redesigning pervasive computing

Assignment 1 - Redesigning Pervasive Computing

203CR - Designing for Usability 2

December 2009

Thomas Davies

2179955

Usability Blogshttp://thomasdavies-203cr.blogspot.com/

Table of ContentsAbstract 5

Introduction 6

The Subjects 6

Limitations 6

Objectives 7

Methodology 8

Researching Ethics 8

Questionnaires 8

Observations 8

Secondary Research 9

Stakeholders 9

Heuristic Evaluation 10

Results 13

Design Recommendations 13

Results 14

Questionnaires 14

Heuristic Evaluation on the VDUs 17

Heuristic Evaluation on TextTime 19

Heuristic Evaluation on MobiTime 20

Observations 21

Secondary Research 21

Redesign 23

Visual Display Unit 23

Interactive Journey Planner 24

Conclusion 31

Report 31

Issues 31

Redesigning Pervasive Computing 3

Appendix A 32

Research E-mails 32

Appendix B 40

Questionnaire 40

Subject A Answers 42

Subject B Answers 43

Subject C Answers 44

Subject D Answers 45

Subject E Answers 46

Subject F Answers 47

Subject G Answers 48

Subject H Answers 49

Subject I Answers 50

Subject J Answers 51

Appendix C 52

Observations 52

References 55


AbstractThis report looks into the usability of bus arrival notification systems in Coventry, and in particular Pool

Meadow Bus Station. After conducting a heuristic evaluation and observations I found several issues with

the usability of the systems implemented by bus operators in the Coventry area. Therefore, I have proposed

many redesigns and solutions to the issues plaguing the Coventry bus operators and Pool Meadow Bus

Station.


IntroductionThe Subjects

National Express

National Express is a worldwide organisation

that has a presence in the United Kingdom,

North America and Spain that focuses on

transportation. Every year in the UK, 320 million

passengers travel on National Express buses to

journey through London, the West Midlands and

Dundee (National Express Group PLC 2008: 16).

National Express Coventry

With over 90,000 travellers every day, National Express Coventry has over 160 buses that operate on 90

bus routes in the city (National Express Group PLC 2009).

Pool Meadow Bus Station

Managed by Network West Midlands, Pool Meadow is Coventry’s bus station that serves as a hub for

several bus operators. With over 40 routes, National Express Coventry is the main operator that utilises the

Pool Meadow Bus Station, along with smaller operators such as Travel de Courcey and Stagecoach in

Warwickshire.

Limitations

Obtaining Statistics

While researching for this project I contacted National Express locally and nationally asking if they could

provide me with information concerning traveller demographics; disabled users, foreign users and visitors

who are new to that city. Even though they promptly responded to my emails and as shown in Appendix A,

National Express are unable to ‘respond to individual requests’ as they ‘receive many hundreds of enquiries

from students every month.’ (Travel Care

Team 2009). After failing to receive any

statistics from National Express, I

contacted Passenger Focus - an

independent passenger watchdog - yet

they lacked the statistics I required, stating

that the Department for Transport would

be ‘the best source of independent

information.’ (Passenger Focus 2009).

Following the response from Passenger Focus, I contacted Lord Andrew Adonis, the Secretary of State for

Transport, and the Shadow Transport Secretary; Theresa Villiers. Apart from an automated response from

the office of Conservative MP; Theresa Villiers, I received no response concerning my request for statistics.

While the Department for Transport and the Office of National Statistics provides data that will be used in

Figure 1 National Express logo

Figure 2 Passenger Focus logo


this report, the specific data requirements I had were not publicly available through any government

department.

Objectives

Redesigning Pervasive Computing

The main objectives of this report is to evaluate the current bus arrival notification system implemented by

National Express Coventry and Network West Midlands in the Coventry area. Utilising a combination of

several sets of heuristics - that will be discussed in the Methodology section - I will evaluate how effective

their current system is in informing the travellers when their buses arrive and whether they will be late.

Following the evaluation I will produce a set of possible redesigns that could be implemented to assist the

travellers in using public transport.


Methodology Researching Ethics

When gathering information from the general public - whether directly or indirectly - it is important we

handle the data received with care. As stated in Designing For Interaction by Dan Saffer, treating your

research subjects correctly is ‘not only the right thing to do, but it will yield better results, since the subjects

will likely open up more if they know that they (and their data) are being treated well.’ (2007: 74). The main

aspect of ethical researching is to gain consent from the subjects and making them aware of how the data

from their answers will be used in the report. To ensure they are at ease, the subjects must be made aware

that their data will be used anonymously. While this isn’t a major issue for my project, in certain situations, if

the subject provides a controversial answer it could affect their job prospects in the future if discovered by

potential employees.

Questionnaires

Subjects

For this assignment, I selected a small sample of participants to answer questionnaires. As public transport

is used by all demographics, I decided I would not target a specific group, rather ensure a wide range of

people complete the questionnaire. Therefore, I selected 10 people who use public transport at least once a

month within the age range of 19 - Over 60. While searching for users of public transport, I discovered there

were more women than men who use buses, and therefore the gender ratio is skewed towards females for

this questionnaire. I decided on the wide age range so that it included students, workers and OAPs that

receive free bus passes from the government.

Information

While considering several possible data gathering methods, I selected the use of questionnaires over

interviews. This was due to the fact that as a student it is difficult to find a suitable time to interview

subjects, especially as several of them were 9am to 5pm workers. As questionnaires allow for the subject to

complete them in their own time, it was logical to select this option both for the project and for the subjects

who have their own commitments. While they allow for open and closed questions, questionnaires must be

clearly worded, as ‘there is no researcher present to encourage and to resolve any

misunderstandings.’ (Sharp et al. 2007: 308). As shown in Appendix B, the questionnaire provides both

quantitative and qualitative data. The initial question provides quantitative data as subjects select an

answer from a couple of specific options, while this is then followed by a qualitative question that asks for

the subjects’ opinions on the same matter. The usual issue with questionnaires is that the completion rate is

rather poor, with 40% being ‘generally acceptable for many surveys, but much lower rates are

common.’ (Sharp et al. 2007: 317). As my questionnaire was targeted to specific people I achieved a 100%

completion rate.

Observations

While questionnaires have a role in interaction design research, it can not be the sole method of the

analysis. Questionnaires may provide targeted answers to questions, ‘but it is difficult for people to describe

all the details of the relevant aspect of everyday life.’ in this form due to it being ‘difficult to describe the


activity in words’ and the subject ‘may describe the ‘official’ procedure rather than how it is actually done in

practice.’ (Benyon et al. 2005: 222). Dan Saffer discusses four methods of observations in Designing for

Interactions; Fly on the Wall, Shadowing, Contextual In

quiry, and Undercover Agent (2007: 78). For this project

I will be using the Fly on the Wall method which allows

designers to visit a specific location, such as Pool

Meadow Bus Station, and ‘unobtrusively observe’ how

their current bus arrival notification system works and

how the general public interacts with it. The object of

the observation method ‘is to blend in with the

environment’ so that the observer can ‘look like they

belong’ in the surroundings (Saffer 2007: 78). Therefore,

while I am at the bus station, I will be using my mobile

phone to write notes because the general public

around me will either think I am writing a text message

or playing a game. This is less conspicuous than using

a pen and paper which would appear out of the

ordinary at Pool Meadow.

