The majority of bus stops are marked by a metal sign that is fastened to a pole or light fixture. A sign affixed to a bus shelter is used for some stations, while plastic strips lashed to poles are used for others. It frequently displays the route numbers of all buses that call at the stop, sometimes differentiating between frequent, infrequent, 24-hour, and night services. The emblem of a local transit body that oversees bus services in the area or the logo of the dominant bus operator may also be shown on the flag.
ROUTE PLANNING
The complete schedule or, for busier routes, the periods or frequency at which a bus will call at the particular stop are frequently displayed at bus stops. There may also be phone numbers for pertinent travel information services, along with route maps and fare details. Additionally, real-time information displays showing the following buses’ arrival timings may be incorporated into the stop or placed nearby. More and more remote stops are referencing mobile phone technology, which enables the next bus schedules to be transmitted to a passenger’s cellphone based on the stop position and the current information. At busier stops, automated ticket machines might be available.
THE STATS
A thorough digital depiction of stops and stations is necessary for contemporary passenger information systems and trip planners. Bus stops and other transportation systems must be defined in accordance with the CEN Transmodel data model and the associated IFOPT data transfer standard in order to be used in computer models. A “Stop Point” is a single bus stop in Transmodel, while a “Stop Area” or “Stop Place” is a collection of adjacent bus stops.
A straightforward and popular data transfer standard for public transportation timetables is defined by the General Transit Feed Specification standard, which was first created by Google and TriMet. A list of bus stop bus sites is also included in GTFS, and each stop has its name, identity, position, and affiliation with any larger station it might be a part of.
The National Public Transport Access Nodes database, which has information on 350,000 nodes and is accessible as open data from data.gov.uk, is a comprehensive database of the United Kingdom’s public transportation access points, including bus stops. Stops are categorized as “marked” or “custom and usage” in this database, which was created by the Department of Transportation in 2001. Unmarked stops are those where the driver will stop the car upon request. There are two ways that marked stops are used: either the bus stops on its own initiative or just when asked to.
COMMUTER SAFETY
There are several ways that bus stops improve passenger safety:
- Bus stops prohibit people from attempting to board or disembark in potentially dangerous locations, like crossroads or while a bus is turning without use the curb lane.
- It is unrealistic to expect a bus driver to constantly search for potential passengers. When there is a bus stop, the driver just has to search for potential passengers as each bus stop approaches. By requiring passengers to form groups before boarding, bus stops cut down on the amount of time spent there.
- Restrictions are occasionally loosened at night when there are fewer passengers, and people may be let to get off the bus wherever they feel safe.
- Lay-bys, also known as bus turnouts, let buses stop without obstructing traffic.
TEMPERATURE CONTROL
Air-conditioned bus stop shelters are occasionally utilized in hotter nations, such as Ashgabat, Turkmenistan; Eilat, Israel; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Bus stop shelters have been cooled using passive midday radiative cooling instead of air conditioning.
LAWS
This section’s examples and viewpoints mostly pertain to Victoria, Australia, and do not reflect a global perspective on the topic. If necessary, you can make this section better, address the problem on the talk page, or start a new one. Certain jurisdictions have implemented specific legislative measures to promote safer bus stop management and design.
The “chain of responsibility” refers to the performance-based responsibilities of care [20] that are applicable to all industry participants who have the ability to affect the safety of bus operations, as implemented by the State of Victoria, Australia. All bus services—commercial and non-commercial—as well as all buses, regardless of seating capacity, are subject to the safety obligations.
As the person with actual authority and control over the entire operation, the bus service operator is the primary duty holder under the Bus Safety Act. The Act does, however, also include a safety obligation that applies to “people with responsibility for bus stops,” which includes those who choose the stop’s site as well as those who design, construct, or maintain it. This requirement was put in place in response to studies that revealed that the biggest risk connected with bus travel is when people, particularly kids, are crossing the street after getting off the bus.
LEGAL DEFINITIONS
The “procurers”—those who purchase the bus service, referred to as the “customer” in the commercial charter industry—include drivers, schedulers who establish bus timetables, and mechanics and testers who fix or evaluate vehicle safety. Bus safety is obviously impacted by each of these individuals. According to the Bus Safety Act, they must make sure that, when conducting their operations, they either eliminate health and safety hazards if “practicable” or attempt to do so .” The Rail Safety Act of Victoria is the source of this well-known practicability formula.
Road design and sign placement in Europe are often governed by comprehensive technical standards that must be approved by the government and should guarantee the safety of local traffic control. Generally speaking, a bus stop bus may only be located in an area that has been authorized and designated as such.