Association of Transport Co-ordinating Officers – PUBLIC TRANSPORT INFORMATION GOOD PRACTICE 2005

Description

This ATCO guidance helps Local Authorities deliver high-quality public transport information. It emphasizes user-centred, fit-for-purpose information tailored to passenger scenarios across the whole journey (home planning, leaving home, locating stops, boarding, travelling and arriving). Key principles include identifying decision ‘stepping stones’, offering choice (printed, web, phone, real-time), context-sensitive placement, realistic testing, clear promotion without compromising clarity, consistent visual language, legible typography, clear terminology and use of the 24-hour clock for timetables. Information products should prioritise essential content, use familiar logos and styles to build confidence, and mark improvements thoughtfully. Practical scenario recommendations include: journey planners, maps, timetables and contact details at home; local guides and boarding-point maps when leaving; clearly identified stops with letters/flags, vicinity and network maps; real-time displays and mobile texts to check arrival times; clear ticket-payment information and on-bus guidance; external route displays, in-vehicle announcements and linear diagrams to confirm stops; and signage/maps to find town centres. The document is a living guide, open to annual updates and contributions.