NXTBUS - Real Time Passenger Information System

Started by Barry Drive, July 10, 2013, 03:24:42 PM

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Bus 400

On another PR3 I've seen the NXTBUS system installed in, the screen was installed above the first passenger seat on the passenger side.

The Love Guru

All the .3s should have the screens in that location.

Also they are disabling the ability for drivers to deactivate the sound so get used to every single stop on every bus being announced.

smitho

Quote from: ACTbusspotter on March 10, 2014, 10:43:05 AM
There is a message to drivers about NXTBUS at the depots. 350 buses (out of ~420) have been fitted and the website will be activated for system testing very soon - possibly even tomorrow (11 Mar).

I have noticed recently a marked increase in the number of "real time" departures reporting on the City PID - usually 5/7 or better.

I may be wrong, but I get the impression that if a bus is unduly late (eg 5 minutes or more)  in coming through an interchange, it will fall off of the Nxtbus screen.

Buzz Killington

Quote from: The Love Guru on March 10, 2014, 06:58:55 PM
Also they are disabling the ability for drivers to deactivate the sound so get used to every single stop on every bus being announced.

Hopefully the volume can be set so its not blasting or whisper quiet, which almost seems to be the only options at the moment

Buzz Killington

Display board is now operational at Belconnen Community Station.

Buzz Killington

Poles have been installed at Westfield Bus Station. I spotted two, both at the same end of the station fairly close to the traffic lights.

smitho

Have not had any buses so far where announcement switch-off option has been disabled.....disabling on hold ???

ajw373

Quote from: Buzz Killington on March 20, 2014, 11:28:15 AM
Poles have been installed at Westfield Bus Station. I spotted two, both at the same end of the station fairly close to the traffic lights.

You would hope they will install a screen inside Westfield too. After all Westfield and the government, when they built the abomination that is the bus station were selling Westfield as the indoor waiting lounge. If that is indeed the case that would be the most logical place for monitors.

The Love Guru

Can't get a clock installed so I'm not confident they'll put anything inside the Westfield

Barry Drive

I'm sure you'll all be thrilled to learn that the NXTBUS touch screen kiosk thing has been installed inside Westfield - next to the Coke vending machine.

ajw373

Quote from: ACTbusspotter on March 21, 2014, 12:28:58 PM
I'm sure you'll all be thrilled to learn that the NXTBUS touch screen kiosk thing has been installed inside Westfield - next to the Coke vending machine.

That I am. Like most things to do with Action these days, bloody useless. The lounge area is the ideal place for a real time screen display of all buses due into the stops.

Buzz Killington

Unless you know when your bus is due (the opposite of which seems to be the point of the system), the lounge is pretty useless. If you wait in there until you spot your bus, it will have already departed by the time you get to the platform!

Really hoping they put a screen in there..

Bus 400

Alternatively,  you could SMS your stop number to the SMS system. Or go the old way & when the bus starts the route, start walking to your stop. It's the way I was brought up in Canberra & Orange & I still do this these days.

ajw373

Quote from: Bus 400 on March 21, 2014, 08:36:29 PM
Alternatively,  you could SMS your stop number to the SMS system. Or go the old way & when the bus starts the route, start walking to your stop. It's the way I was brought up in Canberra & Orange & I still do this these days.

All well and good when you are at home.

But in a major shopping centre that is linked to a bus stop and where the government and the shopping centre advertised the features of the indoor waiting area, a real time screen is the best and most logical solution. No kiosks to get timetable information, no SMS service, just a simple screen that shows when your bus is due so then you can venture outside.

It is 2014 and it isn't rocket science.

Now yeah no doubt people will start carrying on about not enough money etc, but frankly is the job is worth doing then it is worth doing properly. The half arsed way real time info has been handled with this system is an absolute and utter joke. I've been to other cities around this world that have had far better systems and were doing it close to 10 years ago.

Bus 400

We are of course still in the roll out phase of the system. As a part of the roll out, the City Bus Station only received 2 screens. We all know that once the roll out is complete, this will change & additional screens will be installed.

As time goes by, it may be proven that additional screens are required over the network & additional funding may be provided.

Barry Drive

#115
A few updates:

A 4-line PID was installed at Kippax about 1 month ago. As I feared, it is useless for loop services (such as 43, 903 & 905) since it displays "Emu Bank Bus Stn" for both directions. Also it will only show 3 departures which can be inadequate during busy times.

990 has now had an in-bus display installed. It's in the same location as for the other .3s, just lower and at more of an angle. 991 is still screen-less.

