Archived: Statistics: How you are accessing our new site

Here are some simple statistics on the technology you have been using to access our new website in the first 16 days since its launch.

The big news is that mobile devices have officially overtaken desktop PCs and currently make up 52 per cent of all visits to our new site.

With 52% of visits, mobile devices have overtaken desktop in visits to our new site.


Unsurprisingly, this figure increases further during rush hour when mobile devices account for 70 per cent of traffic.

An example of rush hour, where mobile devices make up 70% of visits.

 

The percentage of visits by Operating System graph includes all devices, both mobile and desktop, with mobile iOS leading the way on 32 per cent.

Visits by Operating system includes all mobile and desktop devices.

Mobile visits by manufacturer covers mobile phones, tablets, games consoles, e-readers and set top boxes. However you look at it, Apple rules at tfl.gov.uk, despite the fact that its global share of the mobile market was just 15.2% in 2013 vs Android with 78.6% (Mobile Today Magazine).

Apple accounts for a massive 66% of visits from mobile devices, way ahead of all other manufacturers.

 

35 Comments

      1. I have detailed specific issues in a previous post. But that was a while ago so I have just taken a look again, and although it has improved slightly, I’m still finding that the default typefaces are too large, there is an excess of wasted vertical space leading to unnecessary vertical scrolling (this is why I believe the site was constructed with mobile devices in mind – I’m still old school enough to believe that vertical scrolling is a sin, especially infinite scroll which is something best consigned to one of the circles of hell as soon as possible), that twee animations of buses rolling along whilst the journey planner is loading is just awful looking, childish and a waste of bandwidth, the layout of the home screen on a desktop is just confusing and bitty with no cohesion between the elements, that too much is hidden away behind obscure non-catagorised menus (more… for example), that light text on a dark background is far harder on the eyes than the reverse, and that the heavy graphic element present behind Plan A Journey just makes it almost impossible to visually distinguish important information properly.
        If I quickly need to look up a journey, I now reach for my iPod and use an app with a better designed interface rather than pull up the website on my 21″ iMac. That can’t be right!
        I am a web designer, and I’m noticing certain trends more and more – they aren’t particularly good! There’s enough scope in responsive CSS to allow a completely different layout for small screen devices than desktops, or have browser detection and site redirection done at the server level.

        1. I’m not sure we will end up agreeing about some of these points, but appreciate your thoughts in any case. In terms of mobiles we do change the presentation significantly for smaller screens (responsively), so it’s probably worth a try on your iPod. Hopefully we’ll be able to win you over as time goes on and we refine the site further.

  1. I agree with trt1968, and I think most people do, despite all the hype (and expense) this website is certainly worse than the old one. Today I spent ages trying to find the bus spider maps. If you REALLY listened to your users you would have done things a lot differently. (r left the old site alone, after all, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it).

  2. trt1968, yep and on Android it does not look any better. I don’t know why anyone thought lots of animations would be a good idea?The old website was simple and intuitive and the new one is hard to navigate, it freezes and on mobile it’s impossible to view the map (travel updates) – instead of a map there are lots of zig-zags.

  3. I have given up trying to use the site on my android. It is frustrating and is quite possibly the phone, which does not have very much memory. The screen bounces around and I can’t see what I am doing. Just use laptop or desktop.

  4. Why has this website been launched when it is not ready. When Ive gone to find Timetables the site advises the data has not been transfered as yet. worse still there is no way to get to what used to be called the “classic site” to find a timetable, which used to be possible. Due to signal failure Ive been waiting for 1&half hours to travel by train from Hemel Hempstead to Harrow & Wealdstone, so to plan an alternative bus journey from Watford Junction I just needed to see how long the journey would take on the 258 to get to Harrow. But no timetable info available! If the data hasn’t been transferred to enable the site to fully work why launch it? Are TFL/the Developers overexcited or just generally premature? A fully working old site is better than a not ready new site……however pretty it may look before it is completed!! Hopeless!!!!!!!

    1. Hi Ronnie, you can get the old timetables at journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk (the timetables link on the left). You can also get this information on the new site by using Journey Planner (Plan a Journey – on the homepage) – it will tell you which service to use and when it goes, based on the timetable.

  5. Dear TFLwebgeeks. Your website must be great because it managed to get you here from another planet. Here are a couple of my simple experiences.
    1. Try to find live tube departuresOpen website-click on live departures icon- this will only give me “Live Bus Arrivals”.
    2. Try another- go to the map under “Tube. DLR. Overground” oh dear !! “our data service is currently available” this has been like this for weeks. Now try the search facility underneath the dead map. This gives you “we found several results for “. Follow the options through another three screens and you find that you have to click each tube line (or platform) to find real departures. This format needs to be changed to the old style where you have all departures listed chronologically and platform and line information beside these
    3. Try to obtain combined Tube and Rail map-Go to maps-click on Tube and Rail. only the top left corner is viewable.
    There are many, many other problems with your new site. It doesn’t matter what hardware or software that is being used, the new website is appalling.

    1. Hi Steve, thanks for your feedback. The page you’re looking for is probably http://www.tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/stations-stops-and-piers/ (you can get to this from the ‘more’ menu and choose ‘stations, stops and piers’ – from here you can navigate to any departure boards you might want in the new website style. This will be hooked up again to the ‘live departures’ icon on the homepage soon, once we’ve had more time to watch the stable running of the new bus departures tool. Not sure where you are seeing ‘our data service is unavailable’ – would be useful to know what page that’s on so we can take a look. I can see there’s bug which is showing the ‘Tube and Rail’ map incorrectly in the page at http://www.tfl.gov.uk/maps/track – we’ll sort that one out. You can still click on the other maps and you should get hold of the information you are looking for. We’re improving things all the time and I hope we’ll win you over in due course.

