Arriva App - Stafford/Cannock Services now reporting in real-time

[wulfrun]

I have noticed since using the Arriva Bus App from 24th May, when viewing services in Live Map mode (an excellent feature that is sadly lacking in both NX and NWM apps), buses working Arriva services on Cannock and Stafford routes to/from Walsall and Wolverhampton are now reporting in real time - e.g. the bus nodes on the map are now showing up green (real-time) - rather than grey (scheduled time).

Alas the same Arriva services are not reporting live in the NWM app. For example the times for the 70 or 76 services are still showing as scheduled and not real-time.

While the Arriva app can tell me where the bus is - alas the app can't (as yet) tell me why the bus was late. So, as a matter of interest, does anyone know why the (25th May) 13:50 No.76 service from Stafford lost 4 mins around Coven, then got stuck at Brinsford for 15mins? It arrived 21mins late into Wolverhampton. The return @ 15:00, dep 27 mins late, where the driver made good time, arriving in Stafford 16mins late @ 16:06.

[Westy]

Any idea when Wednesfield depot will get this facillity?

[williamposh]

All Arriva Midlands garages to be rolled out for live map by June 16th except Hinckley and Wardle

[nitromatt1]

Is live map what I suspect it is, a feature allowing one to see the real time location of a vehicle on a map?

[williamposh]

Yes

[nitromatt1]

So if Arriva and TGB are capable of offering this feature, it begs the question, why aren't NX...

[PM]

So if Arriva and TGB are capable of offering this feature, it begs the question, why aren't NX...

Because they run a massive amount more buses? Anyway, for many NX services with buses every 10 mins or less, what would be the point?

[nitromatt1]

So if Arriva and TGB are capable of offering this feature, it begs the question, why aren't NX...

Because they run a massive amount more buses? Anyway, for many NX services with buses every 10 mins or less, what would be the point?

I can't see why a larger fleet would stop them developing such a service.

We all know gaps larger than the intended frequency develop quite frequently in most services. Don't forget NX also operate a large number of less frequent services. The estimated times calculated by the current phone apps can jump all over the place when a bus is stuck in traffic, I for one would prefer to know the real time location of a bus and monitor its progress.

[the trainbasher]

So if Arriva and TGB are capable of offering this feature, it begs the question, why aren't NX...

Because they run a massive amount more buses? Anyway, for many NX services with buses every 10 mins or less, what would be the point?

I can't see why a larger fleet would stop them developing such a service.

We all know gaps larger than the intended frequency develop quite frequently in most services. Don't forget NX also operate a large number of less frequent services. The estimated times calculated by the current phone apps can jump all over the place when a bus is stuck in traffic, I for one would prefer to know the real time location of a bus and monitor its progress.

Why can't NWM put that functionality into their app?

[Tony]

So if Arriva and TGB are capable of offering this feature, it begs the question, why aren't NX...

Because they run a massive amount more buses? Anyway, for many NX services with buses every 10 mins or less, what would be the point?

I can't see why a larger fleet would stop them developing such a service.

We all know gaps larger than the intended frequency develop quite frequently in most services. Don't forget NX also operate a large number of less frequent services. The estimated times calculated by the current phone apps can jump all over the place when a bus is stuck in traffic, I for one would prefer to know the real time location of a bus and monitor its progress.

I can call a map up to see where vehicles are, on an internal system, but you have to think about the practicalities of it, how large would the map have to be to make sure vehicles weren't merging into each other? On a mobile phone if you just called up 50m of Moor Street Queensway you may have 10 buses there which would just merge into one blob. What does the map actually do to help 'Mr normal passenger' that a list of how far away all the buses are timewise that the current app does? London vehicle finder which does a lot more than NX schemes offer doesn't do a map, presumably for the same reason. Incidently two little tricks I learnt yesterday when I was in London. If you are chasing 'new' buses just put 'za' into London vehicle finder and it lists all the recent deliveries, put 'zb' in and it gives you all the overall advert buses.

For those that haven't found London vehicle finder it is here
https://londonvf.co.uk/

[Westy]

According to the app, there's a 2 to Walsall running about 33 minutes late!

[Bob]

Could be a breakdown and theyve had to stick another bus on as has happened with the evening  70 last two sat nights ive had to use it

[Westy]

Looks like Wednesfield now have the technology!