A Quick Overview of BusTracker Options
There are 5 ways to get real-time bus information from BusTracker.
Search by street name or post code
Type
in street name or post code and submit search .
Nearby stops are shown on Google Maps.
Click on any stop to get the unique Bus Stop Code, a list of
“BusTracker” services that stop there and the option to
display the next departures.
Search by service number
Select a service number to get details of the bus route. BusTracker provides two “Search by service number” options :
- “Display Map” plots the chosen route on Google Maps showing all the bus stops along it. Zoom in and click on a stop to get more information about it, including the bus stop code.
- “Display Diagram” shows the chosen bus route with lots of information about destinations and key points along it, particularly useful if you don’t know Edinburgh. This option does not show individual stops.
Search by bus stop code
The quickest way to get BusTracker information. Just enter the unique bus stop code for your stop to get real-time information in seconds.
Bus
Stop Codes are printed on the publicity material at
stops.
Alternatively, use the BusTracker “Search by street name or post code”
options to find a stop and its unique code number.
Bookmark your favourite stops and you can re-open them in seconds without having to re-enter any bus stop codes.
Advanced options / My sign
Allows
you to combine services you regularly use from a variety of
different stops onto a single BusTracker sign.
Bookmark your personal sign and you can open it in seconds without
re-entering any stop codes.
Mobile Devices– use mobile.mybustracker.co.uk if you have a wap telephone. Some more advanced telephones will be able to access and view the full site.
More detailed help on BusTracker is available below.
BusTracker Help Files
Click on the options below to quickly get help on BusTracker features.
Alternatively, if you have a broadband connection, you can also try BusTracker interactive Help Pages. Click here for links to the interactive files.
Search by street name or post code
Does BusTracker know about all Edinburgh bus services?
Will I always get “real-time” information?
What happens if a bus is not equipped?
How far in advance can I get a “real-time” prediction?
What happens during traffic congestion?
Why can’t I get information for other bus companies?
Does BusTracker accept SMS text enquiries?
BusTracker costs for mobile users?
Which web & mobile web browsers does BusTracker support?
How can I get BusTracker times quickly with a slow, dial-up internet connection?
BusTracker on your mobile – mobile.mybustracker.co.uk
Quick Mobile Search - by Bus Stop
Advanced Mobile Search – by Bus Stop
Mobile Search – by service number
BusTracker Costs for Mobile Users
Search by street name or post code
You can search the map using :
- Street names
- Full Postcodes
The Street Name Search – as you start to type a street name, BusTracker creates a list of possible choices. Use the pull-down list to select the one you want and hit “display”.
BusTracker highlights the chosen street with a red box on Google Maps and displays the bus stops within walking distance.
Click on any stop to display information for that stop. (Click here for Google Map example)
Note : if you are looking for a location in the City centre, there will be a lot of bus stops. BusTracker may take 20 seconds to display. PLEASE BE PATIENT.
The Postcode Search - centres the Google Map on the selected postcode.
Bus stops are shown within walking distance of the selected postcode.
Click on an individual stop to:
- Find the Bus Stop Code and stop name
- Get BusTracker real-time information for that stop
- Find which bus services use the stop
- Open a Service Diagram for any bus service using the stop, just click the Service Number
Search by service number
BusTracker gives you 2 options:
Map display – displays the full bus service route on Google Maps. All the stops are shown. Useful if you are checking the location of stops for that service in a particular area.
Schematic Route Diagrams – these use bus operator publicity material. They show the whole route, key stops on the route and the various destinations available. They are really useful if you don’t have a lot of local knowledge. Use them to quickly check the relationship between the various destinations on the same service number. It might make a big difference to how many buses you can catch. (Click for Route diagram example)
Opening a Map Display or Service Diagram
Select a service number from the pull-down list
Click on either Map Display or Service Diagram to display the route.
Google Map Options
Use the standard Google Map functions to pan and zoom around the route and home in on a particular stop.
Clicking a stop opens a Google bubble. You can then :
- Find the Bus Stop Code and stop name
- Get BusTracker real-time information for that stop
- Find which other services use the stop
- Click on another Service Number to see the Service Diagram for that service
Search by bus stop code
- The easiest, quickest and most common search, particularly for regular users.