As it is against university policy to directly interact with

the general public for research I will be unable to use

the Contextual Inquiry method suggested by Dan

Saffer. This method allows me to observe how the

public interact with the system, and then ask ‘questions

about their behavior’ such as ‘Why are you doing that?

Could you describe that to me?’ (Saffer 2007: 78). This

would have allowed me to ask questions directly after the subject has used the service, so I can get their

feedback immediately. The advantage of this - over asking similar questions in a questionnaire - is that any

issues they have with the system will be at the forefront of their mind, rather than them trying to recall it -

and usually failing to do so - for a questionnaire.

As with questionnaires, the observation method will yield both qualitative and quantitative data. For

quantitative data I will record information such as how many times the bus arrival notification system is

correct, how many times it informs the public of late buses and queue build up. While for qualitative data I’ll

be able to write ‘notes about the level of frustration, or the nature of interaction’ between the users and the

system (Sharp et al. 2007: 356).

Secondary Research

To compliment my primary research through questionnaires and observations, I will be using data and

statistics from the Department for Transport, Office for National Statistics, National Express, and

independent passenger bodies such as Passenger Focus. Through this data, I can discover the issues that

the general public are having with the bus service, and how official government documents recommend

certain practices for making bus services more accessible.

Stakeholders

There are two types of stakeholders involved in pervasive computing, and both are affected by the system.

Therefore both direct and indirect stakeholders need to be considered during any usability evaluation.

Figure 3 The Notes app used for observations


Direct Stakeholders

These stakeholders are ‘those individuals who interact directly with the technology’ (Friedman et al. 2003:

16). For example, the user sending a text message to see when the next bus will arrive is a direct

stakeholder.

Indirect Stakeholders

Indirect stakeholders are ‘those individuals who are impacted by the system, though they never interact

directly with it.’ (Friedman et al. 2003: 16). Examples of indirect stakeholders include ‘people who are with

the direct stakeholder’ when he is sending the text message such as friends or colleagues, and those

‘around (but not “with”) the direct stakeholder.’ (Scholtz, Consolvo 2004: 8).

Heuristic Evaluation

Inspection Method

Nielsen recommends a two pass method of analysis, with the first pass ‘intended to get a feel for the flow

of the interaction and the general scope of the system.’ while the second pass ‘allows the evaluator to

focus on specific interface elements.’. Even though Nielsen believes conducting several passes through the

application for each separate heuristic would be ‘tedious’, I feel for such a small project this method would

work very successfully. Therefore, I will be looking for violations of small groups of heuristics at a time; for

example, looking for consistency issues through one pass, then accessibility in another. Moreover, Nielsen

stated that ‘it would seem unnatural to evaluators to “overlook” usability issues that were not related to the

one issue they were supposed to inspect for in a given pass.’ (Nielsen, Mack 1994: 29). To combat this

problem, I will be noting down usability issues irrelevant to the one being inspected at that time, so I can

investigate them further later. Each issue in the application will be given a severity rating based on the

heuristic it contravenes.1

Equipment

Known as a discount usability method, Heuristic Evaluation requires no specific recording equipment,

therefore only the items being tested are necessary. For the inspection, I used the Visual Display Units

(VDUs) at Pool Meadow Bus Station and the iPhone 3GS for the mobile services provided.

Device Usage

VDUs For completing all the heuristics on the VDUs at the Pool Meadow Bus Station

iPhone 3GS For using the SMS and mobile web services

Research

The foundation of these heuristics are Shneiderman's Eight Golden Rules of Interface Design. As

Shneiderman created his rules for the desktop they have had to be adapted to suit the evaluation of

pervasive computing as ‘there are considerable differences in the models of these two types of

computing.’ (Scholtz, Consolvo 2004: 2). To adapt Shneiderman's heuristics I used an Intel document that

discusses evaluating pervasive computing. The aim of the Intel document was to ‘create a user evaluation

framework specifically for ubicomp.’ (Scholtz, Consolvo 2004: 2). Furthermore, to ensure the current system

and proposed redesigns satisfy current laws, such as the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, the heuristics


1 Work from my 106CR Heuristic Evaluation assignment has been used to produce the Inspection Method paragraph.

Table 1 Required Equipment

include guidelines set out by government agencies and partners in the 2006 document Meeting the Needs

of Disabled Travellers. This document discusses how VDUs should display data allowing information to be

‘accessible to as many users as possible’ ensuring it is ‘clear, concise and consistent.’ (RTIG 2006: 1). As

there is a mobile aspect of the bus arrival notification system, I have utilised certain heuristics that I

assembled last year for a heuristic evaluation on a mobile phone for my 106CR Designing for Usability

module. Those heuristics relied on Apple’s iPhone Human Interface Guidelines (2008), as well as Nokia’s

Mobile Game Playability Heuristics (2006). While these are targeted at multi-touch displays and mobile

games respectively, they still provide rules for creating any applications or services on mobile devices.

Severity Rating

While conducting a heuristic evaluation, a severity rating system is vital for the overall success of the

project. Without a rating system, the designers would be unable to decide what usability issues require ‘the

most resources to fix’ (Nielsen, Mack 1994: 47) such as time and financial costs. For this task, I chose a

four-point rating system:

Rating Description

None It is not a usability issue

Low Cosmetic or minor usability issue that can easily be resolved by the user

Moderate A significant usability issue that should be fixed before release as it could affect a large proportion of users

High Usability issue makes the system unusable or will affect the majority of users and must be fixed immediately

Table 2 Severity Rating System

During the analysis stage, these ratings will be judged on the three factors suggested by Nielsen; the

frequency of the issue, the overall impact of the problem, and the persistence of the usability flaw (Nielsen,

Mack 1994: 47).

User Interface

ID Heuristic

Consistency & InteractionConsistency & Interaction

UI1 Navigation is consistent and logical.

Well organised and easy to use workflow.

UI2 Consistent typeface, style and size.

UI3 Simple and consistent colour palette.

UI4 Minimal data entry.

UI6 Use standard user interface controls so interaction is predictable and familiar.

UI8 Provide large sized targets for interaction.

Eg. At least a 44 pixel square for touch screens.

FeedbackFeedback

UI9 Feedback should be provided immediately after user input.

Eg. Selecting an item will highlight it to show the system has accepted the input.

UI10 Audio should be relevant. However, can not be the primary source of feedback.

UI11 Animation should be subtle and provide meaningful feedback. It should enhance the user’s experience.

HelpHelp

UI12 The system should be obvious to use and require little or no help.


ID Heuristic

System StateSystem State

UI13 Users should be kept informed about the system.

Eg. Show progress in a download.

UI14 Do not force the user to remember previous actions.

AccessibilityAccessibility

UI15 Display messages for at least 10 seconds.

UI16 Place text on a plain background.

UI17 Use san-serif fonts for information.

UI18 Do not display a message in capital letters only.

UI19 Avoid abbreviations, apart from common abbreviations.

