Friday 22 January 2016

To "B" Or Not To "B" in Exeter

It's Not Just First Bus
The above comment was appended to one of the First Bus App blogs and it intrigued fbb somewhat. Stagecoach have, after significant delay, introduced a slick new web site prioritised for tablet-takers and thus tricky on a steam powered lap top. Surely their core data couldn't be wrong?

Oh, yes it could.

fbb took a look at the "B" ...
... which, silly web site, it could find. And there was an exact match. It clearly shows the service as running from Sowton Park and Ride on the Honiton Road.
Mr Stagecoach is well confused. Sowton Park and Ride is at Sowton. Honiton Road Park and Ride is on Honiton Road. The two are different.
Very confusing even if it were right; but Stagecoach gets its own route very wrong.

As does the computer generated map of the route.
But, indeed, it doesn't go there. It hasn't done since June last year if not earlier. The timetable, appropriately dated ...
... clearly shows that it doesn't go to Sowton Park and Ride (which is never did) or even Honiton Road Park and Ride (which in once did but now doesn't.)
So where is EDF Energy? We can start at Park and Ride (Honiton Road NOT Sowton)...
... travel towards Honiton for about 150 yards. Then bear left at the roundabout ...
... and up Ambassador Drive. Then right at the next roundabout ...
... and along Grenadier Road to the EDF offices, there, at the end.
Those stops (by the red car) are as close as the "B" gets to the Park and Ride.

The Stagecoach Exeter route map seems about right ...
... until you take a look at reality. The orange line would appear to show the route trundling up Pinn Road and terminating at a junction at the brow of the hill.
Oh yeah? Pull the other one Stagecoach! Surely this stop outside the main entrance to the office block is more likely?
There appears to be a flag on a lamppost.

As for Stagecoach's maps attached to their "Find a Bus" page - beyond belief!
This particular manifestation does terminate at EDF but runs all the way via Pinn Road in both directions.

fbb never thought he would write this but ...

... thank goodness for Traveline.

fbb will conclude his less than popular "outrage" (methinks the comment writer meant "outburst") again First's feeble App on Monday. Nobody has come back via fbb@xehos.com on the controversial subject of route 6 on the T M Travel App so el chubbo will have to re-address the situation. Sorry Phil.

 Next Falcon blog : Saturday 23rd January 

2 comments:

  1. Given the publicity says Falcon stops at Sowtin and Honiton Road Park and Ride (as do some Blue services in peak) live depatures should be interesting. Also the live bit doesn't seem to work too well as once your bus should have left you can no longer view it on live departures even if it's late.

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  2. No FBB - "outrage" to reflect the hyperbole of that particular blog.

    Seems like my later comment where I noted that the point was not surrounding the app but the base information as it pulls off the website appeared to have disappeared.

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