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Electronic bus stop timetables

12357…13

Comments

  • #122
    markpb
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,432 ✭✭✭markpb


    Johnny Whelan wrote: »
    How much is this costing? And what's the point in knowing when the bus is coming when you're already at the bus stop? You need to know before you leave your house.

    If you get to the bus stop and find there's a 35 minute wait until your next bus, at least you can decide to walk/taxi/get a different bus instead of waiting 30 minutes and then getting a taxi.

    Also, studies have shown that people are happy to wait longer if they know how long they'll be waiting. 10 minutes without knowing it will be 10 minutes feels like forever. 10 minutes when you know it's 10 minutes will feel like 5.


  • #123
    etchyed
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 674 ✭✭✭etchyed


    Johnny Whelan wrote: »
    You need to know before you leave your house.
    And that's happening too.


  • #124
    stop
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 899 ✭✭✭stop


    Johnny Whelan wrote: »
    And what's the point in knowing when the bus is coming when you're already at the bus stop? You need to know before you leave your house.

    For anyone who doesn't know already, the beta version of the site can be accessed at http://rtpi.ie however, it appears to only be showing information for stops at which there are signs/poles in place at the moment.


  • #125
    LXFlyer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,709 ✭✭✭✭LXFlyer


    Johnny Whelan wrote: »
    How much is this costing? And what's the point in knowing when the bus is coming when you're already at the bus stop? You need to know before you leave your house.

    What about if you're in town or out somewhere already?

    This is not mono-directional!


  • #126
    L1011
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 72,746 ✭✭✭✭L1011


    greyed wrote: »
    As far as the displays are concerned, as a computer science student I can tell you that implementing dual langauges is quite trivial and would not involve additional cost.

    As someone in a specialised software industry, I can tell you that you never ask a computer scientist to implement anything. You ask someone who specialises in programming, not CS. Methinks you think CS = programming, as said you'll have a horrible shock when you graduate.

    And its in no way trivial, depending on the underlying platform it could actually be impossible.


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  • #127
    greyed
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 324 ✭✭greyed


    MYOB wrote: »
    As someone in a specialised software industry, I can tell you that you never ask a computer scientist to implement anything. You ask someone who specialises in programming, not CS. Methinks you think CS = programming, as said you'll have a horrible shock when you graduate.

    And its in no way trivial, depending on the underlying platform it could actually be impossible.

    No, I understand the distinction, I just meant that I am primarily taught programming in my CS course. Im not under any illusions that I will know all I need to when I graduate, I am actually quite terrified in fact :D I guess I spoke to soon though, I was trying to figure how it might be done in my head but it seems im underestimating the task, forgive my arrogance/ignorance :)


  • #128
    Jayuu
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 784 ✭✭✭Jayuu


    I'll apologise for the "fascist" remark although I stand by the core of my point. Sorry if this is considered continuing on the argument.

    To get back on topic I also have had a couple of misfires with the signage, which are very annoying even if we are still in a trial situation. I journey in the Malahide Road but need to get across town. The only bus that does that on a regular basis for me is the 128. I can also get the 27, 42, 43 into the Talbot Street area. The 27 actually runs right by my door.

    One particular example was last Tuesday I hopped on a 27 as one was arriving at my nearest bus stop as I was. I happened to notice at the first information sign we passed that there was a 128 coming along 1 minute behind so I got off at the next stop with information (Artane Roundabout).

    A couple of other buses passed over the next few minutes but the 128 was still due in 1 minute. Then it suddenly disappeared off the screen and the next bus (a 27) wasn't due for another 7 minutes. I reckon eventually I lost over 10 minutes because of this. As I say I've had a few other issues like this but this was the most time I lost on one of them.

    I also hope they make improvements to the website that you can use to check in advance if your stop doesn't have a real-time sign. Currently you have to zoom in the whole way on a map of Dublin to find your bus stop before you can check for information. This is all very well on a computer but on a mobile with a slow GPRS connection its completely unusable because everytime you click to zoom in it has to reload the map completely. Given that all the bus stops have a unique number it would be much easier if the website just allowed you to type in the number of your bus stop and then returned the relevant information.

    I also notice that the transportforireland.ie site says they hope to achieve 90% accuracy which they claim is an international standard. Personally I think that's a little low.


  • #129
    Cathaoirleach
    Closed Accounts Posts: 701 ✭✭✭Cathaoirleach


    Good luck to the developers if they can ever iron out these issues before everything goes 'live'.

    If the information is not 99% reliable, newcomers will go back to rail/taxi/car, and current users will just have a more miserable experience using Dublin Bus. - Nobody will trust these signs.

    This system was designed in Germany, was it not? I don't know how this system will ever be able to give an accurate ETA for bus stops in Dublin City's tiny, winding roads and horrendous traffic. Every bus stop would need a different algorithm to come up with a reliable ETA.