Eg. Rd for Road and St for Street.

UI20 Do not use flashing or scrolling text.

UI21 Keep instructions simple by using action instructions.

UI22 Provide all visual information in audible form where possible.

UI23 Make any synthesised voice sound as natural as possible.

UI24 Ensure signs are capable of displaying special or emergency messages if required.

Mobility Issues

ID Heuristic

MobilityMobility

MI1 The system should be working within several seconds.

MI2 Content should be optimised for mobile devices.

MI3 If accessing on a more modern smartphone, the system should display richer content.

MI4 The system should work with the surroundings. Applications should respect the device’s state.

Eg. Ring/Silent switch.

Pervasive Issues

ID Heuristic

AttentionAttention

PE1 Number of times a user needs to change focus due to technology.

PE2 Number of events not noticed by a user in an acceptable time.

AdoptionAdoption

PE3 Number of people using the service.

PE4 The system should benefit the user.

Trust & SecurityTrust & Security

PE5 User should not have to divulge a lot of personal information for the system to be useful.

PE6 The system discusses how the personal information is utilised.

InteractionInteraction

PE7 The system should complete the task set out by the user.

PE8 Completing a task should be as quick as possible.

PE9 Limit all distractions so the user can focus on the main task.

InvisibilityInvisibility

PE10 Time taken to personalise (learn or adapt) the system for the user’s preference.

Eg. Invert screen colours to make it more clear for partially sighted users.


Results

As there could be many issues with the bus arrival notification system implemented at Pool Meadow Bus

Station, my results will include the major issues that affect bus users and any issues that could be resolved

through innovative means. Moreover, not all of the heuristics above can be used to evaluate every part of

the system. For example, the Mobility Issues heuristics will play no role in evaluating the VDUs at Pool

Meadow, but they will be the main focus of the evaluation on the system’s mobile services.

Design Recommendations

During the final stage, I will provide suggestions for possible redesigns in the form of written explanations or

annotated prototypes. Providing possible solutions to design flaws is vital as designers have ‘no information

to help design the exact changes to the interface.’ (Nielsen, Mack 1994: 32) as heuristic evaluation only

highlights problems with systems and does not produce solutions. While the majority of the design

recommendations will be based on the results of the heuristic evaluation, the information gained via

observations, questionnaires and secondary research will still play a significant role in the redesign process.


ResultsQuestionnaires

Demographics

As stated in the Methodology section, this questionnaire is slightly skewed towards female bus users, as 6

women and 4 men completed the questionnaire. Meanwhile, the chart below discovers that women use the

bus service more often than men.

Male Female

0

1

2

3

Under 2020 - 29

30 - 3940 - 49

50 - 5960 or above

Figure 4 The age groups of bus travellers split by gender

Male Female

0

1

2

< 12 / 3

4Everyday

Figure 5 How frequent the subjects travel by bus per week split by gender


Printed Timetable Data

The majority of those who completed the questionnaire stated that they used the printed timetable data at

bus stops and bus stations. There was however, a few problems with the timetables concerning reliability as

they do not ‘take into account traffic’ issues (Subject A 2009). The reason why some of the subjects do not

utilise the printed timetable data is because they already know the times that the buses are coming, as they

are regular users of public transport.

Digital Signage

As shown in the chart above, just over half of those questioned have digital signage at their bus stops to

inform them of the next arrival. While Subject C informed us that at his bus stop the digital signage made

users aware of late buses, many others believe that at their bus stop it ‘does not say if it is [the bus]

late.’ (Subject D 2009).

Yes No

70%

30%

Figure 6 Percentage of users that use printed timetable data

Yes No

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Figure 7 Number of users who have digital signage at their bus stops


Mobile Services

The question concerning mobile services provided by Network West

Midlands produced an overwhelming statistic that highlights a huge

issue with their mobile strategy. Out of those questioned, nobody

has ever used the mobile services knowingly - such as bus data via

text and through the mobile web - while 20% were unsure.

Even though Subject A stated that he has never had a need for it

because the buses he uses are ‘pretty reliable’ (Subject A 2009),

many others were totally unaware as they ‘did not know the service

was available for buses.’ (Subject F 2009). This was a sentiment

backed up by Subject G, H and I as they also ‘didn’t know it

existed.’ (Subject G 2009). While those questioned had never heard

of the service before, Network West Midlands have stated that they

‘receive around 6,000 SMS messages a month’ through TextTime,

while their MobiTime service - mobile web version - has ‘8,000 users

a month.’ (ITS UK 2009: 5).

Network West Midlands’ TextTime service provides ‘information

about your local bus service and tells you when the next bus will

arrive at your stop via your mobile phone.’ (Network West Midlands 2009) and as Subject E answered in her

questionnaire the majority of the information that users receive via text is the same ‘bus timetable that is

already up’ at the bus stop, and that the TextTime service ‘charges’ for usage (Subject E 2009).

The two subjects who were 60 or above gave very similar answers that highlighted the technology and age

divide. Subject C stated that he doesn’t ‘have mobile or internet access’ (2009), while Subject J suggested

the overall usability of mobile phones was poor as she could ‘barely use her phone to call people’ and

therefore she ‘wouldn’t attempt’ (2009) to use the service even if she was aware of it.

Yes No Donʼt Know

80%

20%

Figure 8 Percentage of users that use mobile services

Figure 9 TextTime Service


Heuristic Evaluation on the VDUs

UI1 - Navigation is consistent and logical - Severity:

Low

The VDUs provide logical navigation methods. The bus

arrival times are displayed in time order, so those that

are coming soon are at the top, while buses arriving

later are displayed nearer to the end of the list. This is

a common feature of all the VDUs at Pool Meadow Bus

Station. There is however a minor issue concerning the

use of real-time tracking on some buses. Buses on

certain bus routes have real-time tracking enabled,

which is shown by Point 1 in Figure 10, where the

Wood End bus is 3 minutes away, while many of the

other buses just provide the expected time according

to the official timetables. This is a rather inconsistent

method as the VDU utilises two options for displaying

similar information. A further, minor issue is that at the top of the VDU, sections of the station are referred to

as Stands, while in the list they are referred to as Bays.

UI16 - Place text on a plain background - Severity: Moderate

As shown in Figure 10, the majority of the white text is displayed on a plain

blue background, while the heading text is also white, but displayed on a

plain orange background. Even there notice concerning stand changes for

certain buses use the white text on a blue background contrast as shown in

Figure 11. Research from Dr. Lauren Scharff at Stephen F. Austin State

University suggests that white on blue nearly performs as well as black on

white and black on grey for readability. Interestingly though ‘darker text on a

lighter background was rated more readable than its inverse (e.g. blue text on white background ranked

higher then white text on blue background).’ (Scharff 1996), so therefore inverting the colours might be a

possible redesign suggestion.