Skitube

I've seen about 3 buses with the internal display being zoomed in, there was 398, 443? and another i can't remember
Basically you don't get to see the right hand bit where "stop" and the clock are supposed to be, names of the stops take up pretty much the whole width
Anyone with any idea what happened?

vnguyen

For the past few weeks I've noticed there are symbols at certain stops on the screens. Do these symbols means anything?

For example there is a cross next to the stop of Kingston Shops on routes 4 & 5 (I think is a cross).


Bus 400

#119
The whole system was made public today, this includes the website ( NXTBUS.act.gov.au ) & the touch screen kiosks.

Next stage is for Apps to get the data & rely real time data.

vnguyen

Any know if this the real time going to be available on Transit Times+?

Buzz Killington

It would be up to the individual app developers to decide if they can or want to integrate real time into their apps. I believe developers can now submit an expression of interest for access to the data via the ACTION website.

Barry Drive

#122
Quote from: vnguyen on August 07, 2014, 11:16:56 PM
Any know if this the real time going to be available on Transit Times+?
Yes. The transit times developer is keen to get real time and has submitted an EOI for the real time feed.

From what I've seen on twitter, TripTastic (Apple) and My Bus 2.0 are also applying.

Buzz Killington

Quote from: Bus 400 on August 07, 2014, 06:33:29 PM
The whole system was made public today, this includes the website ( NXTBUS.act.gov.au ) & the touch screen kiosks.

Found it a bit odd that there's no signage on the kiosk at Westfield. Sure you could read the touch-screen but tucked away in the corner where it is, they should make it a little more obvious.

smitho

During the early NXTBUS trials, bus display screen maps indicated major "connecting" bus routes at interchanges and other junctions.

Was useful information which is handy to have, but small screen size meant that this info made the maps look a bit cluttered.

Bus 400

#125
Quote from: Buzz Killington on August 12, 2014, 08:59:42 PM
Found it a bit odd that there's no signage on the kiosk at Westfield. Sure you could read the touch-screen but tucked away in the corner where it is, they should make it a little more obvious.

Especially that is the same corner used by buskers on a Friday night. That whole lower section is screaming out for some ACTION NXTBUS signage.

Quote from: smitho on August 12, 2014, 09:12:26 PM
During the early NXTBUS trials, bus display screen maps indicated major "connecting" bus routes at interchanges and other junctions.

Was useful information which is handy to have, but small screen size meant that this info made the maps look a bit cluttered.

For a short period this did make a return on 200 services, just showing "300's" for the City. I haven't really caught a 200 in a few weeks or been bothered to check out the screen.
There was talk of this making a return (maybe for Network 14), but I put feedback in that I didn't like it. I'm fairly certain it was on the grounds of cluttering the screen. Or if so, only list services that particular actually connects with. So you wouldn't show the 252 for a 13:00 Route 200.

743

There still appear to be some issues now that the timetable info has been "switched off". For instance, bus 857 is not installed with NXTBUS equipment - but it's running route services. Also, I've had some results lately for buses going to Tuggeranong Depot - e.g. a 7 heading south is shown as going to "Tuggeranong Depot" - assume it dead runs after the Museum, but that shouldn't be showing up!

Buzz Killington

Here's what I got when I looked up 2916 (Woden Bus Station Arrivals) earlier today:
27 to Citywest
2 to Sydney Avenue
23 to Citywest
21 to Woden Bus Station
749 to Belconnen Depot
64 to Citywest
60 to Tuggeranong Depot
2 to Tuggeranong Depot

Barry Drive

879 is also unequipped. So I guess neither 857 nor 879 will be withdrawn anytime soon.

Skitube

#129
Quote from: Buzz Killington on August 20, 2014, 08:08:27 PM
Here's what I got when I looked up 2916 (Woden Bus Station Arrivals) earlier today:
27 to Citywest
2 to Sydney Avenue
23 to Citywest
21 to Woden Bus Station
749 to Belconnen Depot
64 to Citywest
60 to Tuggeranong Depot
2 to Tuggeranong Depot

Some very nice routes there...
think it tells you where the bus would be going next, rather than showing it like a normal route
It is certainly not like this on the SMS service

smitho

Quote from: 743 on August 20, 2014, 07:53:17 PM
There still appear to be some issues now that the timetable info has been "switched off". For instance, bus 857 is not installed with NXTBUS equipment - but it's running route services. Also, I've had some results lately for buses going to Tuggeranong Depot - e.g. a 7 heading south is shown as going to "Tuggeranong Depot" - assume it dead runs after the Museum, but that shouldn't be showing up!

