Where have the bus stop signs gone?

Adam Hewitt • Published 11 Mar 2010 08:00 1 Comment

DISAPPEARING real-time information displays at bus shelters have been confusing passengers.

Reader Martin Dowling contacted The Chronicle to say: "Next bus indicators seem to be disappearing all over Reading. Ones attached to bus stops are still in place but many of those attached to bus shelters have been removed."

The disappearances are also a hot topic on the online Reading Forum, where users have speculated that they were being removed due to vandalism.

But Reading Borough Council has announced it is all part of a council upgrade of bus shelters, linked to its new contract with JC Decaux, who will maintain the shelters in return for the council letting them advertise at the stops. The council ditched its previous contractor, Clear Channel Adshel, when its 15-year contract ended recently.

JC Decaux's rolling programme to build 180 better-quality shelters begins this spring but ahead of the works, the real-time displays have had to be removed and some shelters will also go.

Council spokeswoman Sally Swift said: "The real-time information displays will be reinstated when the new shelters are in position. New solar-powered real-time passenger information displays have also been ordered and these will be installed at a number of stops across town as a trial.

"The process of removing the old bus shelters will begin later this month and there may be a period of time when there is temporarily no shelter in place while the replacement is put in position."

The report into the contract by Reading's transport team said there would be a full review of the current locations of shelters, since some stops need one but do not have one and others have one but may not need it.

They said: "The review will include all the 244 sites where bus shelters are located within the town. The review will also include those changes to locations of bus stops that will form part of the reorganisation of the town centre facilities, which were agreed as part of the Reading Station scheme. However as the changes to the central area bus stops is not due to take place till later this year the majority of the existing town centre shelters will remain in place till the reorganisation is implemented."

Until the new display boards go up, passengers can use the live travel information number, 0118 951 1412. Users can give the four-digit code for their bus and stop, found on all timetables, and it will say how far away the bus is.

The council's transport team said this can be more helpful than the display boards, since people can check before leaving their work or home.

This can also be done online at www.reading-travelinfo.co.uk/TravelInformation/BusServices

Click 'Your Personal Bus Departure Board' and enter your postcode.

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• 

  Paul
  Unregistered User
  Mar 19, 13:41
  Report comment

  According to notices on the shelters, the RTI displays are having a "technical upgrade". I suppose it is too much to hope that this upgrade will actually make the RTI work? The current system only works when all the buses are running to time. When the buses are running late or there is a major problem, the RTI goes into "fantasy bus" mode whereby the times bear no relation to reality.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

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