Trying To Track The Bus

And while we're talking about buses...(yes, I know you weren't, but I was!)...just what is going on with the BusTracker website?

If you don't know Edinburgh's bus system, most stops have an electronic sign telling you how long it is to the next bus. I was going to say that this takes all the stress out of waiting for the bus, but if you realise you're going to be late for work then it can add stress!

The system works wonderfully at the stops, which is more than can be said for the website.

I first noticed the poster advertising the BusTracker website a couple of months ago, so while waiting I tried it out on my phone. Or tried to. All I got was a page full of html code. I put my phone back in my pocket and forgot about it.

Then I noticed last week that Greener Leith was promoting a new iPhone App which does the same thing. This prompted me to visit the BusTracker main site, where I learned that the reason I only got html code was because my phone was too smart for their WAP site! The main site works on my phone though, so I thought it would be handy for these cold mornings when I could wait until the bus was a few minutes away before I left my flat.

Well, that was the thought. Each bus stop has a unique code which is advertised at the stop and on a map. I put the code from the bus stop poster into my phone and...it was for a completely different part of the city, listing services that don't go down Gorgie Road.

So I looked the stop up on their map, got the code from that and Success! All the buses listed with departure times!

Except, it wasn't. All the times were wrong. The Number 33, due in 5 minutes, was showing on the website as 34 minutes away. Not exactly reliable, and I don't think I'll be using it. I'll stick to downloading the timetables from the LRT website and guessing at when the bus is due.

I hope the iPhone App has better luck.