    Perhaps the signs should indicate how many kilometers away the bus is, and if it's moving or stopped.

    White Elephant ahead, folks.


  • #130
    spacetweek
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 5,320 Mod ✭✭✭✭spacetweek


    When is the "go-live" date?


  • #131
    L1011
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 72,746 ✭✭✭✭L1011


    spacetweek wrote: »
    When is the "go-live" date?

    They are generally turned on a few weeks after they're fitted.


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  • #132
    dubhthach
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,285 ✭✭✭dubhthach


    Does anyone have any knowledge of technical aspects of the project? Are they using GPS to track buses etc. Or is it alot more mudane?


  • #133
    bg07
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 250 ✭✭bg07


    dubhthach wrote: »
    Does anyone have any knowledge of technical aspects of the project? Are they using GPS to track buses etc. Or is it alot more mudane?

    Here a link to a presentation with a fair bit of technical detail for the system

    Link


  • #134
    patrickmooney
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,032 ✭✭✭patrickmooney


    I took the 50 from just off Barrow Street to Christchurch area this week, when I got off, it stated the 150 was due. Totally wrong. I stayed at the stop for a few mins and observed 4 other buses stop and move on with the display totally wrong. If it's not going to work correctly, what is the point of installing and displaying wrong information. I welcome and have wanted these for years now, but they have to be right.


  • #135
    monument
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 14,108 Mod ✭✭✭✭monument


    Got a list of the locations of the real-time displays from the city council.

    patrickmooney wrote: »
    I took the 50 from just off Barrow Street to Christchurch area this week, when I got off, it stated the 150 was due. Totally wrong. I stayed at the stop for a few mins and observed 4 other buses stop and move on with the display totally wrong. If it's not going to work correctly, what is the point of installing and displaying wrong information. I welcome and have wanted these for years now, but they have to be right.

    It's still in testing. Send them feedback and help them fix it http://www.transportforireland.ie/send-feedback


  • #136
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    I wouldn't expect the information to be 100% accurate as the time could vary slightly due to traffic. If it tells me 5 minutes I'll expect 7 or 8. I've often used the website so I can plan when to leave the house. So far so good for me.

    I've noticed that the display in Fairview outside Xtra-Vision has been off for the last week or so. The last time I saw it on, the display was garbled on one side.


  • #137
    spacetweek
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 5,320 Mod ✭✭✭✭spacetweek


    MYOB wrote: »
    They are generally turned on a few weeks after they're fitted.
    I mean, when is the full rollout meant to be complete?


  • #138
    usernamegoes
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 901 ✭✭✭usernamegoes


    That username is already in use. wrote: »
    Yeah, just a slight issue with the constitution of Ireland - the country you're from?

    Article 8
    1. The Irish language as the national language is the first official language.
    2. The English language is recognised as a second official language.


    Yeah, that kinda sucks, for you. We'd need a REFERENDUM to remove the national language of Ireland (Irish) and make English the first and only language of the State.

    You would have known you were wrong if you had have posted section 3 of Article 8 of the Constitution viz:

    3. Provision may, however, be made by law for the exclusive use of either of the said languages for any one or more official purposes, either throughout the State or in any part thereof.

    No referendum needed.


  • #139
    dubhthach
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,285 ✭✭✭dubhthach


    --Mod!--

    Usernamegoes, I posted a message on this thread saying I didn't want any debate regarding the political status of the Irish language. Mainly as it ends up completely polarising the thread and taking it off topic. If you want to have such a debate please have it in the relevant forums eg. Politics or Gaeilge

    You are more then welcome to the infrastructure forum (I see you haven't posted here before) here is a quick reminder about what this forum is about taken from the charter.
    What goes into the Infrastructure forum?

    Basically, what is being constructed at the moment, planned infrastructure, possible or speculative infrastructure and your own ideas or proposals on what kind of infrastructure could/should be built, both here and abroad.


    This includes:
    • Transport - road schemes*, rail schemes, airports, seaports, cycle paths etc.
    • Energy - such as gas pipelines, power stations, wind power, ESB plans etc.
    • Telecommunications - fibreoptic rollout, undersea cables etc.
    • Water/Seweage - water treatment plants, flood control etc.
    • Waste Management - landfills, incinerators etc
    • Civic - hospitals, schools, universities, libraries, urban parks, etc.
    This forum is specifically for discussing the physical infrastructure itself.

    Road discussion now has its own seperate sub-forum found here.


  • #140
    donvito99
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,818 ✭✭✭donvito99


    Karsini wrote: »
    I've noticed that the display in Fairview outside Xtra-Vision has been off for the last week or so. The last time I saw it on, the display was garbled on one side.

    In Rathmines, most were on for about a two day period, and all are now off, except for maybe one.

