All bus stops should have current, accurate timetables

24 September 2025  |  Michael Solomon Williams  |  Buses

Last year we published our Better Bus Stops report. It showed that while some bus stops are comfy high-tech havens, many lack seating, shelter, and even the most basic timetable information.

Since we published that report, our Better Bus Stops campaign has made amazing progress. Most excitingly, it was taken up by the Transport Select Committee – a group of MPs which advises the Government on transport policy. In its recent report on buses, the Transport Select Committee recommends having a national standard for bus stops – precisely as we have been calling for.

Encouraged by this progress, we have now published a follow-up report, which focuses in on one aspect of the bus stop experience. It may not be glamorous… it may not be high-tech or flashy… but it is 100 per cent essential. Yes, our latest report focuses on printed information at bus stops.

Outdated, incorrect or missing timetables at bus stops are one of the greatest frustrations that passengers face. We know because bus users tell us all the time, and because we’re bus users ourselves. But if you want empirical evidence, how about this: our recent survey found that only 31 per cent of bus stops have an up-to-date timetable on display. And it found that 52 per cent of people would be more likely to use the bus more often if their local stop had better information, including an up-to-date timetable.

‘Who needs a printed timetable?’ some might say. ‘Can’t you just look up the next bus on your phone?’

We suspect that these people haven’t used buses in many different places, and possibly that they don’t live in the real world. If they did, they would realise that not everyone has the tools or skills to access online information; some places have poor mobile connectivity; and many people simply find printed information much clearer to read and understand.

Clear, accurate, consistent, and accessible printed information at bus stops is essential. The problem is, keeping bus timetables up to date is a mammoth task:

• Essex County Council must collate information from 40 bus operators to update timetables at 6,000 bus stops
• West Midlands Combined Authority handled around 27,000 timetable updates in 2024
• Local authorities can have just weeks to provide accurate information about hundreds of services at stops all along their routes.

The solution is a national standard for printed information at bus stops, supported by long-term dedicated funding, and training for local authorities. So says our new report, Better Bus Stops: setting a standard for printed passenger information, co-produced with Optibus.

Technology can help local authorities with this gargantuan task. There is potential for modern software to ingest data from bus operators and generate timetables that meet the national standard.

The requirements in the national standard should vary for different categories of bus stop, from small local stops to major bus stations. Small stops should be required to display route numbers and destinations, service frequency, and first and last bus times, with larger stops required to display fuller timetables. Most crucially, all information at bus stops should be current and accurate.

Bad information at bus stops is frustrating, confusing, and ultimately puts people off taking the bus. A national standard for printed information at bus stops would enable people to catch the bus with confidence, get to vital appointments, access opportunities and enjoy a better quality of life.