My bus came earlier or later than predicted
Why countdowns sometimes jump or differ from reality — usually a bus GPS tracker issue, not the app.
Occasionally a bus arrives earlier or later than the app predicted. Here's why.
Road conditions
Unforeseen events — an accident, sudden congestion — can change the wait. You might see the countdown go 6 min → 5 min → then back up to 9 min. That's the live data reacting to the road.
GPS tracker issues (the usual cause)
Most inaccuracies come from the GPS tracker on the bus, not the app:
- If a tracker is slow to transmit, the data you see is already a few minutes old, so the bus can seem to arrive early.
- A malfunctioning tracker can send false positions, or fail and restart — which makes a bus disappear and reappear in the app.
Bus Times shows the live feed it receives. When the source data is wrong, the countdown reflects that.
Report it
You can report a specific occurrence to TfL directly from the app (More → Tell TfL, or the Tell TfL button on the Stops map). Include the date/time, route, and location.
Related: Missing buses · Spotting incorrect information
Related articles
Buses missing from a stop
If buses that normally serve a stop show no times, it's usually a data-feed issue — here's how to report it.
Reporting incorrect information
Found a closed stop, wrong direction, or other bad data? Here's how to report it to TfL or to us.
Does Bus Times work offline?
Saved stops keep their last known data offline; live updates need a connection.
Didn’t answer your question?
Contact support