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You wait two years for a web upgrade and two come along at once. Following Wilts & Dorset’s revamp, we have Transdev Yellow Buses’, its first major change since Transdev’s relaunched and revised network of 2 July 2006. So, I make no apologies for another web review because (a) the under-mentioned is new and (b) a distinctive web presence is now of increasing importance to passenger growth. To paraphrase The Vapors’s late 70s hit ‘Turning Japanese’, “I think I’m turning into Barry Doe I really think so, lah la la lah lah lah lah…”
http://www.yellowbuses.co.uk/ 8 http://www.bybus.co.uk/
The original TYB website was clear and modern—if by now a little cluttered, especially on the front page. That’s now remedied. The front may not be quite so aesthetically pleasing as W&D’s but TYB’s is more functional.
Under the web site title, your eye is immediately drawn to “Find Yellow Buses from…” This handy tool appears on all subsequent pages. Here alphabetically are the suburbs through which TYB passes, and places served. Click one and you get headline details of each of the routes in the vicinity. You can then select a route map or timetable, both scaleable. The maps are of the usual highest quality (with landmarks and stops) and the timetables use Flashpaper2 and are swift to load. There’s the option of a PDF if you prefer (though why would you?). Each location has a scaleable google map (zoom for bus stops, though google isn’t infallible). Select Broadstone or Bear Cross and you see but one option; it’s a little more complicated if you choose places like Boscombe—new users may find this overwhelming.
Direct from the front page, we like the ‘Yellow Buses Latest News’ right hand panel. As best any operator can these days, TYB has mastered the media, and there’s currently two synopses of ‘feel good’ human stories. The link to Read More News includes many—but interestingly not all—recent stories. Some have vanished.
The front page also shows network delays, a feature of its old site. At the time of this review, there were none. Might TYB consider calling this “good service”?
Further down, TYB asks you “What do you want to do?”, “Where do you want to go?” and there’s yet more news under “What have we been up to?”, though links to News do seem a bit scattered. Under this section, TYB’s font dislikes browsers other than IE7 and Firefox. Elsewhere, it’s blocky and dark—on a grey background.
There’ also an innovative car cost calculator that takes the user through steps to compare the cost of running a car with using a bus. Here again, the sliders work in IE and Firefox but not always elsewhere. If motorists complete this honestly, they will have a shock. TYB now needs to refine this useful tool to recognise that people might only switch *some* of their mileage to the bus while retaining the car—and its fixed costs—for occasional use.
Timetables must surely be the main reference point for any bus website. How easy are TYB’s to find? Easier than it’s neighbour W&D, for sure. You need never be more than two (or at worst three) clicks away from a bus timetable and accessing times can be via the Timetable link, Places Index or Find Yellow Buses From…
And maps? We’ve always liked the way in which TYB represents is network, in print and online. The high quality maps remain easy to find and are available in various styles, including the excellent Where to Board your Bus schematics.
Overall? TYB has kept up with both the times and the opposition. Appearance wise, next door W&D’s has the front page edge—but only just. Inside, TYB’s wins for functionality and ease of navigation while showing a human face to the world and its web. All while performing a Kim ‘n’ Aggy on the front page.
| Look and 'feel' | Good. Moves TYB up a notch. Distinctive, yes, but not *quite* as sharp as W&D's |
| Ease of navigation | Excellent. Timetable access is straightforward. "Find Yellow Buses from..." feature streets ahead of looking up route numbers you may not know |
| Errors | None we can find. Some aspects don't work so well with minority browsers, though |
| About Us | Excellent and easy to read. Has a current fleet list if you must look at this sort of thing |
| Things to Do | Excellent in every particular, including a calendar of events |
| Tickets | Excellent and clear. Online purchasing |
| Bus Timetable Finder | Excellent. Maps equally excellent |
| Overall | Bravo |
6 comments:
Nice review, but IMO it would it have been sensible to include a link to the website in question so that we could look without having to search for it or know the URL?
The link is www.bybus.co.uk.
"There’s the option of a PDF if you prefer (though why would you?)."
I would. Much easier to use, don't cause the PC to go slow or crash, much clearer (aren't pixelated). Lucky they are still available.
Just a shame that when I was viewing the route 1 flash map and clicked on the pdf link, the network map came up. Ooops - that's one W&D style link!!
I don't follow all of the last anonymous comment - the PDFs are definitely much slower to load (both timetables and maps), compared to the Flash Paper versions. This is generally the case.
I do, however, agree with the other points he/she makes - i.e. that the PDFs are clearer. They are also, of course, much more suitable for printing (as I understand it, that's what PDFs are designed for!). So if you want a copy of the timetable or map with you while you are travelling, and don't want the hassle of carrying a laptop wherever you go, then a good printable version is useful. I'm not sure if TYB still produce printed versions of their timetables now?
With regard to the PDF versions of the maps, the system map appears for other services as well as the route 1, so perhaps that problem is general?
The great thing with the Flash paper that TYB are using is that you can print from it or view full screen also, so you are spoilt for choice!
I find the PDFs slow to load but then they are fine to use, whereas the flash load quickly, but then take time to reload whenever you move the map. I did two moves too quickly and confused the PC, resulting in a crash.
Of course, as you said, PDFs are better for printing.
I did seem to be a general problem, and has now been fixed.
Even at full zoom, the flash maps are still not too great - the pdfs are far better. However the pdfs don't seem to be as clear as they used to be, which is annoying.
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