UI20 - Do not use flashing or scrolling text - Severity: Moderate

On all of the VDUs at the bus station, there is scrolling text at the bottom of the screen. This is shown in

Figure 12, where the scrolling text is shown at different stages on three VDUs. It provides a welcome

message, and warnings such as the non-smoking law in public spaces. While a government document

states that scrolling text can be used when ‘unavoidable, such as where a message is too long to fit on a

display’ (RTIG 2006) the messages displayed at Pool Meadow Bus Station are not that important to warrant

the use of scrolling text especially as messages such as the non-smoking law are displayed in printed

format around the building. The Department of Transport also state that users can ‘find it difficult to process

information presented in’ the scrolling format way (RTIG 2006).

2

3

2 The header with white text on an orange background.

3 White text on a blue background.

1 The timetable is order by how long it will take the next bus to

arrive. Will show exact number of minutes when bus contains real-

time tracking.

1

Figure 10 The VDU Unit

Figure 11 Blue background

Figure 12 Scrolling text at Pool Meadow Bus Station


UI22 - Provide all visual information in audible form where possible - Severity: High

While this is difficult to accomplish in a bus station, where there is heavy background noise and the bus

operators do not want to confuse passengers, it is still important and expected by the government that

important information is provided in an audible form. Clearly there is no need to announce when every bus

arrives at the bus station, but mentioning late arrivals and other issues that could affect the transport should

be provided, yet this is not the case at Pool Meadow. Very rarely will there be a public announcement, and if

there is it only states that the bus station is a smoking free zone.

PE3 - Number of people using the service - Severity: Unknown

Even though it was difficult to get solid numbers of those checking the VDUs for timetabling information, my

observations recorded that just over 50% of passengers checked the VDU at least once. For those who

didn’t consult the VDUs, I am unaware of the reasons why due to university policy concerning the general

public, and therefore was unable to ask for reasons. I do however, believe from questionnaire results that

some travellers already know the times of the bus service or they don’t trust the information provided as it

has been wrong in the past. For these reasons, the severity for this heuristic is unknown.

PE5 - Users should not have to divulge a lot of personal

information - Severity: None

The advantage of providing a general information screen

containing all the times for the buses is that no personal

information is shared and therefore the passenger should not

have any issues with using the system. While, as shown in

Figure 13, the disadvantage is that it can be difficult and

monotonous for the user to traverse through a lot of

information to reach their bus service times. For example, if

you travelled on the Number 22 bus service, you would have

to go through 11 lines to reach your specific bus.

PE7 - The system should complete the tasks set out by

the user - Severity: High

As shown by my observation on the 10th December 2009 in

Appendix C, the screen was used exclusively to inform

passengers that the Number 13 bus service had moved, with

the notice ‘The Number 13 bus service now departs from

Stand D.’ being displayed. Therefore, for that whole day, the

VDU did not display any timetabling information so Number

36 passengers did not know when their bus would arrive.

While it would seem understandable to use the screen to

display such important information, Stand G itself had several printed notices stating that the Number 13

bus service had moved to Stand D, which should have allowed the VDU to remain as a source of

timetabling information.

Figure 13 VDU Timetable


Heuristic Evaluation on TextTime

UI4 - Minimal data entry - Severity: Moderate

To receive a response from TextTime, the user has to

send a code to 84268 which tells the service what bus

stop the user is at. The issue with this is that the code

is a random set of letters, and doesn’t actually relate to

the bus service, or the bus stop in question. An

example of one of these codes are shown in Figure 14,

while Figure 15 shows a printed timetable at a bus

stop that includes the code for that stop. As it is a

random code, there must be a lot of incorrectly sent

messages, therefore wasting passengers money.

On the Network West Midlands website, they provide

Coventry passengers with a 12 page .pdf document including all of the codes for buses that serve the

Coventry area. Users surely can not be expected to remember all of the codes that could relate to them?

Due to this flaw, the TextTime service also doesn’t take into account the use case of a passenger walking to

the bus stop, and wanting to know whether they should wait for the bus or find another method of

transport, as they can’t guess or remember a random code.

MI1 - The system should be working

within several seconds - Severity: None

After texting the code for my bus stop to

TextTime, I received the response within

30 seconds. While it is not within the

several second period stated by this

heuristic, I feel it is an adequate response

time for them to receive, decipher and

then send the response.

PE3 - The system should benefit the

user - Severity: Moderate

Seeing as this service costs 25p per text, it would be expected to provide the latest, up-to-date data about

the buses, and provide more information than what is available on the printed timetable at the bus stop. Yet,

as shown in Figure 16, this is not the case and therefore is a waste of money for the passenger.

1 The code that I sent TextTime. It tells them I am at

Sandpits Lane bus stop, waiting for the Number 36

bus service.

1

Figure 14 SMS sent to TextTime

Figure 15 The printed timetable at the bus stop advertising the TextTime service

1 The times from the TextTime service are one minute ahead of those at the bus stop. However, it still doesn't provide any additional information.

TT stands for TimetabledRT stands for Real-Time

Text from TextTime Data from the printed timetable

1

Figure 16 Similar timetable data


Heuristic Evaluation on MobiTime

UI19 - Avoid abbreviations - Severity: Low

Even though abbreviations such as Adj (for adjacent)

and Opp (for opposite) are relatively common in the

UK, they may not be for foreign visitors or those with

learning difficulties.

MI2 - Content should be optimised for mobile

devices - Severity: None

It is quite clear that the MobiTime service has been

created and therefore optimised to support standard

mobile devices. As shown in Figure 17, the structure

of the webpage and the links suggest it has been

designed for use by the arrow keys found on all

traditional mobile phones

MI3 - If accessing on a smartphone, the

system should display richer content -

Severity: Moderate

While the content is optimised for mobile

devices, and therefore passes the MI2 heuristic,

MobiTime fails to display richer content when

accessed from a smartphone such as the

iPhone. As the iPhone is a touchscreen, merely

replicating the exact same mobile website on

Apple’s device will not be successful as the

interaction methods are significantly different.

As shown in Figure 18, the text field and Find

Stops button are very small, and will be difficult

to select when using a touchscreen. After

entering location data, the service will show you

the nearest bus stops as shown in Figure 17.

Once again, the links are very small targets, and

highlight how this service was supposed to be

used with standard mobile phones where the arrow keys would be used to navigate through the webpage.

As the two lines under each link provide more details about the bus stops, why can they not become links

as well to increase the target size?

PE10 - Time taken to personalise the system for the user’s preference - Severity: Moderate

No matter how many times you use the MobiTime service, it will not remember your favourite or most

commonly used bus stops. To find your location, the service asks for data such as a post code, then

recommends several bus stops near by, requiring you to select the bus stop you need. By remembering the

most commonly used bus stops by that user, the system can avoid the second step, allowing the system to

be significantly faster.

1

2

1 Small link target size. Could incorporate the detailed

information below as a link.

2 Poor use of abbreviations.

Figure 17 Results View

1

1 Rather small text field and button. Could be larger

as the screen size is rather big.

Figure 18 Introduction View


Observations

Pushchair & Wheelchair access

Even though all modern buses have a section reserved for both pushchair and wheelchair users, there are

some occasions where all available sections are full or the bus operator is required to place an old bus into

service due to certain circumstances such as repairs on the newer buses. However, any pushchair or

wheelchair users will be unaware of these issues until the bus arrives at the bus station.

The situation of all the available areas being full took place on my second observation on the 7th December.

