Transport for Cornwall app still giving misleading information about buses
18 February 2025

When the “new” Transport for Cornwall website and app were launched in January, I posted a story about the
inaccurate information given by the app in relation to expected arrival times of buses at stops. I conveyed my thoughts to Richard Stevens, managing director of Go Cornwall Bus, hoping that he might ensure that the flaws in the app were fixed.

The flaws have not been fixed and I have written to him again as follows:
"Dear Richard
Following up on my email to you in January when the “new” website and app were launched, it is clear that the TfC app is still not able to show genuine real time information for non-GCB buses. The app purports to show real time information but it almost certainly merely takes the timetable time and calculates a countdown time from that. It does not pick up the GPS of the bus and compute a more realistic time of arrival at a stop.
See example this morning of T2 heading towards St Austell and due at Grampound at 11.00. At 10.52 the TfC app suggested it would arrive in 7 minutes. However, the First app showed an expected arrival in 18 minutes. Bustimes.org tracking showed the bus at Waitrose at 10.52 which would match the First app predicted time at Grampound. The TfC app was clearly incorrect.
If the TfC app cannot correctly predict arrival times of non-GCB buses, you should change the app to just show timetable times. Giving passengers false information is worse than giving them no information at all.
Best wishes.
Bob”

Until they are able to fix the problem, my recommendation to bus passengers remains not to trust the supposed real time information on the TfC app for non-GCB buses. If you are catching a First Bus, use the First app which, whilst not perfect, is likely to be more accurate.

Update
18 February 2025
It is all First’s fault says Go Cornwall Bus.
The reply to my email that I received from Mark Collins, commercial director of GCB, says:
"Dear Bob,
Unfortunately we are aware of the issue and we are working with First and Cornwall Council to try and fix.
The issue is that the First SIRI feed link, which holds the bus tracking data is broken, it is not even showing buses on their own website."