BusTimes.org - general discussion

[Coventrybususer95]

Cv 2162 tracking says that it's of the coast of Geneva

[Rachvince53]

Cv 2162 tracking says that it's of the coast of Geneva

Perhaps the driver was thinking about their holiday plans!

[Westy]

Interesting 'effect' on Broad Lane in Bloxwich has 2 X51's ploughing through someone's front garden instead of the roadway!

Same effect with a 25 down the Stafford Road as well.

Good job we know it's not like that in real life!

[windy miller]

 Is there currently a problem with walsall  hydro  H1009??? Does it have an engine problem or maybe accident damage??? Maybe it simply doesn't track anymore and runs unlisted??
 last service shown August 8th???

[Zainpow3012]

Hello, anybody know what's going on with bus 4882, it says its tracking as the number 5 to solihull and has been ever since stuck on 06:55 and not once have I seen it been tracked properly. Any comments about this would be appreciated!

[Stu]

Hello, anybody know what's going on with bus 4882, it says its tracking as the number 5 to solihull and has been ever since stuck on 06:55 and not once have I seen it been tracked properly. Any comments about this would be appreciated!

It's at Walsall being painted, so won't be seen in service:
https://wmbusphotos.com/forum/index.php?msg=316580

Tracking as on the 5 is clearly a glitch as AG don't have any of this bus type.

[Zainpow3012]

Cheers for the info, I defo thought that that kind of a bus wouldn't be at AG depot anyway.

[Steve3229vp]

According to bus times 7506 left john Wilmot school on service 814 but never made it to Stockland Green, which meant the 907 service from City at 1620 didn't run either.  This school journey needs to be removed from the 907 service, it happens too often

[Rachvince53]

Please note that certain bustimes.org timetables have not yet been updated and are still showing Summer holiday times, eg the schooldays only journey on WN16 which runs from Wombourne to Stourbridge is not shown,

[Secondary trigger 28]

The diamond A15 timetable hasn't  been updated as well

[wulfrun]

4762 on loan to Wolverhampton this morning Currently on 16

More internet watching bullsh1t

Officially 18williamsLi was correct with his observation. A vehicle that was broadcasting PN boards the day before, is now found to be broadcasting WN boards on its first trip the following day. Hence a move from PN to WN is the logical conclusion. Is it 18williamsLi fault the vehicle is posting duff data?

If anyone bothered to check why 18williamsLi posted this comment, they would have discovered a new issue with WMT Ltd timetables exported in transXchange format for routes operated by multiple garages.

Checking the N16 timetable WMT Ltd uploaded to BODS you will find the Mon-Fri 0736 dep from The New Inn to Stourbridge, the first trip for board PN610 is missing. Along with the entire Saturday timetable, which either suggests the entire route is worked by PN on Saturday – or sloppy WMT Ltd admin forgetting to include the Saturday timetable in the upload.

Bustimes compiles their NXWM and NXC timetables using the data WMT Ltd upload to BODS. A quick check on bustimes, would have shown/confirmed, the trip is missing.

With no timetable data for this trip, the solution WMT Ltd have put in place (updated on 8th Aug) to meet their BODS obligation, fails to provide the correct Block Ref (PN610) and journey number for this missing trip. Where instead, the vehicle data posted to BODS is showing board WN1507 journey 13, which is the 0610 dep from Wolverhampton to Stourbridge: A WN board, operated by a vehicle currently based/loaned to WN.

Is it any wonder bustimes is confused? And so would any other system relying on data supplied by BODS, that informs joe public, who matter more than bus spotters. If bad data goes in, bad data comes out.

This was not an issue before the WMT LTD system update on 8th Aug.

Other timetables affected are 701 and 881, when checked on bustimes, to view data WMT Ltd have uploaded to BODS, shows missing WN and WA turns respectively.

X8 and N79 services have had WB turns in the past, but at present WMT Ltd Timetables uploaded to BODS state WN is the only garage allocated to these routes.

This error poses a problem for any system that uses BODS data to monitor WMT Ltd vehicle garage allocations, especially post WMT Ltd system update on 8th Aug, where only the Block Ref is now available to monitor vehicle allocation for WMT Ltd vehicles. If the vehicle broadcasts the wrong Block Ref, then an incorrect allocation will be recorded. As seen on bustimes.

So, how long will it take WMT Ltd to fix this issue and publish the correct N16 timetable that ensure vehicles report correct Boards and journey numbers? 24,48 hours? 1 week? 1 month? When 3rd Parties involved in the WMT Ltd solution to meet their BODS obligation, update their datasets?

Of note, the W9 went off line on 17th April 2023, and it took 43 days to fix the issue, to get vehicle locations published on BODS – where during this time WMT Ltd would be failing to meet their BODS obligation.

It has taken 2.5 years for WMT Ltd to finally publish a fully compliant BODS vehicle dataset; from 8th Aug 2023 - that ensures there is no need for data consumers to apply custom hacks to get the data to process as BODS intended.

What does this say about WMT Ltd commitment to meet their BODS obligation? To ensure people/companies/groups (like bustimes) who provide applications to help bus users (that WMT Ltd refuse to provide to their own customers) with the provision of real-time data and statistical analysis of service performance, can do so reliably using open source data via a framework provided by UK Gov, which relies on full co-operation from operators.

There is nothing worse than providing inaccurate data to the general public. Where unreliability is a key reason for people to seek alternative modes of transport. To then see senior WMT Ltd employees dismiss this as "Internet Bullsh1t"?

If it were not for people like 18williamsLi posting these alerts, then how long would this fault remained undetected?

The next time someone posts an observation, please don't automatically dismiss it as bullsh1t, check it first, as there may be a valid reason why that comment was posted.

[karl724223]

Does anybody really care other than veg web watchers or ALFs
I know I don't 

[Tony]

I see a bedroom spotter has been changing Bustimes again.

I have changed 4908 & 4946 back to the correct livery after someone had changed them both to Elf overall advert livery which neither carries and not due to carry. Elf only booked one bus.

[karl724223]

I see a bedroom spotter has been changing Bustimes again.

I have changed 4908 & 4946 back to the correct livery after someone had changed them both to Elf overall advert livery which neither carries and not due to carry. Elf only booked one bus.

Maybe he wanted his own ALF livery on them 😂

[Wumpty]

Maybe he wanted his own ALF livery on them 😂

PMSL