Good quality bus timetable app?

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Madbus
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Good quality bus timetable app?

Post by Madbus »

Hi, I don't usually ride buses but I like spotting them every now and then and jot them down on a pad of paper. I'd like an app (preferably with fleet numbers) so I can schedule my bus spotting times. Does anybody know a good app for this on iOS?

Thanks,
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Re: Good quality bus timetable app?

Post by Skexis »

I'd be surprised if one exists tbh as it would be an extremely specialised app with a miniscule market.
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Re: Good quality bus timetable app?

Post by Crispy! »

If you’re after timetables MetroMATE is easy to use

For more advance features I recommend using NextThere for looking up vehicle fleet numbers if you want to ride a particular vehicle.
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Re: Good quality bus timetable app?

Post by jibb »

Crispy! wrote:If you’re after timetables MetroMATE is easy to use

For more advance features I recommend using NextThere for looking up vehicle fleet numbers if you want to ride a particular vehicle.
Regrettfully NextThere is only available for Apple-not Android.
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Re: Good quality bus timetable app?

Post by Route 506 »

Crispy! wrote:If you’re after timetables MetroMATE is easy to use

For more advance features I recommend using NextThere for looking up vehicle fleet numbers if you want to ride a particular vehicle.
Thanks for the suggestion! I have installed NextThere and it's a good app. Only issue I've found so far is that my bus was tracking as 1451 but 1849 actually showed up. This has happened 2 or 3 times but apart from that it's been pretty accurate and as for tracking times it has been great. It could well be some sort of rookie error on my part or needing to refresh it.

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Re: Good quality bus timetable app?

Post by TA3001 »

It's common to see inaccurate vehicle IDs with realtime apps. It could be because the BCU hasn't been updated after a bus swap, and the RTI lists the vehicle that was previously on the shift as doing the run.

It tends to occur quite often at night when premium service is near mandatory and the old clapped out MAN bus is swapped for a perfectly built CB80, but can occur randomly like with what you mentioned.
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Re: Good quality bus timetable app?

Post by Route 506 »

TA3001 wrote:It's common to see inaccurate vehicle IDs with realtime apps. It could be because the BCU hasn't been updated after a bus swap, and the RTI lists the vehicle that was previously on the shift as doing the run.

It tends to occur quite often at night when premium service is near mandatory and the old clapped out MAN bus is swapped for a perfectly built CB80, but can occur randomly like with what you mentioned.
Thanks for the confirmation. Glad to know I haven’t quite lost it yet 8)
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Re: Good quality bus timetable app?

Post by Madbus »

Wow! I’ts a great App but I do not seem to see any fleet numbers.
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Re: Good quality bus timetable app?

Post by mmosca447 »

Madbus wrote:Wow! I’ts a great App but I do not seem to see any fleet numbers.
When you are on the screen for a particular service, click the 'i' button in the top right-hand corner and it should display the fleet number along with current speed. :)
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Re: Good quality bus timetable app?

Post by Madbus »

hmm... Thats funny, it still dosen't seem to display the fleet number. I can see the bus speed but I cannot see the fleet number. :?
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Re: Good quality bus timetable app?

Post by Madbus »

Don’t worry! I’ve fixed it.
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Re: Good quality bus timetable app?

Post by I Follow PAFC »

metroMATE mapping updates from 1 December.
https://www.adelaidemetro.com.au/Announ ... 1-December
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Re: Good quality bus timetable app?

Post by jibb »

wheresDabus is an Android app that is very accurate and helpful and is easy to use.
I have been in touch with the developer many times and he is now working on improving the app to incorporate fleet numbers.
As soon as something develops I will post it here.
Look up Adelaide Metro Mobile Apps and then click on Google Play Store-easy and quick to download.
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Re: Good quality bus timetable app?

Post by jibb »

jibb wrote:wheresDabus is an Android app that is very accurate and helpful and is easy to use.
I have been in touch with the developer many times and he is now working on improving the app to incorporate fleet numbers.
As soon as something develops I will post it here.
Look up Adelaide Metro Mobile Apps and then click on Google Play Store-easy and quick to download.
I am pleased to report this app has been updated this morning and now contains fleet details of current trips.
When you have downloaded the app -you go to the symbol on the top right hand of the screen-from there you can download stop number or ID.
On the top left hand side click on this and go into settings to set app up(more instructions in help.)
Once you have stops up if you select each arrival(generally in next 20-30 minutes) it will enable you under 'Route options" to get vehicle details.
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Re: Good quality bus timetable app?

