For some time now, I have been entertaining the apparently fanciful notion that Stagecoach is out to get me. Maybe not me personally – I can’t be the only person to have sent multiple emails of complaint about the shoddy service, phrased in passive-aggressive language and laced with sarcasm. No, I refer to the general bus-travelling population of which I am a part. And I’m not talking about the risk of physical harm. I don’t imagine a sniper behind the hedge by my bus stop or dark-clad figures lurking in the shadows waiting to abduct me. No, I’m referring to psychological harm, insidious, unseen, but damaging all the same.
What grounds do I have for such an accusation? Is there any proof? Well, I ask you to consider the Stagecoach app. Posters urge us to download it, but I think it is utterly useless and it has caused me considerable anger and frustration. Sometimes it tells me my bus is running late, but then I am left standing outside my house to watch as it sails past, a couple of minutes early. Sometimes it tells me the bus is early, which then fails to arrive either early or on time and disappears from the display, only to sail past me again when I have given up and started to walk into town.
The inadequate replies I have had to my emails throw no light on the subject. When I complained about the bus running early despite being advertised as late, I was advised to always arrive some minutes before the due time. What then, I enquired, is the point of the app? I received no answer to that, useful or otherwise.
The final straw came when I had a medical appointment at Hastings Conquest. The bus would get me there 20 minutes early, which was fine. To my dismay, the app showed the bus as running 40 minutes late, which would mean missing my appointment. I panicked. How much would a taxi cost? Could I get there by train? Should I call to let the hospital know I’d be late? But then a little voice reminded me of the inherent unreliability of the app so I walked to the bus stop and breathed a sigh of relief as the bus came into view, exactly on time.
So that is my case. It can’t be that difficult to provide an app that works in these days of such advanced technology. Other places have one, so why can’t we? One answer is that there are malign forces at work, trying to confuse the passengers, but in the interest of avoiding being sued for libel, I should state that I actually don’t believe this to be the case. Sadly, it is my belief that the cause is incompetence, plain and simple; or lack of investment, or both.
You might think that I would avoid using the app at all, given that I have no confidence in its accuracy, but that is not the case. It is very beguiling to engage with something that promises to make life easier, so I still consult it but, more often than not, disregard what it says. I am an optimistic person and still hope it will improve. Which reminds me. I must get the bus into town and buy my daily newspaper. I haven’t read my horoscope today.
Rye News asked Stagecoach about the app. A spokesperson told us, “Stagecoach can confirm that its app is being improved to better support local customers, with a focus on clearer and faster disruption updates, more accurate live tracking, and improved reliability. The app now uses a Google-powered journey planner, helping customers see services from all operators across the area, not just Stagecoach routes.
“Alongside the app, service updates are shared through the Stagecoach website and X, and pre-planned changes are communicated in advance via the local press and customer information sessions. By sharing information across multiple channels, Stagecoach aims to make it easier for people in the community to plan their journeys with confidence and stay informed about their local bus services.”
Image Credits: Julie McLaren .