Okay, the TTC reduced service because of COVID-19. That's alright. I can look up on a transit app to see when the next bus arrives. I'll leave home 5 minutes before and only wait a couple of minutes.
WRONG!
As a regular TTC user, it bugs me that the transit apps are inaccurate. Comparing the arrival time of buses on several apps, they tell me that a bus will arrive in a couple of minutes. The minutes passes and still no bus. The apps get refreshed, and one says a bus will come in 12 minutes, while the other says 15 minutes. 8 minutes later a bus arrives, but did not appear in the app.
It’s forecast that tonight and likely later in the month that the temperatures in Toronto will be around -20°C. It would be nice if the transit app information being given out is accurate. Don’t want to step outside expecting the next vehicle will be coming in a couple of freezing minutes, instead of turning into icicles for 20+ minutes.
Could this be a result of a COVID-19 virus infecting the apps? Are the times “suggested” arrival times only, since they don’t seem to be real time.
Just today, I used 'Next Bus' to predict when my next bus would be here. I always open the map function in addition to the predicted time.
The prediction said 27M on an every 10M route ................the Map showed a bus at a point where I know that makes no sense, it couldn't have been more than 15M tops........
I left it open and made sure I was ready to go..........
Refreshed it.........
The 27 inched down to 25, then suddenly plunged to 15M w/no change in bus position............
By this time I know its not more than 13M out, and probably less.......
2M later, it drops from 13M to 8M...........
At which point I head out the door....
There is something wonky w/the prediction software, it simply isn't very good.
******
On my way home, I get to the station, and the bus stop, initially it says 7M............then suddenly jumps to 20M
I know exactly what that is.............
The bus is on the other side of the station, parked; when the driver logs out and turns the bus off; it loses its tracking spot.........
So I knew it would still be 7M +/- 2
It was.............the driver turned it back on........and the time re-set......
This is a serious flaw in the tracking software.