Rotala Management - Questions & Answers

[Simon Dunn]

Hi Simon,
Please can you get your commercial teams to review your bus open data entries again. I've been reporting these issues via BODS feedback and nothing has been done. In all divisions, the updates in Ticketer don't seem to be feeding into BODS. Last ticketer updates are often a lot more recent than the last updates to BODS. You may need to refresh the datasets or something.

Otherwise, issues exist on all datasets.
Preston Bus - 6, 16 and 23 are wrongly marked as not for public use. Route 287 and 289 are football buses and only run on football dates. These are in BODS as running daily (albeit different times on some days). Also data isn't refreshing in BODS.

Diamond North West - Route MC1, MC4 and MC10 are all football buses and only run Etihad Campus days. These are in Ticketer data as running daily. Data isn't refreshing in BODS. May be worth just republishing.

Diamond South East - Needs refreshing to properly remove the 555. N555 wrongly shows as not for public use. Stops for all routes in Heathrow need reviewing as the DFT has just done a big update of NAPTAN around Heathrow, therefore some of the stops codes that you currently use are incorrect. May be worth moving the Hotel Hoppa routes over to the Hotel Hoppa NOC code as well so that people can find the routes easier and once someone has found the routes, they can get more info easier as they would be linked to Hotel Hoppa. H5H is missing it's OTC registration number too.

Diamond West Midlands - Firstly the dataset hasn't caught up with Ticketer updates. Also though, based off the Ticketer update, School day/holiday dates aren't set up for the 2024/25 academic year. 242S is wrongly showing up as a 242 in the morning, afternoon trip missing. 229 Mon-Sat trips missing stop 43007287501 (stop shows on the Sunday timetable, but not other days). 142 on Sundays randomly missing Stourbridge Interchange. Route 96 Mon-Sat are missing details for all intermediate stops, only shows timing points. 25 missing Merry Hill Bus Station on random trips. 30, 32, 40, 41, 41A all have parts of the route missing, mostly missing starting or terminating at the bus stations.
Some routes randomly missing stops, sometimes applies to all trips, sometimes just some trips, I'd be here all day listing the issues on this dataset though.

Thank you.  I will get this looked at.

[Simon Dunn]

Also the 96 has the wrong stop in Chelmlsey Wood on bustimes, it serves CM towards Birmingham Airport.
On M-F it's down as CF and on SA/SU it's down as CL

Thank you.  I will get this looked at.

Simon

[Westy]

Bit of a 'left field' question, but I'll give it a go anyway.

Is there any reason why the METRO baskets on your early morning journeys, as regards the Wa 31/32, never seem to be full, compared to Nx vehicles?

I normally take a few in for our warehouse staff & some mornings, there's hardly any, so out of fairness, Ive left them & got them off the 529, which the journey Im on, the vehicle has already been out for a bit, but still has a practically full basket.

I know Im not probably the only one that takes a few more, but you wouldve thought they'd still be a decent amount available at half 6 in the morning.

Do you get less delivered into Tividale, than the Nx depots?

[Simon Dunn]

Bit of a 'left field' question, but I'll give it a go anyway.

Is there any reason why the METRO baskets on your early morning journeys, as regards the Wa 31/32, never seem to be full, compared to Nx vehicles?

I normally take a few in for our warehouse staff & some mornings, there's hardly any, so out of fairness, Ive left them & got them off the 529, which the journey Im on, the vehicle has already been out for a bit, but still has a practically full basket.

I know Im not probably the only one that takes a few more, but you wouldve thought they'd still be a decent amount available at half 6 in the morning.

Do you get less delivered into Tividale, than the Nx depots?

We receive a delivery of night/ morning.  I cannot comment on how many NX get.  We have a lot of buses run out before Half Six in the morning.  I am not sure which bus working you refer to but some of our bus workings on the 31/32 will have left before 0630 hrs.  You could potentially be on a bus which has been out in service since 0430 hrs.



Simon

[Westy]

We receive a delivery of night/ morning.  I cannot comment on how many NX get.  We have a lot of buses run out before Half Six in the morning.  I am not sure which bus working you refer to but some of our bus workings on the 31/32 will have left before 0630 hrs.  You could potentially be on a bus which has been out in service since 0430 hrs.



Simon

The buses concerned operate Bloxwich / Leamore around 630am to 645am.

If it's just 'one of those things', fair enough.

@4747 does have a point.

I know the X51 that operates around the same time normally has plenty, because thats its first journey in service.

I did read recently in their letters page, that someone had a similar issue & the answer was along the lines of 'We're increasing the print run!', so METRO are aware of the extra copies being taken.

[Simon Dunn]

The buses concerned operate Bloxwich / Leamore around 630am to 645am.

If it's just 'one of those things', fair enough.

@4747 does have a point.

I know the X51 that operates around the same time normally has plenty, because thats its first journey in service.

I did read recently in their letters page, that someone had a similar issue & the answer was along the lines of 'We're increasing the print run!', so METRO are aware of the extra copies being taken.

Thank you.  Either way, I will talk to the depot to make sure the drivers are all taking them.


Simon

[2206]

Thank you.  I will get this looked at.

Simon

There are still missing stops on the 8 (Kidderminster) timetable on Stretton Road, Greatfield Road, Sutton Road part of the route.
Both on bus times and Diamond website.

[IMarkeh]

Thank you.  I will get this looked at.

Hi Simon, thank you for getting some of the issues resolved. Some issues still remain though as well as a number of new issues (The list of data issues are really long).