    2. Steve, I can see a problem with the Tube departure times not showing for Circle and District lines at the moment, I think that’s what you were referring to. It gives a message ‘Live Departures – We are unable to show live departures at the moment. Please use Timetables to check the frequency of your service.’ – it looks like this is to do with how the underlying system is being used today during the strike, there are some conflicting data items in the feed that we use. We’re discussing this with our colleagues who operate the system and will see what can be done to restore these departures as soon as possible.

  6. I’ve recently been having trouble accessing the TfL site on my phone. For some reason, when using my mobile network, the site never loads properly. So the menu option never appear top right and most of the options that have loaded don’t work. Seems to be a javascript problem. Interesting, load the site on Wi-Fi and everything works fine.

    I have an HTC One (M8) and am using Google Chrome and Firefox.

    Any thoughts would be appreciated!

    Cheers,
    Rob

    1. Hi Rob, can you advise what mobile network you are on? We’ve tested the site on a wide range of phones and browsers and we don’t a have a problem on the HTC One that I’m aware of. However if you let us know what network you are on we can try that too.

          1. Hi Phil,

            First thing I tried and have done a couple of times since – still no luck.

            Cheers,
            Rob

          2. OK – we’ll take a closer look at the HTC One (M8) – it’s quite a new device and strange that it possibly could be behaving differently from other Android 4.4.2 devices. I assume you are using the Chrome browser rather than anything bundled by HTC. In any case we’ll get some further tests done on that device and fix any specific issues.

          3. Hi Phil,

            Thanks. Yes Chrome. Although curiously it works with HTC’s own browser…

            Cheers,
            Rob

  7. The website is a disaster and it seems impossible to get the latest information. I just tried to place a complaint via the website but when you click to send it you only get an error page I.e. It is actually impossible to place a complaint or to ask a simple question. It all just shows the contempt the TFL holds the commuters forced to use their services.
    My query was about the changes to routes on Oxford Street as one simply doesn’t seem to be able to get work using a bus without having to walk a long distance! Why is it impossible to find out about diversions on Oxford Street. On your website you mention “issues” on route 98 but no specifics on route change. Why can’t let the passengers know how the buses go from Oxford Circus to Russell Square – the changed destination. Where are the bus stops? The drivers don’t appear know or don’t care to tell you. How do we get to work now? No buses take you to Tottenham Court Road/New Oxford Street area if you are travelling from west? Are we expected to walk for miles to get to work? It is a long way from Oxford Circus to Covent Garden and seems no way to get there?! Appalling service and the way you are confusing the commuters with no clear information!

      1. Well I’ve been using the new website for sometime now. The conclusion I’ve came to is that it is TERRIBLE!
        The desing is inconsistent and at times, frankly, a mess an all over the place. Navigation is very very hard work and counter-intuitive (try finding how to make a complaint about the website!!). Much functionality has been lost – try getting a map showing the impact of engineering works, THERE ISN’T ONE – and what is there is, frankly dire.

        Even trying to enter this comment and it has overlapping text!!!

        1. Hi George, can you let me know what device and browser you are using to access the site? We can then look into why it’s not working well for you. For Tube, DLR and Overground engineering works you can get at map at http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tube-dlr-overground/status/?when=weekend. You’ll need a modern smartphone or an up to date computer with a recent web browser to get the best experience. This blog is based the ‘WordPress’ website, which tends to work well for most people.

          1. A mixture of IE8 (XP) and IE11. It is under IE8 that map does not even appear. Firefox I don’t like because the rendering of pages is awful (fonts look jaggy and unsmoothed). Chrome I find has a dreadful interface. Yes XP is end of life and therefore by association IE8, but if you are no longer supporting IE8 then your website should detect it and say so. So you should either make it work with IE8 or put in the disclaimer.

            Other than the map the website is a master class in bad usability. Has it actually been through any usability testing (by people outside of the development team, TFL and NOT web designers)?

  8. It says on the TFL website that “Our data service is currently unavailable.” I’ve noticed that Iphone Apps that used to work now also cannot access data from TFL. Is there a problem?

  9. “Data Service is Unavailable” http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tube-dlr-overground/status/ seems to be the default whenever I try and check status updates on the tube. I put in feedback and got an e-mail reply telling me it was okay but if the problem occured again I should send in a screenshot. Well, in all the time this new and ‘improved’ site has been up I have only twice seen the map without that message superimposed. Is it just me then, or the Windows 7, Windows 8, Android, or Apple devices all of which that I have used?

    If I want a tube timetable why do I have to input a destination, why not a timetable from that particular station for the lines serving that station?

    The new website seems to be unwieldy and is certainly not an improvement on the previous site.

    1. I’ve experienced the same problem with “Data service is currently unavailable” for status updates too, since the new website was put into operation. The problem occurs whether I use Internet Explorer or Firefox on my new Windows 7 OS PC, on my old Windows Vista PC with Internet Explorer, Firefox or Chrome and also on our Windows 7 laptop with Internet Explorer or Firefox. It is extremely frustrating.

      Strangely, the link that Phil Young provided on July 15 does work for me, but I simply can never get the status updates directly from the TFL website otherwise.

        1. Thank you so much for your help and the explanation, Phil. At least I know how to get around the problem in the meantime now – those status updates are extremely useful!

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