    I'd say its probably just a test period and all will be switched on once the entire city wide Phase 1 is completed.


  • #141
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    donvito99 wrote: »
    In Rathmines, most were on for about a two day period, and all are now off, except for maybe one.

    I'd say its probably just a test period and all will be switched on once the entire city wide Phase 1 is completed.

    Yeah, the one on Annesley Bridge Road is still on. In Ballyfermot there's two active, Ballyfermot Road outbound and Kylemore Road inbound.


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  • #142
    woodsy2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 60 ✭✭woodsy2


    I see in one of the links above, to the lists of stops to have displays, that the DCC and Dl-rathdown lists are complete and that the south dublin and Fingal CC lists aren't finished yet. Does anyone know will displays be put on the dublin bus stops in Wicklow, i.e. Bray, Greystones, Enniskerry etc.?


  • #143
    L1011
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 72,746 ✭✭✭✭L1011


    ^^ details of how they're going to handle those, and Meath (Dunboyne, Clonee - can't see Ashbourne's few Nitelink services justifying signs though) and Kildare (Maynooth, Lexlip, Celbridge)


  • #144
    sdanseo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,276 ✭✭✭sdanseo


    Today on the 29A:

    RTPI: Bus Due
    Bus: Parked; most likely with its driver eating a sandwich

    RTPI: Next bus 20 mins
    Bus: Picking up passengers.

    :rolleyes:


  • #145
    LeinsterDub
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,229 ✭✭✭LeinsterDub


    sdonn wrote: »
    Today on the 29A:

    RTPI: Bus Due
    Bus: Parked; most likely with its driver eating a sandwich

    RTPI: Next bus 20 mins
    Bus: Picking up passengers.

    :rolleyes:

    Eh, how do you know the one Picking up passengers wasn't the due bus?


  • #146
    donvito99
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,818 ✭✭✭donvito99


    All signs in Rathmines were operational yesterday.


  • #147
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    donvito99 wrote: »
    All signs in Rathmines were operational yesterday.

    Same in Fairview, around 1:30 yesterday I saw someone out with a laptop plugged into one of the signs, it was then operational by the time I passed by again.


  • #148
    sdanseo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,276 ✭✭✭sdanseo


    LeinsterDub wrote: »
    Eh, how do you know the one Picking up passengers wasn't the due bus?

    It was, but the sign changed to next bus before the due bus arrived. I reckon it should say "boarding" or something while the bus is at the stop in order to avoid the simple folk getting confused.

    I'm being very over critical, I know ;)


  • #149
    LXFlyer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,709 ✭✭✭✭LXFlyer


    sdonn wrote: »
    It was, but the sign changed to next bus before the due bus arrived. I reckon it should say "boarding" or something while the bus is at the stop in order to avoid the simple folk getting confused.

    I'm being very over critical, I know ;)

    Based on watching this in London, that's exactly what happens. The bus tends to disappear from the screen just before it arrives at the stop.


  • #150
    Cathaoirleach
    Closed Accounts Posts: 701 ✭✭✭Cathaoirleach


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O73QKzxmUWs


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  • #151
    strassenwo!f
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,512 ✭✭✭strassenwo!f


    Johnny Whelan wrote: »
    How much is this costing? And what's the point in knowing when the bus is coming when you're already at the bus stop? You need to know before you leave your house.

    Exactly Johnny. When you're eating the breakfast, having a shower, ironing the shirt, this is the information which is important. Similarly when you're leaving your workplace.

    In many cities I've visited or lived in, there is a piece of paper at the bus stop which gives you this information. And then the bus arrives at the stated time, or within a minute or two.

    In Dublin, however, the piece of paper tells you what time the bus left the starting point. There must, at this stage, be some amount of corporate knowledge of how long it takes a bus to get from Hawkins St (for example) to Ballsbridge (for example) at different times of the day, yet the piece of paper at the stop in Ballsbridge gives the time the bus leaves Hawkins St and no information about the time it should arrive in Ballsbridge for the journey south.

    The paper information at the stop in Ballsbridge (for example) is utterly useless to the bus user.

    These electronic boards are progress of a sort, in that if you reach the stop and see that your bus isn't for another 20 minutes, you can fairly safely head into a shop and look at the magazines and newspapers rather than do the usual thing of just faffing around at the bus stop not knowing if or when your bus is going to arrive.

    The big step will be for the transport provider - using its acquired knowledge of the traffic and transport situation in Dublin, at different times of the day - to provide a piece of paper at each bus stop which shows what time the bus is due to arrive at that stop, and ensure that the bus arrives at that time (or within a couple of minutes), so that you can plan your departure from home, or your workplace, or your meeting.

    These electronic signs are a costly smokescreen which will do nothing to ensure that that scenario ever comes about. Indeed, I think their presence may significantly delay the arrival of that scenario.


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