TFI Live - Real Time Transport Planner App

p_haugh

Articles being posted about this now, with some comments from the NTA included:

https://www.newstalk.com/news/new-tfi-real-time-app-replaces-existing-ones-1438474

bobbyss

I downloaded it today and can't get my head around some of its features.

My initial feedback is that there is too much info on the screen. I just want to check on the status of my bus. Is it late? When actually is it due. That's all really. I don't want to know about walking distance between X and Y. I don't want train timetables, just the bloody bus.

Does anyone know if you can rename a favourite? (Mind you I found it difficult to find and log in my favourites in the first palace. It also took ages to load. The old TFI app it came up immediately.

brianc89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120255699#Comment_120255699

This new app, which I downloaded a while ago, is extremely poor on interchange.

The lack of a clear "Search" button is beyond me.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120256201#Comment_120256201

The search features look pretty clear on my phone:

And

brianc89

This is what I see when I open the app on my android. I just find Dublin Bus app far more intuitive.

Dublin Bus app:

Citrus_8

I agree, the new app is not intuitive at all. Dublin Bus app design is horrible, but even that it better than the new TFI app's design which says it all.

Seems that it wasn't discussed with the potential users, nor tested for a better user experience. It's just made for the purpose of the functionality, but design sadly wasn't a part of consideration. This app is still much worse than the Trafi, Moovit or Citymapper even 7 years ago. To be honest, someone who designed it doesn't have experience in public transport.

Colour scheme is boring. Lack of map integration. Poor use of screen space. App has no future. User has to be a technical thinker rather than a visual person for this app which is a terrible approach for this type of an app. Very bad start.

I find Trafi to be spot on. Moovit too man ads. Citymapper is a fun to use app. Google maps is a great basics for a quick look up for the journey options.

Mrs OBumble

I use the app pretty much daily.

Search is secondary : once I've found my regular bus stops (which was easy / fast, using the map-search feature) and marked them as favourites, they are they thing I want to see 95% of the time when I open the app. It does just that - and yes, it did let me rename them in the list.

Now, it may be different for infrequent users, but they are not the main audience of an app like this. Regular commuters are.

Not quite sure where the lack of map integration claim comes from: I see a map in the journey planner and one in the bus stop search. Both use openstreetmaps.

And colours are boring. Well yeaah, it's public transport. Interesting to a few bus-geeky types. Boring as **** to the vast majority.

Citrus_8

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120258127#Comment_120258127

Just have a look my other mentioned apps and you will understand what I mean about the user friendliness, map, colours and everything else. TFI Live new app with design and functionality is still behind by at least 5 years! (realistically, 10 years, but I'm just trying to be lenient and positive here). This app is not good and only people who haven't used alternative apps can be happy about this poor app.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120258194#Comment_120258194

It doesn't really matter how good or bad it is.

As long as the GPS tracking on the buses is still sht no app can be relied on. Buses disappearing and reappearing all the time (I assume it's when an engine is switched off). Still routes with no GPS at all.

xper

Downloaded it this evening to my iPhone 11. There is something unintuitive and dull about the design alright, it certainly isn't attempting anything cutting edge or novel, it looks like something a hobbyist developer would have produced 10 years ago.

When you tap on a stop in your Favourites list to open it and then tap the left-pointing arrow icon at the top-left of the screen which everyone in the world knows means take me back to the previous screen, it takes you to the Departures screen. WTF?

You can rename a Favourite stop when first saving it but apparently not edit the name once you've created the Favourite. Why the limitation? There's an item menu right there attached to it in the Favouritrs list but no Rename option on the menu.

But the biggest complaint I have is the size/style of the font on the list screens. I can barely read this damn thing. Are TFI aware of the EU Web Accessibility Directive? Did they test it against all screen sizes?

brianc89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120258127#Comment_120258127

The app is absolutely for regular users but it's the capital city. There are thousands of people in the city everyday for short-term work, leisure and tourism. You can't say it shouldn't be aimed at these groups.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120260403#Comment_120260403

The app is nationwide.

bikeman1

Are the live positions of the buses gone? Can’t see any on mine. Or do I need to add that feature?

How hard is it in a country of app developers, that we are left with this ****?

