In message , at 13:38:36 on Sat, 9
Sep 2006, Iain Wilkie Logan remarked:

please go to our site and try out our planner for yourself

A few constructive criticisms.

1) I entered my Town (West Bridgford) and it isn't listed in the
drop-down list. Nor is there an entry for "none of the above".
The only way to review my selection seems to be to press the
Browser "back" button, which is inelegant. (Transport Direct
does list West Bridgford).

2) I'm going to Stansted Airport (for no better reason than that's
where I drove to yesterday). I know it's a Sunday (and trains
are a bit dodgy) but it only shows routes via London, and
therefore much more expensive than via Ely. Perhaps I should
have the choice of "Not via London", and "Cheapest", as well as
your assumption that I want "fastest".

One of the suggestions is a coach (which is good) but pressing
the "fares" button gives no results.

I'm impressed that you seem to know what platform a train will
arrive at Kings Cross - the station announcers often don't,
until a few minutes beforehand.

3) Trying Melton Mowbray (the only nearby place for a through-train
on a weekday evening), you suggest going via Leicester, which is
the opposite direction to normal. OK, if it's faster at that
particular time I suppose it's OK, but have you checked this
with the routing guide?

4) So let's check "Foxton to London"... but this defaults to
"London Bridge LU", and I apparently need to know which terminus
I'll be arriving at (how does that work for places with two
terminii, such as Cambridge to KX and LS). [ps What's "Larkhill
London St Cadzow St"??]

... and Ooops, it suggests a trip via Cambridge, which is
doubling back and not a permitted route.

5) A famous problem with Cambridge Station to Newmarket (in
Transport Direct) seems to be repeated in your planner. If you
specify the destination as Newmarket Bus Station, it completely
ignores the direct train (21 minutes) plus a few minutes walk in
Newmarket, preferring: Walk to Cambridge Bus Station (25 mins)
then a further over 3 hours getting coaches via Stansted [yes,
that place again].

That'll do for now.
--
Roland Perry