It was rather busy due to many school children catching the buses and while waiting for the 16:17 bus

service, ‘3 mothers with pushchairs’ begin ‘waiting to catch the 36.’ (Observation 07/12 2009). As the 16:17

bus arrived two minutes late, it was even busier than normal, meaning that one of the mothers had ‘to wait

till the 16:28 or find other means of transport.’ (Observation 07/12 2009). If she was aware of the situation

earlier - before the bus had arrived - she could have decided whether to wait for the bus after, choose

another bus service or find another transportation method, instead of waiting.

Missing the bus by 1 minute

During all three of my observations, some people arrived at Stand G less than a minute after the previous

bus had departed. That is rather annoying as they can have to wait around for 10 - 15 minutes during peak

times, and even have to wait an hour during off-peak times. On Tuesday, 1st December, the bus began to

leave Stand G as ‘a lady runs and tries to open the sliding door’ (2009) in an attempt to catch that bus. She

failed, and the bus carried on its journey. At 14:18 on my third observation, the bus departed from Pool

Meadow Bus Station, but once again a few people were ‘already queuing at 14:19. They had missed the

bus by one minute.’ (Observation 10/12 2009).

Poor Signage

During my third observation, I noticed that the VDU at Stand G was only displaying a blue screen with white

text saying 'The Number 13 bus service now departs from Stand D'. Seeing as this usually displays the

timetable for the 36, it mean’t it was impossible for passengers to find out when the next bus would arrive.

Late buses and VDUs

I expected at least that the VDUs would display late messages concerning buses that have real-time

tracking support, however this was not the case. If the bus is late, it gets removed from the VDU one minute

after it was supposed to arrive at the bus station. This gives the passengers no information and they will be

left worrying and thinking ‘Is the 16:17 is cancelled? Is it just disappeared because it has passed the time

16:17?’ (Observation 07/12 2009). I believe that the VDU should also display when non real-time tracked

buses are late as well via other means of technology.

Secondary Research

Digital Signage

Research from Passenger Focus’ Bus Mystery Traveller report suggests that while printed timetable data is

available at the majority of bus stops, only 23% have digital signage, of which only 87% actually work

correctly (Passenger Focus 2009).


Concessionary Bus Travel

Since early 2008, people over the age of 60 have been entitled to ‘free off-peak bus travel anywhere in

England.’ (Passenger Focus 2009). While research from their Concessionary Bus Travel report suggests that

the new initiative has ‘encouraged great use by pass-holders, particularly in their local area’, only 13% of

these passengers have actually made journeys outside of their local area. The report concludes this is due

to three main reasons as shown in Table 19.

No. Reason

1 General anxiety about travelling on unfamiliar bus services

2 Perceived lack of information on bus timetables, service frequencies and stops

3 Longer journey times by bus in comparison to car

Table 3 Reasons for non-use (Passenger Focus 2009)

Figure 19 Reasons for bus usage out of the local area (Passenger Focus 2009)

Issues with bus services

In 2007, the Department for Transport released the Health-Related Travel Difficulties document that

provided an insight into the difficulties faced by the general public. Of those who had issues with public

transport stated the reasons shown in Figure 20. The final two issues is what this assignment focuses on.

Figure 20 Issues with bus services (Department for Transport 2007)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Friends & FamilyShopping

RecreationHoliday

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%Getting to bus stop

Getting on or off bus

Standing waiting

Getting to and from seatIdentifying destinationFinding timetable info


RedesignVisual Display Unit

Stand G 13:25

Service Destination Arrival Time

36 Keresley Village 3 mins

13 Prologis Park 4 mins

36 Keresley Village 10 mins

13 Prologis Park 14 mins

1 The next arrival for each bus service at a stand will be significantly

larger than other ones to make it easier for passengers to see the

next bus.

2 Later buses appear in smaller font as when passengers check the

VDU, they check to see when the next bus is, not the bus that will

arrive after three others.

1

2

VDU Redesign

Colour contrast has been kept because research has proven it to be a good contrast.


Interactive Journey Planner

Introduction & Main Screens

1In

tro

du

ctio

n s

cre

en

to

th

e in

tera

ctive

men

u s

cre

en

.

2P

ass

en

ger

pla

ces

Bu

s P

ass

on

th

e s

cre

en

to

activa

te it

an

d lo

ad

an

y

pre

fere

nces.

Th

ese

inclu

de c

on

trast

ch

an

ge f

or

dis

ab

led

use

rs.

Pla

ce B

us P

ass

Her

e

Get

Sta

rted

1

Intr

oduc

tion

Scre

en to

Jou

rney

Pla

nner

Sys

tem

Use

Jou

rney

Pla

nner

w

ithou

t a b

us p

ass

2

3

3A

llow

s p

ass

en

gers

with

ou

t a b

us

pass

- o

r th

ose

wh

o d

on

't w

an

t

pers

on

al d

ata

to

be u

sed

- t

o u

se t

he J

ou

rney

Pla

nn

er

syst

em

.

1L

oo

ks

at

all

you

r re

cen

t jo

urn

eys

an

d

inclu

des

them

h

ere

fo

r

tim

eta

blin

g in

form

atio

n a

nd

oth

er

deta

ils.

2A

llow

s p

ass

en

ger

to p

lan

a n

ew

jo

urn

ey

that

they

have

neve

r ta

ken

befo

re.

Exit

Your

usu

al jo

urne

ys

Plan

a n

ew jo

urne

y

Purc

hase

a b

us p

ass

Welc

om

e b

ack T

ho

mas

36 -

13:2

5O

n Ti

me

36 -

13:3

55

min

del

ay

1 2 3

3M

akes

it e

asi

er

for

pass

en

gers

to

pu

rch

ase

bu

s p

ass

es

an

d r

en

ew

old

on

es.

4

4P

rovi

des

qu

ick a

ccess

to

tim

eta

blin

g i

nfo

rmatio

n a

bo

ut

the b

use

s

the s

yste

m p

red

icts

th

e u

ser

will

be t

akin

g.

5E

xits

an

d lo

gs

ou

t o

f th

eir a

cco

un

t. A

fter

30

seco

nd

s o

f n

on

-use

th

e

syst

em

au

tom

atically

clo

ses

the p

revi

ou

s u

ser'

s p

rofile

.

Poss

ible

sec

urity

an

d tr

ust i

ssue

.

Pred

icts

bas

ed o

n tim

e, d

ate

and

curr

ent l

ocat

ion.

Mai

n Sc

reen

to J

ourn

ey P

lann

er S

yste

m

5


Usual Journeys & New Journey Screens

1Lo

oks

at

the

curr

ent

day

and

p

rovi

des

the

bus

route

s th

at

the

pass

eng

er

usu

ally

use

s o

n t

hat

day.

2Lo

oks

for

oth

er

bus

route

s th

at

the p

ass

eng

er

reg

ula

rly

takes

and

pro

vid

es

quic

k a

ccess

to

tho

se.

<< B

ack

36 P

ool M

eado

w -

08:3

5

3Ta

kes

the u

ser

back t

o t

he m

ain

scre

en.

