Timetables by Text - Norfolk
Bus passengers in Norfolk are now able to request timetable information at any time, any place, simply by texting the number of the bus stop they want to travel from. Following the success of a trial in Norwich last year, timetable information is to be made available for bus stops right across the county. All passengers have to do is text the code of their bus stop to the traveline number 84268 to receive back the next departure times of buses from that stop. The message sent is charged at the normal network provider charge rates and the returned text is free.
The service is being launched by Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire County Councils on behalf of the East Anglia branch of traveline, a national organisation funded by the three authorities to provide travel information for the counties and local bus operators. Passengers can find out the codes in a number of different ways. They already appear on special flags at a large number of bus stops in Norfolk and will be seen on more and more of the county’s 12,000 stops over the coming months. Codes are also available via the traveline website (http://www.travelineeastanglia.org.uk/smslookup.html), where passengers can see a list of the whole region’s bus stop codes, or by telephoning 0870 608 2 608.Mary Richards, Customer Services Manager for Planning and Transportation at Norfolk County Council, said: Passengers can store the code for the stop nearest to their home or the one they use to get to work, school or college on their mobile phone. It’s great news for people who need to get timetable information on the move and for mobile phone users who find this the most convenient way to find out about bus times. The service is especially useful in a county like Norfolk, which has many rural stops. It provides an additional source of information and therefore addresses the main excuse people give for not using public transport when it is a practical alternative to the car.