Post by TA3001 »

Coincidentally, myStops is not bringing up any search results. I tried Anzac Hwy, and D1 KW St, with nothing showing. Very unusual.
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Re: Good quality bus timetable app?

Post by jibb »

TA3001 wrote:Coincidentally, myStops is not bringing up any search results. I tried Anzac Hwy, and D1 KW St, with nothing showing. Very unusual.
I suspect he has closed his app.
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Re: Good quality bus timetable app?

Post by TA3001 »

Just installed it. The pending minutes and seconds are a peculiar feature, and not really needed in my opinion. But I have noticed that one can get the bus ID without having to close and reload different parts of the app, which is quite convenient.

An accessibility indicator would be useful too, as a small number of NL202s show up as not accessible, but it could be worse.

It seems that the AdMet real time feed does not make it friendly towards searching for a particular vehicle. But I'm not aware of any apps specifically designed for enthusiasts anyway. There is a basic, and more detailed version of the interfaces, but doesn't make much of a difference to me.

And I just noticed that there doesn't to be a way to bring up the departure time from the origin point of the trip (say a 174 that turns into a 172). It only shows the scheduled arrival time. I gather such info cannot be viewed? What I mean is that it isn't a viable replacement for actual timetables. Transit Times and myStops both showed the time it left the terminus.
Last edited by TA3001 on Mon Apr 08, 2019 2:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Good quality bus timetable app?

Post by Diesel_MAN »

jibb wrote: I am pleased to report this app has been updated this morning and now contains fleet details of current trips.
When you have downloaded the app -you go to the symbol on the top right hand of the screen-from there you can download stop number or ID.
On the top left hand side click on this and go into settings to set app up(more instructions in help.)
Once you have stops up if you select each arrival(generally in next 20-30 minutes) it will enable you under 'Route options" to get vehicle details.
I just downloaded it, but I can't see vehicle details at all, or any option in the settings to make them appear. Do you happen to know of any potential solution to this problem, or is it unique?
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Re: Good quality bus timetable app?

Post by jibb »

When you have the app open and have downloaded your stop/stops and it comes up with the arrival/arrivals time. When you click on that it gives you Route options-- down the bottom of the page you will see vehicle details-click on that and it will give you the operator and the fleet number.
Hope that helps.
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Re: Good quality bus timetable app?

Post by Diesel_MAN »

I can see route options but no vehicle details on the page, unfortunately - just "hide this route", "clear filters", set arrival alarm", "1 min warning" and "show on map".
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Re: Good quality bus timetable app?

Post by jibb »

Diesel_MAN wrote:I can see route options but no vehicle details on the page, unfortunately - just "hide this route", "clear filters", set arrival alarm", "1 min warning" and "show on map".
Go into settings and try "check for updates--check now".
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Re: Good quality bus timetable app?

Post by Diesel_MAN »

jibb wrote:
Diesel_MAN wrote:I can see route options but no vehicle details on the page, unfortunately - just "hide this route", "clear filters", set arrival alarm", "1 min warning" and "show on map".
Go into settings and try "check for updates--check now".
That was one of the first things I did - it's all up-to-date.
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Re: Good quality bus timetable app?

Post by thedom »

Just downloaded it and it immediately showed vehicle details for next service.
Thanks "Jibb" for this tip off and for contacting the developer to arrange the update - as a result I purchased the ad removal to say thanks and enjoy the app that little bit more (just $1.49).
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Re: Good quality bus timetable app?

Post by Diesel_MAN »

So is this missing something that everyone else is apparently seeing?
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Re: Good quality bus timetable app?

Post by TA3001 »

Is there any way to view the actual schedule within the app? I would prefer to know which service I'm looking up, as was the case with the previous two Android compatible apps with IDs that are no longer supported.

It would be a great feature if it can be implemented.

And in response to the above post, are you viewing it with rotation enabled? It won't rotate on my phone.
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