Optibus Partners and Campaign for Better Transport – BETTER BUS STOPS 2025

Description

Better Bus Stops, a December 2024 initiative by Campaign for Better Transport in partnership with Optibus, calls for a national standard for printed bus-stop information to improve accessibility, confidence and uptake of bus travel. The follow-up report diagnoses a fragmented, resource-constrained system: a short statutory timeline (42 days) for service registration concentrates workload, leading to errors, delays and heavy manual effort for local authorities. Case studies (Essex and West Midlands) show automation, stable change windows and strong governance ease delivery, while rural “virtual” stops and legacy systems pose challenges. The report sets core principles—clarity, accuracy, consistency, accessibility, space optimisation and durability—and proposes a tiered stop categorisation with tailored information requirements (from full timetables at major interchanges to QR-linked detail at minor stops). Cross-cutting recommendations include investing in modern data/software, securing funding and capacity, enforcing operator data SLAs, piloting innovations (e‑paper, dynamic QR), training staff, and phased implementation with monitoring to ensure equitable, reliable passenger information nationwide.