On Thu, 5 Jul 2007 15:23:07 +0100, "John Rowland"
wrote:

Paul Corfield wrote:

Overall I think the TfL bus network is pretty damn good but the whole
approach to passenger information I cannot stand.

Come to think of it, every tube station seems to have a rack of boat
timetables, but no bus map. I suppose LU views buses as competition, but
boats as something that people will visit by tube.

I really don't think anyone in LU sees buses as competition to the tube.
I've never heard that expressed and given we all report back to TfL I
can't see that such an attitude would be tolerated. I think it is back
to the lack of promotion of the bus network as a companion to the rail
and tube network.

When the old style Local Bus Guide was put in the tube racks at Seven
Sisters or Walthamstow Central it would be whipped out of the racks very
quickly as people clearly wanted the information. The same happens with
the London Connection Map - One had put a load of them in their racks at
Walthamstow yesterday (I picked one up myself) and today they are all
gone while all other leaflets are still there. From very simple
observations I would say there is a real demand for network forms of
information and yet there is so little of it produced. Something
different has to be done if people really are to be persuaded / pushed
out of their cars and on to public transport.

If you were to say that many people in LU know very little about the bus
network and how it works and where it goes then I would agree with that.
I could surmise that the same would be true if you asked people in
Surface Transport (buses) about how LU works although they would be a
bit more familiar with the basics of the tube map (like many people)
given its prominence and their familiarity with it.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!