Diamond South East - N555 still listed as not for public use. N30, the Diamond website gives different information to what Heathrow says for stand numbers in terminals. Service A60, your website says this bus departs from stand 20 at Terminal 5, in which case the open data should be updated to reflect this (correct stop code 49001643012). BL2 your website says you serve stop B at Hatton Cross, open data shows stop C (Bus stop B stop code 490000103D). Service H21 serves bus stop 9 at Terminal 4, this stop code needs updating to 4900001049.
All Heathrow Hoppa buses the stop updating at Terminal 3 in both directions. New stop code is 490008026W. H5H service missing it's OTC registration (PK1135862/36)

Diamond West Midlands - 
Various school trips have now got no details at all on school dates, it's just been lazily set up as Monday-Friday so these trips show up even in the October Half Term.

Redditch 11, towards Redditch, remove Webheath, Tynsall Avenue (2000G631010)
Dudley 17 in the evening, missing intermediate stops and wrongly shows as serving stops to Amblecote rather than showing as terminating at Kingswinford
Wednesbury 23 missing Bilston Bus Station as a timing point. When heading towards Wednesbury, after Bilston Bus Station missing Bilston Tame St (43000717602)
Stourbridge 25 missing Merry Hill Bus Station on most trips.
Service 96, on Saturdays the 18:45 and 20:45 trips towards Birmingham Airport are missing times at intermediate stops (shows timing points only). Mon-Fri towards Kingstanding Circle missing times for all intermediate stops. Also still issues at Chelmsley Wood Interchange.
142 towards Merry Hill, Mon-Sat has wrong stop at Oldswinford Junction Station (should be stop 43000821401). Also daily after Stourbridge Junction Road missing Vauxhall Road. Buses show as serving Stand E at Merry Hill Mon-Fri but on Sundays serve stop B?
142A towards Merry Hill after Stourbridge Junction Road missing Vauxhall Road.
242S still wrongly shows up as a 242, when it should be a 242S.

[Simon Dunn]

There are still missing stops on the 8 (Kidderminster) timetable on Stretton Road, Greatfield Road, Sutton Road part of the route.
Both on bus times and Diamond website.

I believe this has now been resolved.

[Simon Dunn]

Hi Simon, thank you for getting some of the issues resolved. Some issues still remain though as well as a number of new issues (The list of data issues are really long).


Diamond South East - N555 still listed as not for public use. N30, the Diamond website gives different information to what Heathrow says for stand numbers in terminals. Service A60, your website says this bus departs from stand 20 at Terminal 5, in which case the open data should be updated to reflect this (correct stop code 49001643012). BL2 your website says you serve stop B at Hatton Cross, open data shows stop C (Bus stop B stop code 490000103D). Service H21 serves bus stop 9 at Terminal 4, this stop code needs updating to 4900001049.
All Heathrow Hoppa buses the stop updating at Terminal 3 in both directions. New stop code is 490008026W. H5H service missing it's OTC registration (PK1135862/36)

Diamond West Midlands -
Various school trips have now got no details at all on school dates, it's just been lazily set up as Monday-Friday so these trips show up even in the October Half Term.

Redditch 11, towards Redditch, remove Webheath, Tynsall Avenue (2000G631010)
Dudley 17 in the evening, missing intermediate stops and wrongly shows as serving stops to Amblecote rather than showing as terminating at Kingswinford
Wednesbury 23 missing Bilston Bus Station as a timing point. When heading towards Wednesbury, after Bilston Bus Station missing Bilston Tame St (43000717602)
Stourbridge 25 missing Merry Hill Bus Station on most trips.
Service 96, on Saturdays the 18:45 and 20:45 trips towards Birmingham Airport are missing times at intermediate stops (shows timing points only). Mon-Fri towards Kingstanding Circle missing times for all intermediate stops. Also still issues at Chelmsley Wood Interchange.
142 towards Merry Hill, Mon-Sat has wrong stop at Oldswinford Junction Station (should be stop 43000821401). Also daily after Stourbridge Junction Road missing Vauxhall Road. Buses show as serving Stand E at Merry Hill Mon-Fri but on Sundays serve stop B?
142A towards Merry Hill after Stourbridge Junction Road missing Vauxhall Road.
242S still wrongly shows up as a 242, when it should be a 242S.

II have our commercial team rectifying this.

[IMarkeh]

II have our commercial team rectifying this.

Hi Simon,
Please can I ask for an update on these as I note the issues still exist. 

Would it be easier if someone just came and sorted the data out on behalf of the commercial team because the amount of errors are mind boggling. What I have listed above is just some of the errors.

[Simon Dunn]

Hi Simon,
Please can I ask for an update on these as I note the issues still exist.

Would it be easier if someone just came and sorted the data out on behalf of the commercial team because the amount of errors are mind boggling. What I have listed above is just some of the errors.

I am advised this has been updated.

[2206]

30880 was working the 3 with a non working front blind today.

[IMarkeh]

I believe this has now been resolved.

I am advised this has been updated.

Sadly whoever is advising you that they have fixed issues, is misleading you. And has been doing so for a while.

The only issues that have been fixed are Redditch 11 (but now I have found a new issue), Heathrow Terminal 3 stop was updated in some cases (but there's since been another update to NAPTAN and the stop code has changed again). 142 stops at Merry Hill and Oldswinford Junction Station have been resolved and 242S now shows up as a 242S. 

All other issues remain, plus many more that I keep finding. 
30 and 41 for example missing West Bromwich Bus Station Monday-Saturday. 40 missing Wednesbury Bus Station Monday-Saturday. Redditch 11 Mon-Sat missing Sheltwood Close.
For some reason, Diamond suffers major issues with revision numbers for service groups being wildly different meaning open data and data users can't always use the data properly (route 145 for example is on revision number 34 but 145A linked to the same reg is revision number 23)

[Simon Dunn]

30880 was working the 3 with a non working front blind today.

I will pick this up with the depot