Since I don't own a car, I regularly travel by bus to get to or from work. Even though my bus journey is fairly reliable, today on my journey home I decided to ponder over what would make the bus service better.

First of all, the biggest two issues have to be timetabling and communication. This mornings journey seemed to be constantly waiting for non existent passengers. Due to the fact that it was fairly early, if the bus had just driven past all these vacant bus stops, then it would have been greatly ahead of schedule. Timetables should reflect better the speed at which a bus can realistically make it's journey.

Now, since buses use the public roads like all other vehicles, it stands to reason that even the best planned timetables cannot be adhered to 100% of the time. This is where communication comes in. At major bus stops, electronic boards show when the next few buses are due based on real time positioning information from the buses. Where these boards are present, it's great. But something needs to be done for the smaller bus stops.

Due to costs, I wouldn't expect electronic boards at every single bus stop, but how about a system where a text message can be sent from a mobile phone requesting the latest information on a bus? If each bus stop was assigned a unique number, then a short message along the lines of "BUS 123 STOP 12345" could be sent, and an automated reply would be received saying "BUS 123 DUE 1843".

Continuing with the communications theme, the internet could be utilised to provide the exact same real time information as is shown on the electronic bus stop signs. This would make it easy to determine the best time to leave the office each day. By publishing the information in a light weight web page, mobile phones could access this information also providing an alternative to the text message idea, above. This is also something that's available for the railway and it's extremely useful.

On then, to payments. It must be annoying for bus drivers having to deal with money. I know some get annoyed when presented with a £10 note for a £4.50 journey. It would be nice to see an Oyster Card style system come into play on the Essex buses. Users charge their card with money, and this is then deducted each time that person travels. Mobile phones have been used for making payments for low cost items. Why not incorporate them in paying for a bus fare?

When it comes to the buses themselves, a lot of these need a lot of work. Most are noisy and have cramped seating. I don't consider myself to have exceptionally long legs, but in some seats I have to sit sideways since the chair in front is too far back for my knees.

I always wondered why there are no seat belts on buses. The way some drivers drive, I would have thought people would insist on them being provided. Personally, I don't think it should be mandatory to wear them (almost pointless for a person travelling maybe 3-4 stops), but it would be nice to have the option especially when the bus gets over 50mph.

Luggage storage, or lack of it, is the other point. One small parcel shelf at the front of the vehicle. When the bus is full, that shelf can be full to bursting. All that would be needed is a further two shelves stacked vertically. It would help in preventing seats being taken up by bags, or luggage being put in the gangway.

The final thing I have to say about buses, is there is a big selling point in their so-called "green credentials". Travelling by bus is more fuel efficient than travelling by car, but most buses are still diesel powered. New buses should be fuelled by LPG, or if the technology allows, hydrogen (I'm sure there was a prototype hydrogen bus running in London not too long ago). Bus companies could really push how environmentally friendly their method of transport is then.

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Tags: opinion