NCSD - Poor data quality

NCSD - National Coach Services Database
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Hi all, I’ve reported this via the BODS discord but I am aware that some others may wish to know the details.

All SCLK services (bar 923 & M91) are showing publicuse=false. The 9140 service is actually a 914 too so Citylink need to look into that one. Missing the Blackpool 618 service. Given most Citylink routes are registered, it may be helpful if anyone is matching to OTC regs if Citylink included the OTC registration number in the file rather than having the service code using the UZ unregistered code.

Flixbus routes still have issues with stops not linking properly as KPMG just pluck ATCO numbers out of thin air. Ie on the UK023 Manchester Moss Lane is stop 1800SB31391 southbound (to Bristol/London) and 1800SB31281 northbound (towards Manchester), there is no reason for these to be using custom 900 numbers. On the UK049/UKN49, Newquay Bus Station is 0800COA15390.
All routes that run up through Finchley Road are having issues with KPMG linking to Finchley Road stop ‘FL’ when they should be using ‘CL’ for northbound services.
Stops in Middlesbrough (affecting N10, X010 and 073) are all incorrect. KMPG have linked to ‘stand 11’ rather than the appropriately named ‘express lounge stand 30’, and the N10 (despite Flixbus poor advertising and KPMG being unaware) actually stops at Stand Z because the bus station closes at night.
Any route which serves a different stop in each direction is not being reflected properly (ie Nottingham University, Aviemore, Pitlochry etc), these places all show as having the same stop code in both directions.
I am sure I can find many more errors if I looked hard enough.

National Express on routes 104/106/406/504/G5 need the stop code at Newquay Bus Station updating to be 0800COA15390. Routes ER7 and ER8 need the stop at Salisbury Station to use one of the 2 stops in the station forecourt. The stop descriptor is ‘Salisbury Rail Station Rail Stn Forecourt Sout’ but the coordinates are nowhere near here, and given there are 2 naptan codes for stops within the station forecourt, these should be being used. Silverstone event services should be showing as using naptan code 300000316CP rather than using a custom stop.

New Bharat services still has a typo in the inbound/outbound descriptions and they have silly tags which are set up as [stop name], [locality]. Who on earth refers to a place as ‘Priory Way / Southall, Norwood Green’?

Hannon Coaches Belfast-Glasgow is completely missing
Thandi Executive Coaches Willenhall/Birmingham/Coventry to London Southall service is missing
Thandi Express (known locally as Thandi Red) from Birmingham to London Barking via Coventry, Leicester and Luton is missing
Berrys Superfast from West country - London is listed under normal BODS and not under coach data despite the service being long distance operated by coaches.
KPMG want international coaches including but no information on Sindbad, Regiojet or Bla Bla Car.

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Thanks for sharing your findings. I’d appreciate if you could reply to this thread if you receive any responses or resolutions to any of the noted issues.

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Hi,

We raised these issues and others around NCSD at the Operator Digital Initiative (OpDI) meeting yesterday. The group recognises the importance of getting the data working correctly for consumers and customers. Attendees include bus operators, DfT, KPMG, CPT and OTC.

A series of meetings/conversations between the parties, including coach operators, will now follow, with the objective of setting out a plan to improve data quality. This is considered a priority item by OpDI.

TODUF

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This is great news. Thank you.

I hope that any changes can come before too much damage is done as a result of poor data.

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Just to keep everyone updated, all of these issues remain despite being reported 3 weeks ago. As of yesterdays NCSD update though, most National Express routes have gone missing, Flixbus UK090 has gone missing

I don’t know how KPMG are getting away with such shoddy quality. Basemap worked this stuff perfectly and it’s been a disaster since KPMG took over. Perhaps it should be called ‘Some semi correct coach services data’ because it’s far from covering all national services and half of the data is incorrect.

KPMG have been ignoring issues on the Discord so who knows if/when this will all be fixed. What a colossal mess.

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Posts like this makes me pretty sad that the data quality has dropped, I know that without chasing or scraping then data goes stale pretty quickly.

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Just to keep this updated. A month has passed, 4 updates to new NCSD. 99.9% of the issues remain.

SCLK M9 is now showing as for public use (as well as the 923 and M91 but they were fine to start with).

Every single other thing is still an issue and no update from KPMG yet. Hopefully I hear something back soon.

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Thanks for the update, can’t say I am surprised.