Usua

l Jou

rney

s Sc

reen

to J

ourn

ey P

lann

er S

yste

m

On

a M

ond

ay y

ou

usua

lly t

ake

...

36 K

eres

ley

Villa

ge -

17:4

5

On

oth

er d

ays

you

usua

lly t

ake

...

13 P

rolo

gis

Park

- Va

rious

Tim

es

1 2

3

1A

llow

s th

e u

ser

to s

earc

h b

y lo

catio

n v

ia p

ost

co

de,

city

nam

e,

or

a

map

vie

w.

2S

ho

ws

the p

ass

eng

er

all

the a

ttra

ctio

ns

and

go

od

outing

s in

the

local a

rea.

<< B

ack

Loca

tion

Sear

ch

3P

rovi

des

easy

access

to

all

the r

est

aura

nts

and

pub

s in

the l

ocal

are

a.Ne

w J

ourn

eys

Scre

en to

Jou

rney

Pla

nner

Sys

tem

Whe

re d

o y

ou

wan

t to

go

to

day

?

Loca

l Attr

actio

ns

Hun

gry?

5

Shop

ahol

ic?

1

4S

ho

ws

the p

ass

eng

er

where

all

the lo

cal s

ho

pp

ing

are

as

are

.

2

34

5Ta

kes

the u

ser

back t

o t

he m

ain

scre

en.

This

sec

tion

was

des

igne

d fo

r vis

itors

to th

e lo

cal a

rea

and

for t

he

OAP

s w

ho g

et a

free

bus

pas

s an

d w

ant t

o try

and

vis

it ne

w a

reas

. Th

is n

ot o

nly

info

rms

the

pass

enge

r of t

he lo

catio

n an

d th

e bu

s se

rvic

e to

use

, but

als

o pr

ovid

es id

eas

for v

isits

.


Local Attractions Screen

1 Provides a list of possible attraction types in a menu form. Allows

the user to drill down in options

2 Takes the user back a level.

<< Back

Local Attractions Screen to Journey Planner System

Local Attractions

Sports Museums

Cinemas Bars & Pubs

Places of Worship Art Galleries

21


Detailed New Journey Screen

1S

om

e

basi

c

info

rmatio

n

ab

ou

t th

e

locatio

n

the

pass

en

ger

is

inte

rest

ed

in.

2In

form

s th

e u

ser

of

all

the b

use

s re

quired

to

vis

it t

he lo

catio

n.

<< B

ack

3A

llow

s th

e u

ser

to p

rint

off

the r

eq

uired

buse

s, t

he d

ep

art

ure

tim

es

and

where

they

dep

art

fro

m.

Det

aile

d N

ew J

ourn

eys

Scre

en to

Jou

rney

Pla

nner

Sys

tem

Ric

oh

Are

na

4A

llow

s th

e u

ser

to t

ext

them

selv

es

the i

nfo

rmatio

n f

or

the r

eq

uired

buse

s, t

he d

ep

art

ure

tim

es

and

where

they

dep

art

fro

m.

Wo

uld

allo

w

use

r to

ente

r th

eir o

wn n

um

ber

or

use

a s

ave

d n

um

ber

fro

m B

us

Pass

info

rmatio

n.

5Ta

kes

the u

ser

back a

leve

l.

Hos

ting

the

Sky

Blu

es, t

he

Ric

oh A

rena

is a

32,

000

seat

er

stad

ium

with

a s

hop

pin

g ce

ntre

and

a c

asin

o at

tach

ed

to it

. Op

ened

for

seve

ral y

ears

, it

has

host

ed m

any

grea

t p

erfo

rmin

g ar

tists

suc

h as

Ta

ke T

hat.

Bus

es R

equi

red

Prin

tSe

nd to

M

obile

!

5

14

- 14:

15O

n Ti

me

13 -

13:3

5O

n Ti

me

2

34

May

nee

d to

mak

e it

mor

e ob

viou

s th

at it

requ

ires

two

buse

s to

get

ther

e. C

ould

lo

ok li

ke it

requ

ires

eith

er o

f th

e bu

ses

and

not b

oth.

Mes

sage

s

You

need

to c

atch

the

13 @

13

:15

from

Sta

nd D

, and

th

en c

atch

the

4 @

14:

15 b

y th

e Ke

resl

ey P

ub.

Mis

sed

a bu

s? T

ext u

s ba

ck.

I hav

e m

isse

d th

e 4

@

14:1

5

Stay

at t

he s

ame

bus

stop

. Th

e ne

xt 4

arri

ves

at 1

4:25

.

Exam

ple

Text

Mes

sage

Sce

nario

6

7

8

6A

n e

xam

ple

text

mess

ag

e t

hat

the s

erv

ice w

ould

send

.

7A

natu

ral l

ang

uag

e q

uery

sent

by

the p

ass

eng

er.

8A

re

spo

nse

to

th

e

query

, p

rovi

din

g

ass

ista

nce

by

info

rmin

g

the

pass

eng

er

of

ano

ther

arr

ival t

ime.


Busy Bus Mobile Device

BusTracker

The next 36 bus looks very busy. What would you like to do?

Catch the bus anyway

Show time for next bus

Busy Bus Indicator

Uses CCTV footage for a good public purpose 1

2

3

1 Shows a slightly delayed image from the CCTV cameras to

show how busy it is. Uses AI to work out whether a lot of

people are waiting for the bus.

2 Tells the system that the passenger will get the bus.

3 Provides the passenger with the arrival time of the next 36

bus service.

This was designed for passengers who arrive for the very busy buses. The system predicts what buses that the

passenger is likely to get on. For example, if at 17:00 a user is always in Pool Meadow and catches the next available 36, the system will inform the passenger of buses around that time

period.


Bus Stopper Mobile Device

BusTracker

At your current pact you will reach the bus stop in 1 minute.

Ask the bus driver to wait?

Bus Stopper

Uses the GPS on modern smartphones

and on the bus1

1 A map showing the current location of the passenger, the

bus stop and the bus itself.

2 The user's location using GPS.

3 The bus' location using GPS.

2

4 The bus stop location.

5 Will tell the bus driver to wait 1 minute for the passenger.

34

Bus Stop

Wait Ignore

6 The system will ignore the request and not inform the bus

driver.

5 6

Uses a built-in pedometer to track how fast the user is walking and how long it will take for them to reach the stop. Will not wait for

more than 1 minute.

BusTracker

7 Informs the passenger how long they have left before the

bus leaves.

8 Allows the user to cancel the request, letting the bus

depart.

9 Allows the user to view the timetable for that bus service.

You have

20seconds

before the bus leaves

Cancel Request

View Timetable

7

The system predicts what buses that the passenger is likely to get on. For example, if at 17:00 a user is always in Pool Meadow and catches the next available 36, the system will

inform the passenger of buses around that time period.

This system was designed for the passengers who just miss the bus by a minute. Allowing them to ask the bus to wait will improve customer satisfaction, and will not add huge delays to the bus service. The bus driver will only be asked to stay for 1 minute, and no longer.

8

9


Text Message Solution

Messages

The next 36 at Sandpits Lane will arrive in 4 minutes time (14:26).

