New NTA real time Ireland app

coylemj

This has just been announced by several transportation tweeters like IR, AA etc.

June 26, 2013

A new national transport App, integrating all real-time arrival information services for Bus Éireann, Dublin Bus, Irish Rail, DART and Luas in one handy place has today (June 26, 2013) been launched by the National Transport Authority.

The Real Time Ireland App can be downloaded free for iPhones, iPads, Android devices and tablets.


Unfortunately when you go to the NTA website, the only link they provide is to a PDF containing the press release:eek:

iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/ie/app/real-time-ireland/id590250800?mt=8

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.osds.rtpi&feature=search_result

markpb

I'm delighted the NTA are finally putting work into all these improvements but I'm not sure this one makes sense. Surely it should be used as a source of data for the journey planner rather than a separate app. Would I use the JP to plan journeys in the future but this to see if they're still accurate?

Also it continues to treat all the operators in Dublin as separate operators, rather than different brands in the same transport system. Rather than show you all the bus/train/tram stops around you, you are forced to select an operator first. Rather than show you all news related to a city/region, you choose an operator first.

Telchak

Incredibly ugly design.

bk

Please just give us Google Transit

fta93

Its decent enough. Better layout and works better than the DB/IR individual apps so at least some progress.

Stevek101

I applaud the progress towards a single public transport brand. However this application is shocking. The layout is awful with random pixelated buttons and dead ends combined with extremely sluggish performance. I hope this was made in house and there wasn't a large fee paid for its development.

coylemj

Stevek101 wrote: »

I hope this was made in house and there wasn't a large fee paid for its development.

You obviously know very little about the Irish public sector.

Anything that can go wrong gets contracted out.

I'll give you an example: A guy from the National Roads Authority (NRA) was on the radio a few years ago, he was asked by the RTE guy how they awarded contracts for roads projects and he described how they got in consultants to spec. up a project and issue 'request for tender' documents inviting contractors to submit proposals.

They then engaged different consultants to evaluate the various proposals and help them decide who should be awarded the contract. Then after the project was completed, they got in more consultants to benchmark the project and establish that they had gotten value for money.

The irony of it all (paying consultants to do the job they were supposed to be doing) was obviously lost on him and it never occurred to the guy from RTE to ask the blindingly obvious question: 'but what is it exactly that you do?'

devnull

This app is excellent, far faster and easier on the eye than the DB app and I see none of the sluggish behavior that people here have reported.

Having Luas, Dart and Bus Eireann information as well on there is icing on the cake.

The only annoyance is if you go into a route and press back and it goes back to a couple of pages before rather than route list.

LXFlyer

It's a great addition - very handy.


One small issue is that I think though that 10 favourites is a bit restrictive - I'd like I have a few more than that!

Stevek101

Is it only me who gets this every time the app starts.

LXFlyer

Using the iphone app - no issues at all.

devnull

on Android it's lightning quick for me, any loading screen is gone before you can even read the text, unlike the DB app.

stop

On iPhone when you choose to look for stops nearby on the map it is tricky to hit the green arrow to go into a stop after it is selected.

For Irish Rail, when you select station and are given a list of services, you can select a service for info on the service including last known location.

It would be nice to have this for Dublin Bud as when you select a service from a bus stop you simply go into that routes list of stops which doesn't seem relevant in that situation.

xper

lxflyer wrote: »

One small issue is that I think though that 10 favourites is a bit restrictive - I'd like I have a few more than that!

... and you can't change the order they are listed in, a standard iOS list function that was unavailable in the DB app favourites for months too. But a 10 entry limit is taking the piss.

Stevek101 wrote: »

...random pixelated buttons and dead ends combined with extremely sluggish performance...

Really wondering if you've downloaded the same app as me. Is your phone's OS up to date or does it just have a poor processor?

stop wrote: »

On iPhone when you choose to look for stops nearby on the map it is tricky to hit the green arrow to go into a stop after it is selected.

Its just the standard iOS map pop up, they haven't done anything funky here.

markpb wrote: »

Also it continues to treat all the operators in Dublin as separate operators, rather than different brands in the same transport system. Rather than show you all the bus/train/tram stops around you, you are forced to select an operator first. Rather than show you all news related to a city/region, you choose an operator first.

I suppose the presentation reflects the reality that our public transport operators are not really properly integrated yet. However, the bit in bold is incorrect. On the Search screen, select the 'Search Nearby' button below the three large Bus/Train/Luas buttons and it will show you all services on the same map. It would be handy if the stops for the different modes on this map had differently colour pins though.

It is noticeable, however, that Bus Eireann and Dublin Bus stops have different identities, even when they are co-located. It would clean up the display if they could combine these. They have or will have this co-location data now or soon if they are going to put the Bus Eireann RTPI on the on-street displays as they say they intend to, so no reason the app map cannot do the same.

bk wrote: »

Please just give us Google Transit

As an additional service, yes absolutely. As the main mobile planning/real-time public transport information service for the country, no.


One feature I do like and which the DB app doesn't have is the Bus Arrival Notifications on the Reminders screen. Have tested it a couple of times this weekend and it works perfectly. I've been caught out now and again when a particular bus might be due in, say, 25 minutes when I check, then I get engrossed in something or it travels more quickly than predicted. Now a ten minute alert will get me out the door in time to get to the stop.

Stevek101

xper wrote: »

Really wondering if you've downloaded the same app as me. Is your phone's OS up to date or does it just have a poor processor?

Pretty certain its the same app :pac: Nexus 4 too pretty much no excuse. Shame they didn't obey any of the android design guidelines either.

RainyDay

This might interest those who are convinced they could do it better;
http://www.optometry.co.uk/news-and-features/news/?article=4817#.UdWbiVt0OW4.facebook

lucernarian

10 entry limit for favourites is a real deal breaker for me.

RainyDay

Pity the app doesn't integrate with the Dublin Bikes system - looks like the NTA don't see bikes as part of the solution to Dublin's traffic problems.

bk

RainyDay wrote: »

Pity the app doesn't integrate with the Dublin Bikes system - looks like the NTA don't see bikes as part of the solution to Dublin's traffic problems.

It is the same craziness that means Dublin Bikes hasn't been integrated into Leap, so I have to carry two cards instead of one!

lucernarian

RainyDay wrote: »

Pity the app doesn't integrate with the Dublin Bikes system - looks like the NTA don't see bikes as part of the solution to Dublin's traffic problems.

I wonder if that's JC Decaux's fault or the NTA's... I thought there were problems before with unofficial apps being used with dublinbikes but I could be remembering that incorrectly.

Impetus

When one clicks on say a bus route number 234, it shows a list of the stops served. Unfortunately there is no indication where the bus is now (which would show perhaps that it was two stops upstream). This would be more credible than due in 4 minutes! All they need to do is change the colour of the last stop it visited along the route. It would add credibility to the estimated arrival time and to the app.

I tried to use the feedback function on the app, and the captcha recognition functionality seems broken.... which is an annoying pity.

LXFlyer

Get in touch with the NTA via twitter.

@TFIUpdates is the address

Impetus

lxflyer wrote: »

Get in touch with the NTA via twitter.

@TFIUpdates is the address

I don't send tweets. The feedback responsible for this app should have an email address.

Irish companies are very bad when designing something when it comes to answering the who, what, when, where, how.....

LXFlyer

info@nationaltransport.ie is the main NTA email address.