I have written before about failings in the real time passenger information system to provide accurate and timely information to bus passengers, particularly when services are cancelled. In order to try to get to the bottom of the problem, I have, therefore, carried out an analysis of what information has been provided through the Council RTPI system and bus operator apps when I have been aware of specific services being cancelled.
Both First and Go Cornwall seem to post information on Twitter in the morning about services that they already know are not going to run on that day. I looked at the Twitter postings on some particular days and then looked at what information was being provided through the Council RTPI system and operators’ apps to potential passengers who would be waiting for these services during the day.
On 15 March, First cancelled a number of T1 services from Camborne to Truro including the 06:45 and 07:05 departures. The T1 would have been due at Chacewater at 07:20 and 07:40 respectively. The First app still showed the services as though they were running.
On the same day, Go Cornwall cancelled the 11 service scheduled to leave Bodmin at 06:44 for Plymouth. The Go Cornwall app deleted the bus from its listing of arrivals on the route but did not provide any further information in Service Updates in the app.
See details of the failed RTPI information 15 March.
On 17 March, Go Cornwall cancelled the 22 service scheduled to leave Truro for St Austell at 11:25 (and a couple of subsequent 22 services). The Go Cornwall app deleted the bus from its listing but did not initially provide any further information in Service Updates in the app. The Council RTPI system still showed this service as though it were running. Then shortly after 11:25, the service did disappear from the Council RTPI system and a note about the cancellation was added to the Go Cornwall Service Updates on its app.
See details of the failed RTPI information 17 March.
It is clear that there is no overall coordination of the provision of real time passenger information through the various systems and this lack of provision is failing passengers who are waiting for services. This is particularly the case when services are cancelled. I have written to the managing directors of First and Go Cornwall, and to the Cornwall Council local transport team detailing the specific failures that I have identified. If and when I receive any meaningful responses from any of them, I will post them on this website.