A guide on timetable styles, where they can be found and why they are used.
The information is broken down for newcomers to public transport but hopefully seasoned travellers may also find useful information in these guides.
Suffolkonboard style timetables
Where: Suffolkonboard.com
Benefits: Useful for planning connecting journeys and viewing where each journey starts and ends.
Download Suffolkonboard style timetables in Suffolk explained (PDF 68KB)
Bus stop timetables
Where: Bus stops with timetable cases.
Benefits: Individual to each bus stop, shows all available departures, passengers know they are waiting on the right side of the road for their bus.
Download bus stop timetables in Suffolk explained (PDF 76KB)
RTPI (Real-Time Passenger Information) also known as Live Departures
Where: Bus stops in Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds and Lowestoft.
Benefits: Accurate times, shows next departures and when a bus is 'DUE'.
Jargonology
'RTPI' and 'Live Departures' both mean the same thing.
They are terms used to describe a system where buses are tracked and software is used to predict what time buses will be at bus stops.
What information is shown?
There are two types of information shown on the RTPI screens.
- Live departures - if we are tracking the bus, the screen will show a countdown in minutes until the bus arrives (shown as "## mins" or when the bus is less than a minute away the screen will show “Due”).
- Scheduled times - the scheduled departure time taken from the timetable (this is shown as a timesuch as "15:41").
How it works
To show live departure times, bus companies have fitted their buses with equipment which can transmit their location and other information to us at least every 30 seconds.
We are working with the bus companies to achieve this and all operators who have signed up to the Endeavour Card scheme have also agreed to supply us with this information.
Services operated by Ipswich Buses, Galloways and Stephensons will show live departure times from day one with other companies following.
Download live departure screens in Suffolk explained (PDF 48KB)