and it would be useful to know what
the intermediate stops are - after all, many people take a bus when it
gets them closer to their destination than the Tube.

There is also the issue of multiple stops at one location (e.g. Marble
Arch, where through buses stop once entering the area, and once leaving
it - like the 74 which stops at the top end of Park Lane and the bottom
end of Gloucester Place or Baker St).

Announcing major stops whilst displaying minor stops on a screen would
probably be the best combination. If TfL really wanted to impress, the
ideal would be to use their new TV displays, showing a location map
surrounding the next stop (of the same sort they have on the bus stops
themselves) along with the name and connection information.

Bonus points for announcing/displaying realtime information at relevant
points during the journey (e.g. on a 19 approaching Sloane Square,
warning of delays to the District Line so that passengers can decide
whether to stay on to Knightsbridge for the Piccadilly).

--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London

"Chris" typed


Would be much better to not need to tell people to stand clear of the
doors.
Do they listen take notice anyway?

Does it matter?
If they get squished, the bus company can say there _were_ warnings so
avoid/reduce compensation payments ;-)

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

Jonn Elledge wrote to uk.transport.london on Tue, 14 Dec 2004:

It wouldn't have to be every stop either, as that would get irritating. But
major stop announcements could be useful. For example, on the 21 (picked out
of the air because I used it today), Moorgate, Bank, Monument, London
Bridge, Borough, Bricklayer's Arms, Old Kent Road/Dun Cow, etc. That's
somewhat less than half the stops, and would perhaps mean an announcemetn
about every three minutes. For those who don't know the route it would be
very useful.

I was in a part of London today that I hadn't been in for years, and
wasn't at all sure how to get to where I was going from there - once we
found a bus-stop, it was easy enough to find that particular piece of
information out, but an announcement when we had reached our destination
would have been helpful!
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 12 December 2004

--- John Rowland said...


Audio announcements are very annoying.

In your opinion. Personally, I like them. Having something to listen
to has got to be better than travelling in silence. (And better than
ending up listening to the shouting kids in back row, because you're
getting *that* desperate to listen to *anything* and they're the only
thing available.)

If they must introduce audio announcements, maybe they could be
activated by a beacon which only the blind and illiterate are able to
acquire. Or better still, the blind could be given GPS units with
earphones.

But what about those of us who *aren't* blind or illiterate? How are we
going to enjoy the announcements?

I know... Why not have the announcements over the bus's PA system, and
those miserable old ****s who don't want to enjoy them can use earplugs!

And not just "The next stop is..." but full announcements describing
everything along the route, the history of the area, the local sights,
etc. Perhaps randomized a bit, so you don't get exactly the same
announcements every trip but different variations each time. It might
even make travelling by bus almost a pleasant experience. Or at least a
slightly less unpleasant one...

In message , Solar Penguin
writes

And not just "The next stop is..." but full announcements describing
everything along the route, the history of the area, the local sights,
etc.
I feel an opening for myself here! :-))

Perhaps randomized a bit, so you don't get exactly the same
announcements every trip but different variations each time. It might
even make travelling by bus almost a pleasant experience. Or at least a
slightly less unpleasant one...

Seriously, a few years ago a group of us were "engaged" for the day on
21 February (The International Day of the Tourist Guide, I kid you not!)
to do commentaries on the central section of the 11. It was actually
quite well received. Jeffrey Archer, then bidding to become Mayor, was
around for some photo opportunities; tragically I missed being
photographed with him! ;-)
--
Ian Jelf, MITG

Birmingham, UK

Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk

Ian Jelf wrote:
In message , Solar Penguin
writes

And not just "The next stop is..." but full announcements describing
everything along the route, the history of the area, the local sights,
etc.

I feel an opening for myself here! :-))

Perhaps randomized a bit, so you don't get exactly the same
announcements every trip but different variations each time. It might
even make travelling by bus almost a pleasant experience. Or at least a
slightly less unpleasant one...


Seriously, a few years ago a group of us were "engaged" for the day on
21 February (The International Day of the Tourist Guide, I kid you not!)
to do commentaries on the central section of the 11. It was actually
quite well received. Jeffrey Archer, then bidding to become Mayor, was
around for some photo opportunities; tragically I missed being
photographed with him! ;-)

During the last Open House weekend, the DLR ran a train with a
commentary between Bank and Lewisham; it was very good!

--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London

Dave Arquati wrote to uk.transport.london on Thu, 16 Dec 2004:

During the last Open House weekend, the DLR ran a train with a
commentary between Bank and Lewisham; it was very good!

That's not uncommon, I believe - I was on a train with one during my
ill-fated job in Docklands earlier this year. They ran from Tower
Gateway, and changed at Westferry. It was a tourist group, but they
used the on-train speaker system, so we learnt a lot even if we were
just commuters!
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 12 December 2004