But first, fbb went to search for the new service 9 and 9A from Stagecoach Devon; the 9A being the former 52A extended to Lyme Regis and renumbered.
Calling up "9" on Stagecoach Devon's super-smashing (and ludicrously expensive) new web site offered only the following.
Clicking on the first "9", we get:-
But, helpfully, the second "9" reveals:-
But do not be dismayed, the very latest timetable is delivered from the third click.
fbb understands that the company is considering offering a prize to anyone who can discover the difference between the three timetables and when each is operating. Such is the delight of searching for timetables on line.
Such is the delight of searching for timetables on line.
Such is the delight of searching for timetables on line.
Back to the comparative sanity of the GoTimetable app for Seaton, availabler
FREE at the Google Play Store from Monday 11th April.
Yesterday we saw the basic provisions of what we must call "this exciting new app" (read again).
Detailed search
Android phone aficianos will be familiar with icons at the top of the screen
The table ternnis bat is, fbb has been infromed, a "search" icon. All we have to do is tap it and ...
... search. If you enter a number it will find the tables showing that route number.
Input a place name (or part of a place name) and ...
... you are given ALL the routes that serve that stop. Search for "ham" and you will get all tables service places with "ham" in their name.
Silly, but such a text search can be helpful; if you can only remember a bit of the name.
This powerful facility with fast speed delivery can only work so well because the app has been downloaded; all the data is stored on the "device" and roaring to go. fbb leaves his reader to experiment with this useful thingey once the app goes live on Monday.
Detailed select
Now we move to the three dots icon at the head of the service list. Android users will expect some sort of menu and they will not be disappointed. Once you have chosen your timetable tap the three dots and this menu appears.
At First glance, it looks just like the facility for tapping on a stop name in the timetable itself. But it is here that a GoTimetable app really Goes the extra mile
Tap "Choose Departure Stop" asnd you get a "Main Stops" Menu. This is the timing points from the timetable with extra useful stops shown in italics. These italicised locations are not in the basic timetable that we have examined before.
Tap Health Centre for Hospital and sim-sala-bim it will be added to the timetable and highlighted.
We can do the same for any "main" arrival stop, e.g. Sowton Park and Ride ...
... and it, too, will be duly inserted into the standard display.
Wowsers!
Advanced time
We can, of course, choose a departure time as before ...
... and the next available journey will be highlighted.
You will have to scroll down to see the arrival point. But GoTimetable Seaton Goes one better.
Tap the DEPART NOW checkbox ...
... and the app will show the next available journey based on the internal clock of the Android device. fbb tapped at about five minutes past five.
The next departure from the Health Centre is 1721. Now comes the really clever bit. As is usual on the app, the little black bar at the bottom of the screen reminds the user what he has chosen ...
... what the time "now" is; and ...
... how long you have got to wait until the bus is due.
Time for another cup of coffee!
And what happens when the 1721 comes and you have missed it?
Woo; it just hops over to the next journey and starts counting down again.
Time for a bundle of fish and chips!
All stops?
But finally, for today at least, readers may remember the "main stops" menu. Alongside it was an all stops option. Its purpose is obvious from the name. The user can now tap "All Stops" and choose from every stop along the route ...
... but because stops are close together, the time is now given for the previous "main" stop.
Yes, GoTimetable is an electronic timetable book, but it Goes much further.
Tomorrow, maps.
Detailed search
Android phone aficianos will be familiar with icons at the top of the screen
This powerful facility with fast speed delivery can only work so well because the app has been downloaded; all the data is stored on the "device" and roaring to go. fbb leaves his reader to experiment with this useful thingey once the app goes live on Monday.
Detailed select
Now we move to the three dots icon at the head of the service list. Android users will expect some sort of menu and they will not be disappointed. Once you have chosen your timetable tap the three dots and this menu appears.
Tap "Choose Departure Stop" asnd you get a "Main Stops" Menu. This is the timing points from the timetable with extra useful stops shown in italics. These italicised locations are not in the basic timetable that we have examined before.
Wowsers!
Advanced time
We can, of course, choose a departure time as before ...
Time for another cup of coffee!
And what happens when the 1721 comes and you have missed it?
Time for a bundle of fish and chips!
All stops?
But finally, for today at least, readers may remember the "main stops" menu. Alongside it was an all stops option. Its purpose is obvious from the name. The user can now tap "All Stops" and choose from every stop along the route ...
Yes, GoTimetable is an electronic timetable book, but it Goes much further.
Tomorrow, maps.
Next "GoTimetable" blog : Friday 8th April
Bearing in mind the fact that many of the public struggle to understand timetables, you do have to question the wisdom Stagecoach's rationale to duplicate route numbers within Devon. And that's without taking into account the unnumbered 'Gold' (Torbay - Plymouth) or 'Fox', a local unnumbered Paignton service.
ReplyDeleteAs of today Stagecoach South West have still not got the new timetable for Service 4 (Exeter - Axminster on their website which starts this coming Sunday.
ReplyDeleteNeither have we on GoTimetable Seaton. It is unclear what the difference is? We will look again before Sunday.
ReplyDeleteThe difference is that it will now go around more of the Cranbrook development but due to excessive padding in the timetable there are virtually no changes.
DeleteThanks Karl. I did think that might be the case, but I have found no explanation or map from Stagecoach!
ReplyDelete