Waiting for the 36 into town at Sandpits Lane

2

1

1 Instead of providing a random code, the passenger can send a

natural language query to the service.

2 The service will then send a response informing the passenger how

long they will have to wait.

While this may not always work, it will improve the usability of the system as they passenger does not have to remember a random

code. By parsing the text message for key information such as the number 36, Sandpits Lane and the fact it is going into town tells the

service all it needs to know.

Text Message Scenario


ConclusionReport

Throughout this assignment, I discovered that there were several issues affecting the general public when it

comes to public transport usage. Even though the VDUs at Pool Meadow Bus Station needed a minor

revision to its design, I find it quite poor that it needed any redesign in the first place. The VDUs at the bus

station are the only method of finding out information concerning bus arrival times, and should therefore be

throughly tested to ensure they are usable.

While natural language queries are not perfect, I feel they are a significantly better option than asking the

passenger to enter a random code when trying to find out timetable information. Removing the random

code with natural language also makes it easier when the user is approaching the bus stop as they do not

need to see the printed timetable to remember the random code.

The two mobile designs I created (Busy Bus Indicator & Bus Stopper) were to show what was possible

when incorporating different technologies. While these would probably never be utilised by bus operators, I

believe they are a good way to improve customer satisfaction.

Issues

The main issue I had when compiling this report was being unable to ask questions to passengers during

the observation stage. This would have allowed me to fully understand their motives, rather than attempting

to guess what they were trying to do.


Appendix AResearch E-mails

Email sent to Theresa Villiers

From: "Thomas Davies" <[email protected]>

Date: 18 November 2009 18:43:08 GMT

To: <[email protected]>

Subject: Bus Service Statistics

Dear Theresa Villiers,

I am a second year Coventry University student and am currently researching how the general public uses

public transport. My main focus is how they can select the correct bus to catch and have up to date

information on arrival times. Following research and analysis I will recommend possible implementations

that could aid the general public in these daily tasks.

I have contacted National Express - the organisation behind Coventry's bus services - and received replies

stating they are unable to provide specific information and pointed me to their Annual Reports. While their

Annual Reports have been helpful, they haven't provided the specific information I am looking for. Following

this, I started searching through the Government's National Statistics website and found some helpful

information, but once again none of their documents have answered my queries. Recently, I have emailed

Lord Andrew Adonis, but am yet to receive a reply from his department. Therefore I was wondering whether

you could assist me in answering these questions if you have any relevant statistics.

1. How many people use your bus services in a year? (Your Annual Report says 320 million for your entire

network)

2. What percentage of travellers have a disability that could affect their travel?

3. What percentage of travellers don't class English as their first language?

4. What percentage of travellers use your bus stops or stations who are visitors to that particular city.

I appreciate your time and effort in assisting my studies.

Yours sincerely,

Thomas


mailto:[email protected]




Email sent to Lord Andrew Adonis





Dear Rt Hon Lord Andrew Adonis,









information, but once again none of their documents have answered my queries. Therefore I was wondering

whether you could assist me in answering these questions if you have any relevant statistics.


network)





Yours sincerely,

Thomas






Email sent to Passenger Focus





Dear Sir or Madam,









information, but once again none of their documents have answered my queries. Therefore I was wondering

whether you could assist me in answering these questions if you have any relevant statistics.

Your website contains several great pieces of documentation that will be used in my project, however I am

yet to come across any data that can answer my questions.


network)





Yours faithfully,

Thomas






Email sent to National Express




Subject: Coventry Service Statistics

Dear Sir or Madam,





Therefore, I was wondering whether you could answer a few questions of mine. I would prefer if these could

be Coventry specific, but would be fine with general National Express bus statistics.


network)





Yours faithfully,

Thomas






Response from National Express

From: "Info" <[email protected]>


To: "'Thomas Davies'" <[email protected]>

Subject: RE: Coventry Service Statistics

Dear Thomas

Thank you for your email.

Unfortunately, we cannot bespoke questionnaires to the high number of requests we receive on a weekly

basis.

All details of our operations are available in our Annual and Corporate Responsibility reports. Both

documents can be viewed or downloaded from our website at:

http://www.nationalexpressgroup.com

Regards

NOTICE

This message and any files transmitted with it is intended for the addressee only and may contain

information that is confidential or privileged. Unauthorised use is strictly prohibited. If you are not the

addressee, you should not read, copy, disclose or otherwise use this message, except for the purpose of

delivery to the addressee.

Any views or opinions expressed within this e-mail are those of the author and do not necessarily represent

those of Coventry University.

****************************************************

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that all National

Express company email addresses are now of the format

[email protected]. If necessary,

please update your records accordingly.

****************************************************

Think Green!!! Please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to.

****************************************************










Response from Travel Care

From: "Travel Care" <[email protected]>


To: "'[email protected]'" <[email protected]>

Subject: RE: Message (General) from Thomas Davies via the NEWM contact form

Thank you for your email received at Travel Care.

Unfortunately we receive many hundreds of enquiries from students every month and are unable to respond

to individual requests.

However, for further details about our companies please visit www.nationalexpressgroup.com and feel free

to use any information.

Thank you for taking the time and trouble to contact us.

Travel Care Team.

THANK YOU.

travelwm.co.uk automated mailer.

****************************************************

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that all National

Express company email addresses are now of the format

[email protected]. If necessary,

please update your records accordingly.

****************************************************

Think Green!!! Please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to.

****************************************************

This e-mail contains proprietary information some or all of which may be legally privileged. It is for the

intended recipient only. If an addressing or transmission error has misdirected this e-mail, please notify the

author by replying to this e-mail. If you are not the intended recipient you must not use, disclose, distribute,

copy, print, or rely on this e-mail. Whilst reasonable precautions have been taken to ensure that this

message and any attachments are free from viruses or other malicious code, no guarantee is implied or

given. The views expressed in this communication may not necessarily be the views held by National

Express Group PLC.

National Express Group PLC. Registered in England No 2590560. Registered Office: 7 Triton Square,

London, NW1 3HG.












Response from Passenger Focus

From: "Advice" <[email protected]>


To: "Thomas Davies" <[email protected]>

Subject: Bus Service Statistics(our ref: PF0-39533-4RH1)

Dear Mr Davies

Thank you for your email.

Passenger Focus is the statutory watchdog protecting and promoting the interests of rail, bus and coach

passengers.

The Secretary of State for Transport announced on 8 April 2008 that Passenger Focus will widen its role to

become the bus passenger champion in England. The Local Transport Act which gained Royal Assent on

26th November 2008 enables the Secretary of State to extend the remit of Passenger Focus through

secondary legislation. We are currently working towards our formal launch in April 2010.

From your enquiry the Department for Transport (DfT) statistics you have are the best source of

independent data. We unfortunately do not hold the data that you are seeking. We would recommend

though to keep an eye on our website at www.passengerfocus.org.uk for future research material when we

publish in the Spring 2010.

For further information towards what you are seeking we would recommend contacting the DfT to see if

they have any further information that they have not already published to the Government’s National

Statistics website.

Thank you for contacting Passenger Focus.

