John Briggs Consultants – QUALITATIVE RESEARCH INTO BUS-STOP TIMETABLES 1985

Description

A 1984 qualitative study for London Regional Transport used six focus groups to test redesigned bus-stop timetables (slant with map; vertical “turned round” with/without map) and brief frequency-only and departure-only formats. Participants consult timetables mainly for unfamiliar or off-peak journeys and prefer clear route direction, key stops and simple indicators of waiting time/frequency over exact schedules because buses are seen as unreliable. The vertical turned-round layout without a map was favored for clarity and scanability; slanted designs and maps looked attractive but risked reducing space for times. Useful elements included ‘snippets’, grids, bold legible type and subtle colour contrasts. Frequency-only was judged too radical; departure-only was situational. Recommendations stressed prioritizing clarity, legibility and approximate times/frequencies, further developing the vertical format and snippets, and using maps only if they do not displace essential information. The accompanying timetable details multiple routes serving Crystal Palace, Penge, Beckenham, Shortlands, Chislehurst and Bromley, with separate weekday/Saturday/Sunday schedules, additional peak buses and typical frequencies: ~7–10 minutes at peak, 10–15 minutes off-peak, 15–20 minutes later and about 20 minutes overnight, plus notes on walking distances to stations and caution that traffic or weather may alter running times.