YourNextBus Frequently Asked Questions



About the service 

 


Q. What is the YourNextBus service? 
A. YourNextBus is a service from Travel South Yorkshire that sends a message directly to your mobile, giving you up-to-the-minute information on how far away your bus actually is. If the time in minutes is not available, you'll receive the latest timetable information instead.

Using satellite technology to track the location of the bus during its journey YourNextBus knows exactly where the bus is on the route during the hours of operation.

Q. What is the coverage within South Yorkshire?
A. All services run by First Group, Stagecoach and TM-Travel are part of the YourNextBus system. Other operators are not taking part in the YourNextBus project and therefore Real Time Information SMS messages will not display these services.

Q. How much does the YourNextBus text service cost? 
A. Each text costs a maximum of 12p per text plus your standard network rate. When the system is unable to provide Real Time or scheduled information, reply text messages to your phone are free. Please note that you will be charged if you send an invalid or incorrect message. Call charges are correct at date of publication.

Q. How do I find out my bus stop number?
A. The bus stop number can be found on the bus stop flag, on the side of a bus shelter and on the bottom of the timetable information. Please refer to our locating your bus stop number for further information. The stop number will always start with 370eg 37035043.


 
 

How to use YourNextBus


Q. How do I access the YourNextBus service?
A.You can access  YourNextBus live departure information by scanning your smartphone on our QR (Quick Response) codes displayed at each bus stop, sending us a text message, from the internet or using a smartphone to visit our live departure website. You can also watch our  YourNextBus video to find out how to get the time of your next bus or tram straight to your mobile, online or by text message.

Q. What happens if I don't get a text back? 
A. This will only happen in rare cases such as:

  • we are experiencing technical issues
  • your mobile network provider is experiencing difficulties
  • you are out of coverage
  • your Sim card is full
  • you have no credit on your phone.
     

Q. What happens if my text was delayed? 
A. The speed of a returned text message cannot be guaranteed by Travel South Yorkshire, as this will be dependent on your service provider. At the bottom of the text message a time and date will appear showing when the information was generated.  For Real Time Information (RTI) use the Internet and information will be refreshed every 30 to 60 seconds.

Q. How many bus times will be included on my text? 
A. The YourNextBus service aims to bring you, where available, the next four bus times for your stop.

Q My bus stop is a shared stop, serving many different bus services. Will I receive bus times that aren't applicable to me?

A. At bus stops used by more than one bus service, you can ask YourNextBus for information on a particular bus.

  • Input your 8-digit bus stop number eg 37021180.
  • Add a space and then enter the bus service number eg 37021180 14 (your service number should include letters if applicable).

Q. Can I get times for buses later the same day? 
A. Although getting accurate information for services running later in the day is difficult, you can still receive timetable based information.

  • Input your 8-digit bus stop number e.g. 37021180.
  • Add a space and then enter your chosen time making sure you use the 24 hour clock  e.g. 37021180 1330.
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Q. Is the YourNextBus service available nationwide?
A. The Travel South Yorkshire service is only available for the South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire regions only.

Q. Where should customers send their feedback about YourNextBus ?
A. We welcome your feedback, comments and general thoughts.We would love to hear from you so please do get in touch through the contact us section.

Q. Will YourNextBus provide information on cancelled buses?
A.
 The YourNextBus service will only tell you if a bus service is cancelled if the bus operator has electronically cancelled the service before it was supposed to depart your stop. Otherwise, it will only display the scheduled time of the cancelled bus until one minute after that time has passed.

Q. Do Travel South Yorkshire generate any profit from the YourNextBus service?
A.
 No profit is made from the text charges for customers using this service.

Q. What does LF mean on my returned text?
A. ‘LF’ is sometimes displayed on the reply text message or Internet screen against a service number, and stands for 'low-floor'. All service buses are accessible in accordance with regulations. 

Last updated: April 2023

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