That's a bit strange. But the Nxtbus kit treats dead runs just the same as revenue runs, including departure / arrival times from and at depots and other starting points....can be handy for drivers, but not all that useful for punters.

Buzz Killington

Is there any particular reason why the Google Transit stop names don't always match the names used by the on-board NXTBUS announcements?

King of Buses

Yesterday arvo I was at Tuggers Interchange. I was looking at the NXTBUS board inbetween P3/4/7/8 and I noticed the 71 to Woden departing at 1725 was listed using the timetable information. When Gassie 333 arrived to do that 71, from the outside (so what I could see) the NXTBUS screen was on and everything. Any ideas why it came up like that. Its a slight issue as ACTION did say all buses would be shown on NXTBUS properly (I know some MKI PR2's aren't fully capable - I think it was 857 mentioned on here).

Snorzac

That happens when the unit in the bus isn't connecting to the network,  853 was doing the same thing last night.

smitho

The Nxtbus system still seems to have gremlins in it from time to time... such as services which don't make it on to the screens in any fashion, despite the buses operating them being properly logged on etc.

Busfanatic101

#135
 Notice how the 67 has a "2 mins" meaning it is transmitting live data. I noticed that it apparently doesn't have either easy access or bike racks. Funnily enough, every bus doing public runs should at least have EITHER a bike rack or is wheelchair accessible. The bus which came was 877, which did have a bike rack.  ::) sigh  ::) will ACTION EVER get this all right???


Bus 400

It looks to me like the portion below the first 67 has been blacked out. As you will notice that part of the T for Tuggeranong is missing.
I'm happy to admit if I'm wrong (which hopefully I am).

Busfanatic101

Quote from: Bus 400 on October 10, 2014, 07:54:00 PM
It looks to me like the portion below the first 67 has been blacked out. As you will notice that part of the T for Tuggeranong is missing.
I'm happy to admit if I'm wrong (which hopefully I am).
which T? i don't see it

Bus 400


smitho

Short article in today's CT about usage to date of Nxtbus enquiry system; the article quotes ACTION as saying that an App is being developed for Nxtbus.

Barry Drive

Quoteand plans for a smartphone application are under way.

I think that is a misunderstanding on the reporter's behalf.

QuoteThe government is currently seeking expressions of interest from application developers.

What this refers to is an API which will allow any "smartphone" application to directly access the NXTBUS real time data. The expression of interest is for application developers to access the data, not for an actual ACTION/NXTBUS application.

Existing applications such as Transit Times and Triptastic will incorporate the NXTBUS live tracking - if they ever get access to the API.


Busfanatic101

#141
Quote from: Bus 400 on October 16, 2014, 08:55:10 PM
This is what I see.


what browser are you using? I couldn't see your one in google chrome, but can see it in IE. I can clearly see the line underneath in my original pic...that is so strange

Busfanatic101

#142
ACTION is now able to communicate cancelled services through nxtbus online :D ;D ;) YAYAY!. Saw it today with the northbound 300 leaving city around 16:47. the format is

300   Cohen st Bus Stn     16:47
         Cancelled

Skitube

about time this happened, it was available, kinda, on the info screens at bus stations a while ago

The Love Guru

It is only available when the starters in the Depot have been trained to do so.
I wouldn't rely on it for every canceled service

Bus 400

Quote from: ... on October 17, 2014, 03:49:51 PM
what browser are you using? I couldn't see your one in google chrome, but can see it in IE. I can clearly see the line underneath in my original pic...that is so strange
I was using Tapatalk on my Android devices.

Bus 400

Quote from: ... on October 17, 2014, 07:51:49 PM
ACTION is now able to communicate cancelled services through nxtbus online :D ;D ;) YAYAY!. Saw it today with the northbound 300 leaving city around 16:47. the format is

300   Cohen st Bus Stn     16:47
         Cancelled
The things you miss out on when not on Twitter. Through my many sources, this was spotted back on the 15th September.

While i haven't seen a "Insert Destination Here Cancelled", on the Bus Station PIDS, I have seen it show when the next 900 out of Woden being 30 minutes away.

vnguyen

Does anyone know when NXTBUS screens are going to be installed at Barton Bus Station?

Busfanatic101

Saw a really weird phenomenon on the Woden NXTBUS Screen near plt7 today, most were normal, however, one of the services (a 300N) had a bike rack pic in the column with the times, then had 0mins instead of due in the BR/WA column. And the 300 which was leaving and the next on were both MANs/SCANIAs ???

Busfanatic101

#149
LOL at the fact that they've put 2 'Depart's, one over the other. Also, Funny to note that the ANU Stop on Rimmer st doesn't have platforms. ;D ::)