If you frequently take the bus in Philadelphia you may have encountered the frustration of a “Ghost Bus” where you wait for a bus that the SEPTA app or website says is supposed to arrive only for it to never show up.
The main problem causing most missed bus trips is the shortage of bus operators faced by transit agencies nationwide. SEPTA is making efforts to tackle this challenge but it’s equally important to ensure that accurate, real-time information about canceled trips reaches SEPTA’s riders promptly. If a rider knows ahead of time that a specific bus is not coming they can opt for an alternative such as the subway or trolley instead. This is much better than being left in the dark – or ghosted 👻.
A team of SEPTA employees spanning multiple departments including IT, Information Design, Bus Operations, and Planning got together earlier this year to address the Ghost Bus issue. As of September these “Ghost Bus-ters” have successfully achieved their goal of significantly improving the availability of accurate information about canceled trips for riders on SEPTA’s platforms as well as third-party apps and websites.
SEPTA IT and Information Design staff visiting and learning from Bus Operations staff at Southern District
The Ghost Bus-ters group has been working on mapping out SEPTA’s existing processes to provide real-time bus cancellation information to riders. They have consulted with staff from various departments within the agency including frontline staff with expertise in the day-to-day operations of SEPTA’s complex bus system like dispatchers, street supervisors, and bus controllers.
The group learned that the current processes for getting cancellation information to riders were complex and time-consuming. They involved paper forms, manual calculations, and duplicate data entry into different systems. As a result some information about cancelled trips was not reaching riders.
SEPTA’s IT Department built a new digital tool that Bus Operations staff can use to enter and keep track of information about canceled bus trips. The tool rolled out in early September 2024. Today as soon as SEPTA knows about a bus trip being canceled that information also goes out to riders.
Where can riders find this information?
Improved information on canceled bus trips is available on the SEPTA app and website, Transit App, and Apple Maps. Trip planners will not suggest bus trips if the trip has been canceled. Any lists of future bus departures will display canceled trips with a strike-through and a clear label.
SEPTA welcomes feedback on the accuracy of our real-time information data. Please contact our Customer Service at 215-580-7800 or email us at iseptaphilly@septa.org.