Kind regards

Steve Rhodes

Passenger Adviser

Passenger Focus

The independent passenger watchdog






http://www.passengerfocus.org.uk

http://www.passengerfocus.org.uk

Response from Theresa Villiers

From: "Theresa Villiers" <[email protected]>


To: [email protected]

Subject: Re: Bus Service Statistics

Thank you for your email. This is an automatically generated response sent to all emails to this address.

If you are resident in the Chipping Barnet constituency, it is very important that you include your name and

address in your email. Unless I receive these details, I will not be able to respond fully to your concerns.

If you are a constituent and have provided your postal address, I will aim to ensure that you receive a

response as quickly as possible.

If your email relates to my front bench duties as Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, I appreciate your

taking the trouble to set out your views and will send you a fuller response in due course, if I feel this to be

appropriate.

Many thanks for taking the time to contact me.

Best regards,

Theresa Villiers MP

--

Office of Theresa Villiers MP

Member of Parliament for Chipping Barnet and Shadow Secretary of State

for Transport

House of Commons

London SW1A 0AA

Tel 020 8449 7345

Fax 020 8449 7346

[email protected]

www.theresavilliers.co.uk








http://www.theresavilliers.co.uk

http://www.theresavilliers.co.uk

Appendix BQuestionnaire

Example

QuestionnaireIntroduction

Thank you for taking part in this questionnaire. By signing this form, you are allowing the results of this

questionnaire to be included - anonymously - in an academic report.

........................................! ! ....................Name! ! ! ! ! Date

What gender are you?

Male � Female �

Which age range do you fit into?

Under 20 � 20 - 29 � 30 - 39 � 40 - 49 � 50 - 59 � 60 or above �

Public Transport

How regularly do you use buses?

Less than one a week � 2 / 3 times a week � 4 times a week � Everyday �

Do you use any of the printed timetable data at the bus stops?

Yes � No � Don’t know �

! If you selected Yes for the above question

! ! How useful is it? Is it always up to date and correct?

! ! ✎! If you selected No for the above question

! ! Why do you not use the printed timetable data?

! ! ✎Do any of the bus stops or bus stations you use have digital bus

arrival signage?



! ! How useful is it? Does it inform you of late

! ! buses?

" " ✎



Have you used their SMS (texting) service or mobile internet services to see what time the next bus

will arrive at?



! ! How useful is it? Is it easy to use?

! ! ✎! If you selected No for the above question

! ! Why have you not used these services?

! ! ✎

Subject A Answers


Subject B Answers


Subject C Answers


Subject D Answers


Subject E Answers


Subject F Answers


Subject G Answers


Subject H Answers


Subject I Answers


Subject J Answers


Appendix CObservations

LocationLocation Date Time

Stand G Bus 36 Thursday, 10th December 2009 14:10

• Last week, Stand G housed both the 36 and the 13. But a few days ago the 13 switched to Stand D. The

digital signage at Stand G shows a blue screen with white text stating 'The Number 13 bus service now

departs from Stand D'. It does not change to show the next, expected bus, so users don't know when

the next 36 will arrive.

• Not many people are waiting, currently only 5 waiting for the 14:17 bus. A lady with a wheelchair is also

waiting. She has no indication whether the next bus accommodates wheelchairs or whether there are

enough wheelchair space on the next bus.

• 14:17 bus arrived one minute early. Bus departs at 14:18. Two minute period to catch the bus.

• Next bus expected at 14:29. 4 people already queuing at 14:19. Missed the bus by one minute. 1

teenager, 1 middle-aged woman, 2 OAPs.

• Two ladies decide to catch another service instead of waiting, but depending on where they want to go

they might have to walk part of the way.

• The majority of people coming to Stand G check the VDU, but are not shown any timetabling information.

• A young lady joins the small queue at 14:25. She does not check the signage. Maybe she is a common

traveller on the service?

• The 14:29 bus arrives at 14:26. All people queuing easily get on the bus. Another woman walks onto the

bus. A teenager and his dog also goes on the bus. The bus leaves the station at 14:29.

• 4 people are confused at what stand the 13 bus service leaves the station. Poorly signed?

• At 14:30, a young girl approaches Stand G. She has just missed the 36 by one minute. She is joined by a

middle-aged man at 14:31.



Stand G Bus 36 Monday, 7th December 2009 16:10

• While approaching Stand G, the 16:05 bus leaves the bus station. The bus appears to be very busy.

• 16:17 is the next bus. By 16:07, a line begins to build up. 10 people are waiting for the next bus. Missed

the 16:05 bus by two minutes. The queue consists of 6 secondary school students, 2 middle-aged men

and 2 OAPs.

• The scene at Stand G is rather congested by 16:10. There is no formal queue anymore, as dozens of

students await their bus. Unable to confirm whether they are waiting for the 16:17 Number 36 bus.

• Positioned near the doors of Stand G, 3 mothers with wheelchairs are waiting to catch the 36.

• Some of those joining one of the two queues forming for the 36 attempt to check the VDU to see when

the next bus will arrive. Because the station is very busy, many people are unable to view the VDU and

are therefore unaware of when it will arrive.

• At 16:16, I estimate around 50 people, mainly students are around the Stand G area. Still unable to

confirm whether they are waiting for the 16:17 bus.

• The bus is not here as it becomes 16:17. According to the VDU, the 16:17 bus does not have real-time

tracking available as it only shows the time the bus is expected to arrive. Doesn’t state the bus is late.

• By 16:18 the 16:17 bus disappears from the VDU, to be replaced by the 16:28 as the next available arrival

time. Is the 16:17 is cancelled? Is it just disappeared because it has passed the time 16:17? The VDU

does not inform travellers of this.

• At 16:19 the bus arrives, two minutes late. Everyone waiting manages to get onto the bus apart from one

of the mothers. All available wheelchair spaces have been taken up. She has to wait till the 16:28 or find

other means of transport.

• The bus departs at 16:21. I’m on my way home!



Stand G Bus 36 Tuesday, 1st December 2009 08:45

• Nobody is currently waiting for the 08:53 bus. The 08:43 departed just before I arrived.

• At 8:50, no one has yet to wait for the next bus. Early morning, more people entering the city centre than

leaving?

• A young man sits down at Stand G at 8:51. He checks the VDU to see that in two minutes, the next bus

will arrive.

• The 8:53 arrives on time and several people get off the bus before the man enters. At 8:54 the bus starts

to pull off from Stand G. A lady runs and tries to open the sliding door to try and get onto the 8:53 bus.

Bus driver does not stop. There was only a one minute period to catch the bus.

• She sits down but doesn’t check what time the next bus will arrive.

• The next bus will enter bus station at 09:07. The lady has 13 minutes to wait.

• An old gentleman stands next to the lady at 09:01. He checks the VDU.

• They are joined by two secondary school children. Late for school! Do they have to catch two buses and

the first was late?

• The 09:07 bus arrives at 09:05. 4 OAPs leave the bus. The 4 people waiting get on.

• The bus leaves at 09:06. 1 minute earlier than it should have done. Why?

• No one arrives between that 1 minute gap.

• Next bus is 10 minutes away.


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