Public transport is a topic that is and is not close to me. Honestly, it was not close until I started to experience the public transport system on the Isle of Man.
You know what they say; a good design is invisible, right? Well, public transport is part of it. I never thought about public transport until I came across one that was a pain to use.
To structure this blog post, I will start with route planning in transport systems in the towns I lived. Most routes you learn from experience. But what do you do when travelling somewhere you haven't been to before?
My hometown in Bratislava and the public transport system have changed during my lifetime.
Most recently, I used Google maps. Since all the public transport stops are marked on the map. The map is connected to the departures and times on the public transport website. Basically, you plan your route through google maps and select public transport. It will show you multiple options and names for the stops, how far they are from your actual destination and how many stops (and their names) it takes to get there.
Recently I used the local public transport website and google maps. I find the place I want to go to on google maps and find the nearest stop (bus/tram etc.). Yes, they are all marked with exact positions. When you click on the icon, you see the name of the bus stop and which lines operate it. Then on a transport operator's website, I search the route from my closest bus stop (I locate this one the same way on the map) to the one I found is closest to my destination.
Obvious for some of course, as it was for me until I tried to take a bus on the island.
Let’s do better!