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+--- Thread: New technology in buses (/showthread.php?tid=925)
RE: Onboard tech inc. Next Stop Announcements - ne14ne1 - 25 Jul 2020
Ah my bad, sorry. Wonder if a mod can delete this thread?
RE: Onboard tech inc. Next Stop Announcements - ne14ne1 - 29 Jul 2020
Noticed on a few videos 3997's announcements seem very distorted.
RE: Onboard tech inc. Next Stop Announcements - Dan - 30 Jul 2020
(29 Jul 2020, 3:56 pm)ne14ne1 Noticed on a few videos 3997's announcements seem very distorted.
Repaired this morning by Hanover's field engineer.
RE: New technology in buses - ne14ne1 - 15 Aug 2020
Im currently on a bus for the first time since March, on a route I’m not familiar with & of course it’s NSAs aren’t working (6116).
Is it not part of the morning vehicle checks to ensure the system is working before it’s taken out, or would there not necessarily be enough spares lying around to replace it with for a fault deemed as unimportant as NSAs?
RE: New technology in buses - Dan - 15 Aug 2020
(15 Aug 2020, 8:26 am)ne14ne1 Im currently on a bus for the first time since March, on a route I’m not familiar with & of course it’s NSAs aren’t working (6116).
Is it not part of the morning vehicle checks to ensure the system is working before it’s taken out, or would there not necessarily be enough spares lying around to replace it with for a fault deemed as unimportant as NSAs?
Yes, it is part of the first use check but it's not safety critical therefore would not stop the vehicle from going on the road.
Even if it did, the replacement vehicle would likely be an OmniDekka which doesn't have Next Stop Announcements fitted anyway, so you might as well still have 6116 out there (which at least provides Wi-Fi, more comfortable seats, tables, charging points, etc).
Hanover's service engineer repaired the Next Stop Announcement fault on 6116 on Wednesday, and the system was working fine when he left it.
RE: New technology in buses - streetdeckfan - 15 Aug 2020
(15 Aug 2020, 10:36 am)Dan Yes, it is part of the first use check but it's not safety critical therefore would not stop the vehicle from going on the road.A common issue that I've seen with the NSAs is the buses seem to think they're somewhere else, I've lost count of the amount of times I've been on the X21 and the NSA has been stuck at Newcastle or Durham. Or the display will be stuck and the sound is still fine.
Even if it did, the replacement vehicle would likely be an OmniDekka which doesn't have Next Stop Announcements fitted anyway, so you might as well still have 6116 out there (which at least provides Wi-Fi, more comfortable seats, tables, charging points, etc).
Hanover's service engineer repaired the Next Stop Announcement fault on 6116 on Wednesday, and the system was working fine when he left it.
Happened with one of my friends last night on the 97, she'd never been on that route before so I had to guide her through over the phone where her stop was.
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Ne14ne1 - ne14ne1 - 15 Aug 2020
(15 Aug 2020, 10:36 am)Dan Yes, it is part of the first use check but it's not safety critical therefore would not stop the vehicle from going on the road.
Even if it did, the replacement vehicle would likely be an OmniDekka which doesn't have Next Stop Announcements fitted anyway, so you might as well still have 6116 out there (which at least provides Wi-Fi, more comfortable seats, tables, charging points, etc).
Hanover's service engineer repaired the Next Stop Announcement fault on 6116 on Wednesday, and the system was working fine when he left it.
Fair point about a spare not even being fitted with NSAs.
This morning regarding 6116, at one or two stops, about 20 secs after departing it would say “This is the Cobalt & Coast three” (with the rest cut off). That was only twice it spoke, the rest of the time it wouldn’t announce anything after the doors closed, and the there was no ‘next stop’ info at all.
Report DM’d to customer services at the time.
RE: New technology in buses - Bazza - 16 Aug 2020
(15 Aug 2020, 10:36 am)Dan Yes, it is part of the first use check but it's not safety critical therefore would not stop the vehicle from going on the road.How would the first driver check NSA’s in the depot?
Even if it did, the replacement vehicle would likely be an OmniDekka which doesn't have Next Stop Announcements fitted anyway, so you might as well still have 6116 out there (which at least provides Wi-Fi, more comfortable seats, tables, charging points, etc).
Hanover's service engineer repaired the Next Stop Announcement fault on 6116 on Wednesday, and the system was working fine when he left it.
RE: New technology in buses - streetdeckfan - 16 Aug 2020
(16 Aug 2020, 12:50 am)Bazza How would the first driver check NSA’s in the depot?
I'd imagine it'd be as simple as setting the route and if it says 'This is the X service' and the screens are functioning, then it'd pass the 'inspection'. It's one of those things you can't really check until you're actually running the route
RE: New technology in buses - ne14ne1 - 09 Nov 2020
I listened to a podcast this morning which guest starred Emma Hignett.
As it was transport related they talked about her voice over work with TFL and discussed next stop announcements on London Buses. Interestingly she said that for London they wanted to give out the essential information people needed, while not annoying people or giving out too much information, hence it was kept to the route number & destination as the buses depart a stop, and the name of the upcoming stop as it is approached, (plus the prerecorded messages the driver can play manually if needed).
They then discussed how other cities have since decided to prefix the stop announcements with "Next Stop", or "The next stop is" (or "This is the X service to Y", rather than simply "X, to, Y"), which they thought was unnecessary as the audience knows what it is you're announcing, and it becomes very repetitive sounding and more likely to either annoy people or make them less likely to tune into the vital bit i.e. the stop name, as they've made the announcements all start off sounding the same. They pointed out in any other context you would never start every paragraph or sentence with the same thing, would you.
I just thought it was interesting, and I agree. I would certainly drop off the "Next stop," bit as that does get annoying hearing it over and over in such close secession. If it was purely the stop name it wouldn't sound so repetitive.
RE: New technology in buses - Andreos1 - 09 Nov 2020
(09 Nov 2020, 12:27 pm)ne14ne1 I listened to a podcast this morning which guest starred Emma Hignett.
As it was transport related they talked about her voice over work with TFL and discussed next stop announcements on London Buses. Interestingly she said that for London they wanted to give out the essential information people needed, while not annoying people or giving out too much information, hence it was kept to the route number & destination as the buses depart a stop, and the name of the upcoming stop as it is approached, (plus the prerecorded messages the driver can play manually if needed).
They then discussed how other cities have since decided to prefix the stop announcements with "Next Stop", or "The next stop is" (or "This is the X service to Y", rather than simply "X, to, Y"), which they thought was unnecessary as the audience knows what it is you're announcing, and it becomes very repetitive sounding and more likely to either annoy people or make them less likely to tune into the vital bit i.e. the stop name, as they've made the announcements all start off sounding the same. They pointed out in any other context you would never start every paragraph or sentence with the same thing, would you.
I just thought it was interesting, and I agree. I would certainly drop off the "Next stop," bit as that does get annoying hearing it over and over in such close secession. If it was purely the stop name it wouldn't sound so repetitive.
I do think less is more in these cases.
There's a clear line between too little info and too much advertising and whilst I do agree things are better since the 'next stop, you've guessed it Herrington Burrrn' days (where partnerships with radio stations and lording it over local radio presenters seemed to be flavour of the day) - there are still improvements to be made.
On a slightly connected note, I remember being on the 8 from Park Lane.
It had barely left the business park, when the vehicle let everyone know the next stop was Waterview Park. A fella who clearly didn't know the area, made his way to the front of the bus. Cue awkward looks and embarrassed smiles as he hung around near the front of the bus for the next 3 or 4 miles.