- To make this type of search you will need the Bus Stop Code number.
What is the “Bus Stop Code”?- a unique 8 digit number that identifies the stop.
Where can I find the “Bus Stop Code”?
- At a bus stop - Look for the Bus Stop Code on the Lothian Buses service timetable information at the stop. ( Timetable Information and Stop Code Example)
- On the web – use the “Map Based Search” tools on the BusTracker web site to find the stop you need. Clicking on the stop will show the both “Stop Name” and the 8 digit stop code ( Map Based Search Example)
Tip – if you know you will be catching a bus later in the day, find the Bus Stop Code for the stop you will use before you go out. Make a note of it OR bookmark it on your mobile. You can then easily get the BusTracker information you want when you need it. Why wait outside in the rain if you don’t have to?
Getting BusTracker Departure Times
Just enter the 8 digit code in the entry box and click “Update Departures”.
Real-time information will appear.
You can easily make a more detailed request to get only get the information you really want.
This is useful if you are getting BusTracker info on your mobile as the results have to be displayed on small screens. The entry options are:
36235892 - Results for all “BusTracker” services from this stop
36235892!37 – Results for service 37 only
36235892?1700 - All services for this stop after 1700
36235892?1700!37 - Results for service 37 after 1700
Note : you can enter the time (?0800) and service number (!37) in any order but you cannot filter more than one service number. If you want to do this, use the My Sign” tools to create a personal bus stop display.
Example of BusTracker Sign Display
BusTracker signs display up to 23 departures.
The departures are always listed in numerical order by Service Number.
Click here for a BusTracker sign example and more details.
Advanced Query Option: If you want, you can use the advanced query option to build the same sort of service number and departure time enquiry BUT you can also check timetable information for the next 3 days. (0=today, 1=tomorrow etc)
Advanced options / my sign
“My Sign” lets you build your own real-time BusTracker web sign by choosing the bus stops and bus services you really need to know about.
Ideal when you have a number of bus services to choose from but they depart from different bus stops in different streets.
Bookmark your personal signs so you can easily call them up whenever you need it.
We believe BusTracker is the first real-time information web site to offer this service.
Why not create your own “bus stop sign” for any trip you make on a regular basis? For example, going to and from:
- Work
- The city centre
- Your favourite pub or restaurant
- The cinema or sports centre
- Sports ground etc
You can use “My Sign” to build as many personalised BusTracker signs as you want. Just give them a different name if you “bookmark” them.
“My Sign” BusTracker signs can have up to 5 different bus services chosen from up to 5 different bus stops on street. You can pick more than one service from a particular stop if you need to but you can’t pick more than 5 bus services in total.
To create your personalised bus stop sign :
- Enter the Bus Stop Code for the stop you require
- Select the service number you require
- Select the particular destination you require.
- Repeat the above process for up to 5 bus stops.
F.A.Q.’s.
Does BusTracker know about all Edinburgh bus services? - no.
BusTracker has information for all Lothian Buses’ services and ALL the stops they use in Edinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian, not just those with BusTracker signs on-street.
Will I always get “real-time” information? - usually, but not always.
To provide “real-time” predictions, a bus must be fitted with the BusTracker system. Lothian Buses have equipped 75% of their fleet (450 buses out of 600) and the number is increasing all the time.
What happens if a bus is not equipped?– if a bus is not equipped, or if it has a temporary fault, the predicted arrival time is an estimate based on the timetable. A “Þ” symbol is displayed to highlight any “estimated” times under 1 hour.
How far in advance can I get a “real-time” prediction? – 1 hour ahead. (59 minutes to be precise!) Arrivals after 1 hour are always estimated times based on the timetable.
What happens during traffic congestion? - BusTracker automatically detects that the bus is experiencing an unusual delay and that it is not making normal progress. Any real-time prediction is then replaced by a flashing “DLY” message indicating a delay. This message appears on BusTracker signs on street and on the web site. As soon as BusTracker detects that the bus is making reasonable progress, the delay message (DLY) is replaced by normal real-time predictions.
