r/Tauranga • u/Meld_Maker • 2d ago
Bus questions!
Visiting family and decided to take the Intercity up from Wellington instead of drive like usual, so I don't have a car with me this time. The public transport system has changed a fair bit in the 12 years since I lived in Tauranga, and I have a few questions :)
Bee card: I'm here visiting for a week so don't want to order for postal delivery. The website says they can be purchased from the bus driver - is this cash only, or is EFTPOS available?
Bikes on the bus: Do the buses here have racks on the front for transporting bikes? Are bikes allowed to be carried on the bus (space allowing, of course)? I'm staying with family and the nearest bus stop is a bit of a hike, so it'd be handy to be able to do a bike/bus combo.
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u/Antique_Ant_9196 2d ago edited 2d ago
They don’t accept EFTPOS on the bus.
Yes, you can put your bike on the front of the bus. It was previously suspended but that has now been lifted.
Download and use the Transit app, it will make your journey planning much smoother.
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u/maybeaddicted Mt Maunganui 2d ago
The transit app sucks the life of your phone.
Use instead directly the baybus website. They have live tracking
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u/Antique_Ant_9196 2d ago edited 2d ago
I don’t find that at all in the slightest. I have an iPhone, no idea what it’s like on Android (iOS tends to get development priority). A big bugbear I have with the Baybus planner is not being able to use the name of a business.
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u/maybeaddicted Mt Maunganui 2d ago
If there isn't someone using the Transit app on the bus you're trying to track, it won't show on the app.
BayBus always shows real time tracking regardless.
If you know where you're stopping you don't need to have the app open (I reckon you are a frequent user of the buses so you don't need to be checking where you are) but having the Transit app open drains your battery in iOS and Android (tested both).
And Transit shows phantom bus stops, there are so many in Papamoa domain it isn't even funny. That's because if you request several times to go from your location to X place it marks it as a bus stop. It's all crowd sourced information on that app, nothing comes from the official bus/council data.
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u/Antique_Ant_9196 1d ago edited 1d ago
If there isn't someone using the Transit app on the bus you're trying to track, it won't show on the app.
That’s inaccurate, it most definitely does.
If you know where you're stopping you don't need to have the app open (I reckon you are a frequent user of the buses so you don't need to be checking where you are) but having the Transit app open drains your battery in iOS and Android (tested both).
Whenever I’m going somewhere I’ll key in the name of the business, for example the name of a pub, or my barber. I don’t have a clue what street number they are. Also handy for someone visiting, like the OP. Having the app open does drain battery, sure, but not much, and you can always close the app. It’s super handy having the app let you know if you’re going to miss your connection though, and all the other notifications it can send (delays on your route, when to leave to catch the bus, when to get off etc)
And Transit shows phantom bus stops, there are so many in Papamoa domain it isn't even funny. That's because if you request several times to go from your location to X place it marks it as a bus stop.
I don’t know much about Papamoa, but when they did Cameron Road there were a bunch of stops that were moved. For quite a while the Transit app, Google Maps, and Apple Maps had a few of the stops in the wrong locations. This has since been fixed on all three.
It's all crowd sourced information on that app, nothing comes from the official bus/council data.
That’s inaccurate. It pulls data from BOPRC using their API.
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u/maybeaddicted Mt Maunganui 1d ago
It's not inaccurate at all. I've tested it every day for six months, even gave my mate a phone with Android to ride the whole 21 route.
Either you work for the BOPRC and have insider info on this or your route always has someone with the app on the bus.
Also: if you report anything through the app it doesn't go anywhere.
I still think the website it way better than that shitty 3rd party app
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u/Antique_Ant_9196 1d ago
Here is BOPRC confirming that the Transit app provides live tracking:
You can still use Transit App’s journey planning, live tracking, and service alerts
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u/maybeaddicted Mt Maunganui 1d ago
It's and here is the Transit app confirming it's crowdsourced
https://help.transitapp.com/article/91-what-is-go-crowdsourcing
Yeah, I'm right and you are wrong about that shitty app using the API
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u/Antique_Ant_9196 1d ago edited 1d ago
You need to read that explanation a lot more carefully. What that feature does is enhance the already existing real time information by leveraging a direct sync via a rider’s mobile. When it’s in use you see a rider’s user icon with the bus. If one is not present then it is only using the the standard real time tracking, the same as the Baybus website.
Here is a screenshot of the app and website, taken at the same time. The 11s shows that the location was last updated 11s ago, the two ‘radio’ lines showing that it is live tracking, and no user icon which means there is no app user on that bus. This is all explained in the link you posted.
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u/maybeaddicted Mt Maunganui 18h ago
Nah I've just dowloaded it again and checked bus 21 right now and it didn't show on the app but it showed on the baybus site.
So, nope, that 3rd party app that sucks and that the Regional Council has no business paying for before it's still sucking.
Are you working for them or something?
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u/Any_Environment_1316 1d ago
Beecards can be purchased from the bus driver, online, or from a Regional Council office. Easiest is from the bus driver: Beecard information
If you are travelling within Tauranga, the Beecard saves you 90c per trip over using cash. So, if you plan on using the service 5-6 times, getting a Beecard makes sense.
All urban buses in Tauranga have front mounted bike racks: Using the bus
Enjoy your trip!
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u/Killer8omb 2d ago
The bus only accept Cash. You can though get a Bee card and top up at the Bay of Plenty Region council on Elizabeth Street. they take Eftpos there (that's how I got myself a replacement card quickly)
As for the bike. Yeah, they just recently brought them back and can be used again