Next Stop Announcments

[Tony]

Travelled on the 2 after work this evening all the way to Maypole - first time I've travelled to the end of this route on a bus which had correctly working NSAs!

It seems that with the recent update of the audio announcements, the voice (and display) now informs passengers of a forthcoming "hail-and-ride" part of the route on approaching the Prince Of Wales stop on High Street.

Curiously there are then two 'fixed-stops' announced, Maypole Grove and Gorleston Grove, which don't physically exist, apart from some 'temporary stop' notice attached to a lamp-post on Prince Of Wales Lane, which has been there since the route was amended. The end of the hail-and-ride section is then declared on approaching the Servite Court.

While this is a useful addition, and makes the audio/visual announcements compliant with legal regulations, I did chuckle to myself because on approaching the final stop, the system announced 'next stop Maypole Shops' but didn't say that this was the final stop, which makes it non-compliant!

The NSA is set up to be compliant as when the service gets to the final destination, it will play the route completion announcements in full, stating this is the last stop on the journey, thank you for travelling etc. It doesn't have to say that the next stop is the terminus before it gets there.

[Stu]

The NSA is set up to be compliant as when the service gets to the final destination, it will play the route completion announcements in full, stating this is the last stop on the journey, thank you for travelling etc. It doesn't have to say that the next stop is the terminus before it gets there.

Ah I see. What happened though was that after passing Manningford Road, the next stop was announced as 'Maypole Shops'. As I headed towards the staircase, the system played that 'melody' you hear when it starts up, and the display just changed to showing 'national express West Midlands'. I didn't hear any more announcements once the bus doors opened and I stepped off.

I knew it was the last stop anyway so it didn't really bother me, but just seemed that something wasn't quite right.

[Ingleboro261F]

Ah I see. What happened though was that after passing Manningford Road, the next stop was announced as 'Maypole Shops'. As I headed towards the staircase, the system played that 'melody' you hear when it starts up, and the display just changed to showing 'national express West Midlands'. I didn't hear any more announcements once the bus doors opened and I stepped off.

I knew it was the last stop anyway so it didn't really bother me, but just seemed that something wasn't quite right.

I think that happens when the driver changes the route 

[Stu]

I think that happens when the driver changes the route

On this occasion, I think it was just the case that the driver had 'prematurely' set the system to 'Not In Service'.

The bus had a 20 minute layover, which gave me enough time to pop into Iceland and get some shopping! When I returned, the bus was still parked up and powered down as nothing was showing on the external displays, until the driver got back in and powered back up again. Once the side display changed from 'nxbus.co.uk' to '2 Birmingham' I knew I was good to go, and the driver was letting people board although we weren't due back out for another five minutes. I must have sat there for a couple of minutes before the system announced '2 to Birmingham'.

[MasterPlan]

I think that happens when the driver changes the route

No it happens when they change to NIS.

My guess is this done at times when approaching the terminus if they have a bit of layover time and don't want passengers trying to get on in the meantime.

[karl724223]

Anybody been on pn 870 ?😎

[Tony]

Anybody been on pn 870 ?😎

Yep, 861-875 legally need them this year, 870 is the first

[frostjay974]

Will 4975 - 4982 need to have announcements by October as they are all after 30/9/14?

[Stu]

Will 4975 - 4982 need to have announcements by October as they are all after 30/9/14?

Yes, as much as I understand the new regulations, any vehicle that was first used in public service after 1st October 2014 is required to be compliant from October this year.

As pointed out in another thread here, this also includes the StreetDecks, Enviro200 MMCs and the non-Platinum Enviro400 MMCs.

[Ingleboro261F]

Yes, as much as I understand the new regulations, any vehicle that was first used in public service after 1st October 2014 is required to be compliant from October this year.

As pointed out in another thread here, this also includes the StreetDecks, Enviro200 MMCs and the non-Platinum Enviro400 MMCs.

It's gonna be weird hearing 4 to solihull on an Enviro 200 MMC on my way to college 

[Tony]

It's gonna be weird hearing 4 to solihull on an Enviro 200 MMC on my way to college

I expect it will sound exactly the same as if you were on a Platinum

[Westy]

I know sometime back I caught a Platinum on a Walsall 31 & it had NSA's set up.

Are all Walsall's Platinums now set up for all WA routes, irrespective of whether it's on a Platinum route or not?

[BBS]

It's gonna be weird hearing 4 to solihull on an Enviro 200 MMC on my way to college

E200mmcs are getting less on the 4 now, especially with the Gospel Oak 4A going very soon too

[Zander]

I've noticed when the platinums are on WB 48 the NSAs seem to glitch. Coming from West Brom, you get to The Londonderry stop on Queens Rd and it says that that is the last stop and everybody get off.

[BlackCountryBusSpotter]

Going to be weird hearing the 34/37/39 on NIS when E200's or MMC's wouldn't the StreetDecks also have to have the NIS appear on them