StreetLight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120260665#Comment_120260665

Three words: National Transport Authority.

Peregrine

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120260665#Comment_120260665

It's there. Press on the bus you want and press map.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120260777#Comment_120260777

🙄

LXFlyer

To get the live positions for Dublin City:

• Go to timetables
• Enter the route number
• Select the direction you require
• Click on “Map”
• All the buses on that route in your chosen direction will appear as green symbols on the map.

It’s very simple.

AngryLips

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120260923#Comment_120260923

Am I correct in thinking that, if you navigate to the map function via a particular service at a particular stop - say the 27A due in five minutes on Amien Street - that you'll be shown the route of that service with only the live location of that particular bus that is due in five minutes?

So the green bus icon is the real time location of the next service in the below screenshot?

It's good that it doesn't show ALL busses in the area but I found it a bit confusing trying to find the real time location when using the app for first time yesterday. Other than that I find the app an improvement overall I think, though latency might be a concern (versus the old app).

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120260899#Comment_120260899

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120260923#Comment_120260923

When I checked my bus must have been stopped at the train station. I thought that's what the green symbol was 🤦

Just had a look and no live bus showing on my map now on my route.

LXFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120260984#Comment_120260984

Yes that is correct - from playing around with it yesterday, if you select a specific bus from the departures tab and then the map, only the stops and live position of that particular journey will appear.

If you want to see all of the buses in one direction on a particular route, follow the steps I posted above via the timetable tab.

I certainly find that being able to see where buses are on a specific route is often more useful so yes, it is a definite improvement.

LXFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120261030#Comment_120261030

The live GPS position really only works with any degree of reliability with Dublin City bus services.

Bus Éireann live positions are a bit more hit and miss.

One would hope that when the new multi-operator control system comes in that this will improve.

bikeman1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120260923#Comment_120260923

Not really LX Flyer. I’m not too bad with apps etc. and didn’t figure it out. Also, where I am, I have multiple routes, showing me one route coming along is not what I want.

Surely showing all the buses coming along would be better? Now I have to navigate in and out of 5 routes to see if the bus is live and where it is.

breezy1985

The biggest problem is there is still no easy access and up to date disruptions section or social media communication from BE.

My bus is every 15mins. Often and usual a Saturday 1 or 2 of the 4 buses will be missing every hour all day because a driver is sick. Nowhere is this communicated.

A simple "hey sorry the 303 is down to every half hour today" would do but nope.

Update: Ironically happening right now as I got the bus. Only 1 of 3 buses an hour running on 303 all day. All cancelled buses showing as (scheduled) on the app. Neither the app, social media or website relaying this info.

LXFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120261629#Comment_120261629

When I said it was simple, I was referring to the process once I knew how to do it. It doesn’t take long at all.

As to usefulness of a single route -v- multiple routes, well to be fair that’s a subjective view.

Many people such as myself have only one route most of the time and this is a vast improvement for me. Personally I don’t want to sift through multiple routes, but other people such as you will.

It’s a trade-off. Having to click on multiple icons on the old app to find my bus was a nuisance.

If you save the routes, it’s a matter of seconds to check each one.

LXFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120261847#Comment_120261847

Yep that’s an issue all right.

Limerick doesn’t seem to advise the web team of disruption.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120262145#Comment_120262145

Ya I've noticed "cancelled" in other cities.

Citrus_8

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120260923#Comment_120260923

The fact it takes 5 steps proves it's not simple! You better check Trafi or Citymapper - these are simple. TFI Live is very far from being simple to use.

Citrus_8

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120261203#Comment_120261203

Other apps have a feature to show vehicles of any route on the map, looking at a particular road. It could be filtered to narrow down the results. TFI Live is poor with choices and still very behind from the modern apps. It's an embarrassment we don't have a proper PT app.

Citrus_8

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120262134#Comment_120262134

And what about the spines having 3-4 or more buses on the road? We can't see all buses' location on the map as it's limited to only one route.

LXFlyer

Well maybe write in to them and suggest that they add that functionality!

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120262145#Comment_120262145

Just had a bus go from 12 to 13,14,15 to 1. Had to leg it out of the pub down to the stop.

Not the apps fault I know but shows why no amount of colour or ease of access in the app will solve the real problems it has.