Dundee City Council has stressed it will reinstall printed timetables at bus stops this month after a previous attempt failed in March.
The schedules were removed from local stops due to disruption from the Covid-19 pandemic but are still missing two years on.
Real time updates are displayed at the city’s bus shelters, but the luminous, electronic displays are vulnerable to technical failures and vandalism.
When the printed schedules were removed, the public were advised by the council to consult online sources such as mobile phone app Traveline Scotland.
However, many Dundonians that use the city’s public transport are elderly, unemployed or living in deprived areas, without access to this technology.
Timetable situation has ‘dragged on’
West End councillors Michael Crichton and Fraser Macpherson welcomed assurances given to them by Dundee City Council that printed timetables are on their way.
Mr Macpherson said: “Although real time bus information is working at bus shelters, paper timetables have been out of date since the bus companies altered services at the start of the Covid-19 health emergency.
“We have continually raised this and it has dragged on far too long. It is very unhelpful for bus passengers for these to be missing.”
The return of the timetables was promised earlier this year but the council was unable to follow through, blaming continued instability in bus networks.
The city council’s team leader for parking and sustainable transport, John Berry, has now issued an updated target schedule in an email to the councillors.
He said: “We are targeting the timetable information to be ready for display by August 15.
“We are required to create the timetable display in PDF format using the data supplied by the bus operators.
“We have now received that from Xplore Dundee and will look to create the PDFs over the next two weeks.”
He added: “We will be provide printed information on selected stops only.
“Locations will be decided in due course but we will consider a number of factors when making our decision – e.g. whether the stop is used primarily for boarding or alighting, whether the bus timetable is expected to be varied regularly, the availability of real time information at the location.”
The situation is in contrast to neighbouring Perth & Kinross where the timetables have been updated continually since September 2020.
To add to passenger frustrations, the updated schedules are likely to be disrupted due to a shortage of bus drivers. More than 60 scheduled Xplore buses were cancelled on Tuesday.
According to bus operator Xplore Dundee, approximately 35,000 passenger journeys are undertaken by Dundonians every day.
Saga of ‘instability’
Mr Macpherson added: “The city council has maintained the position that ‘instability’ in the bus network has made providing new timetables at bus stops difficult, but we are have now been advised by the council that it will finally start giving bus passengers accurate timetable information at bus stops from later this month.
“There have been several false starts so Michael and I are pleased this saga is finally at an end.”
Mr Crichton said: “If more people are to be encouraged to use public transport, having accurate bus timetable information is vital.
“It has been a case of ‘war and peace’ getting the council to sort this but an end is finally in sight.”
‘Unprecedented disruption’
A Dundee City Council spokesperson said: “The pandemic brought unprecedented disruption to bus services, leading to a period where bus operators have had to adapt quickly and often, to the many challenges they have faced.
“These challenges are still being faced but as greater stability returns, the council will start providing printed information at bus stops from mid-August.
“Throughout the continuing uncertainty around many bus timetables, the council with the agreement of the bus operators, has encouraged passengers to use apps and websites for up to date and accurate information.”
Conversation