Why can’t I get information for other bus companies? – They haven’t joined the BusTracker system but they may choose to in the future.
Does BusTracker accept SMS text enquiries? - NO. BusTracker accepts web and WAP based enquiries but there is no BusTracker SMS text service.
There is a national project to provide bus service information via SMS text services. This is managed by Traveline Scotland. Details are available from www.travelinescotland.co.uk .
The Traveline Scotland project generally provides scheduled information rather than “real-time” information. BusTracker real-time information may be supplied to the Traveline SMS text service in the future.
BusTracker costs for mobile users? – It depends on your contract with your service provider. BusTracker will accept mobile web and WAP queries.
IMPORTANT
BusTracker does not make any money from your web and WAP enquiries.
You only pay your standard mobile service charges to access the information.
Typical costs are :
For GSM phones (WAP): 5-10p* per enquiry. .GSM phone WAP enquiries are normally charged at 5-10p per minute per but some mobile contracts include them in “free” minutes. Using BusTracker to get departure times from a stop should take less than 1 minute.
For a GPRS / 3G enquiry: 1 – 5p* per enquiry. GPRS & 3G mobile enquiries are also diverted to the BusTracker WAP site. BusTracker can then quickly provide the information you need with the minimum data download to your phone. GPRS & 3G users are usually charged for the amount of data downloaded (even when connected to WAP sites) but please check your contract details.
( *- the typical costs quoted are for information only. City of Edinburgh Council is not responsible for any costs incurred by the user.)
BusTracker Tip – always bookmark the bus stops you use to save time and money and generally make life easier.
Which web and browsers does BusTracker support?
Classic WEB browsers - BusTracker supports:
- Firefox,
- Internet Explorer versions 5.5, 6 and 7
WAP Browsers - BusTracker supports :
- Opera Mini
- Openwave
In
some cases, Opera Mini and and Openwave can also interpret a
classic web site. The quality and layout of the display will change
from one mobile to another.
WEB browsers for Mobile Devices - - BusTracker supports :
- Opera Mobile
- Pocket Internet Explorer
These web browsers are specifically developed for mobile devices such as PDA’s and Smartphones. (They can, however, also be used to access the BusTracker wap site if you want BusTracker times in a simpler text format without graphics.)
Web and Wap Standards – BusTracker is compliant with:
- XHTML 1.0 Transitional standard for the web site
- WML 1.1 standard for wap sites
- OCAWA web accessibility recommendations
How can I get BusTracker times quickly with a slow, dial-up internet connection ?
If you are finding it difficult to use the classic BusTracker web site because you have a slow dial-up connection, there is a quicker alternative for your PC. You can down-load a wap browser which will let you display the essential BusTracker times without the BusTracker graphics. One example is Opera Mini. You can currently (April 2007) get a free download from :
(IMPORTANT. This link is provided for information only. Other options may exist. BusTracker takes no responsibility for the content of this download. Users should read any Terms and Conditions. )
Of course, you can also download the Opera Mini browser to your mobile if you are having problems with your existing mobile web browser.
Bookmarking your favourite BusTracker Stops
On the WEB:
There are two ways of book-marking on the web site. You can either use :
- The BusTracker bookmark facility, OR
- The bookmark facility provided on your web browser. (You can usually access this by right clicking in the BusTracker sign window).
Both work in the same way on Internet Explorer but it doesn't work in the same way on Firefox.
If you want to bookmark using Firefox, you can use the standard Firefox bookmark option (shortcut CRTL + F5). You can also use the BusTracker bookmark facility but you will have to follow the following steps to overcome a minor issue with the Firefox browser:
- right-click on the BusTracker bookmark facility
- click on “Properties”
- De-select the item "Load in a lateral panel".
You
will then be able to Bookmark via BusTracker.
On the WAP Site:
Save time by book-marking the BusTracker wap site on your mobile. You then won’t have to type in the address every time.
Unfortunately, due to current technology, it is NOT possible to bookmark your favourite bus stops on a wap site. If you are using wap, you have to enter the stop code each time. You can however, still save time and make life easier by following the tips below:
- Use the “memo” or “notes” features on your phone to save the stop names and code numbers for your favourite bus stops
- When you need BusTracker information for one of your favourite stops, just highlight and copy the stop code number from the list you saved
- Open your Wap browser
- Click on your BusTracker bookmark
- Click on “Bus Stop Search”
- Paste the stop code into the entry bar
- Choose “Departures”, “Get Departures” or hit “Return” as appropriate (NB – the options may vary slightly form phone to phone)
- Wait a few seconds for BusTracker information to appear.
Once you are familiar with the above steps, it should only take about 30 seconds to get the BusTracker times you want.
REMEMBER – if you normally catch the same bus service or only ever use the stop after a certain time you can filter your results by saving some extra detail along with the stop code. (Click here more info on Getting Bus Departure Times)
BusTracker on your Mobile
You will need a WAP, GPRS or 3G phone. Most mobile phones sold today can access the web using WAP. Getting the information is easy once you know how but the keys and displays vary from phone to phone. BusTracker cannot give detailed instructions for individual phones but general step by step guidance is given below. If you need help:
- Visit your phone suppliers web site. They often provide interactive demonstrations for the various phones they sell
- Ask a friend or relative. Any regular mobile web user should find it fairly easy.
Step by Step Guide - for a Bus Stop Search
You will need the unique bus stop code number for the stop want.
- Click on the mobile web or WAP symbol on your phone
- Click on the “Go To” option from the option menu
- Enter mobile.mybustracker.co.uk
- Choose “Bus Stop Search”
- Enter the bus stop code number (and hit return)
In a few seconds, BusTracker information will appear for that stop.
Advanced Search Options– With BusTracker you can easily refine your enquiry get straight to the information you really want. This is very useful for mobile queries as the results are displayed on small screens. For example :
36235892 - Results for all “BusTracker” services from this stop
36235892!37 – Results for service 37 only
36235892?1700 - All services for this stop after 1700
36235892?1700!37 - Results for service 37 after 1700
Note : you can enter the time (?0800) and service number (!33) in any order but you cannot filter more than one service number.
Mobile Search – by service number
This is similar to the full web based service.
Choose the “Service Based Query” option and follow the instruction on-screen using the push-button tools to select a particular service number. You will then be shown a list of stops on that service. Just select the one you want to get BusTracker times.
BusTracker Signs Explained
Getting the Bus Stop Code Number – from a bus stop.
Step 1. – Find the Lothian Buses timetable information at the bus stop.
Step 2.– Look for a “Route Tree” diagram similar to the one below.
Step 3.– The Stop Code for the bus stop will always be shown in a green box. Not all stops show the Bus Stop Code at the moment but Lothian Buses are adding the details when they change the timetable information. However, you can find all the Bus Stop Codes on the BusTracker web site.
Step 4.– Make a note of the Bus Stop Code and the Stop Name. You can use it later to check BusTracker times on the web site or on your mobile phone.
Finding a Bus Stop Code on the BusTracker Web Site
Click a stop on the Google Map display. This opens the Google bubble which tells you :
- The Unique 8 digit stop number
- The stop name
- The other services that use the stop
Click on “get next departures” to open the BusTracker sign and get next departures for this stop.
Opening a Route Diagram – if you want to see the route of one of the other bus services using the bus stop, just click on the service number – the route diagram will open.
(Back to Help Menu) ( Back to Quick Search)
(Back to Display Whole Service) (Back to Map Search)
BusTracker Interactive Help Pages
To download files, click on the links below.
- BusTracker Signs Explained (2.8 Mb)
- “Search by street name or post code” Explained (2.5Mb)
- “Search by bus service number” Explained (2.3Mb)
- “Search by bus stop code” Explained (3.7Mb)
- “Advanced Options / My Sign” Explained (3 Mb)
BusTracker Route Diagram
The diagram shows part of a Route Diagram.
The diagram provides useful information about the route including the names of local centres and places of interest.
Some of the place names may be “destinations” appearing on the front of a bus.
The Diagrams can also give details of route variations. See the Leith Links example below.
( Back to Whole Service Display)