Bus

Synonyms / Other Terms Used

Autobus, Coach, Shuttle, Shuttle Bus, City Bus, Bus Transportation, Buses, Tourist Buses, Bus Terminal, Bus Station, Bus Stop

Category

Transportation, Transport Facilities, Transport Modes, Travel, Public Facilities, Tourism

Message / Function

To indicate transport by bus or the location of buses

	Source	Description
*	WO'72	Side view of bus
	TA	Side view of bus
	ISO 7001	Side view of symmetric bus
	Ecuador	Side view of bus
	ÖBB	Side view of bus
	UIC 413	Side view of bus
	Bolivia	Side view of bus
	Peru 2016	Side view of six-wheel bus
	Schiphol	Side view of bus
	Transantiago	Side view of bus with stripe
	France IISR	Side view of bus
	STVO D	Side view of bus
	PMP RI	Side view of bus
	Expo 67	Side view of bus
	NS 1980	Side view of bus
	Eco-Mo Foundation	Side view of bus showing front door
*	ATA	Side view of bus with large front door
	ADCA	Side view of bus with additional windows in front area
	Québec	Side view of bus with three axes plus several details
	SVI	Side view of symmetric bus with doors in front, middle and back
	ICAO	Side view of bus with many details
	TA	Side view of detailed bus
	Québec	Side view of bus with several details
	Transport for London	Side view of detailed bus
*	TC	Side view of bus on surface shown as line
	McLaren & Braunstein	Side view of bus with several details on surface shown as filled rectangle
	Québec	Side view of bus with several details
	Québec	Side view of bus with several details
*	LVA	Side view of bus with several details in outline
	O'68	Side view of front part of bus inside circle
	SWISSTRAFFIC	Side view of front part of bus
	ETH Zurich	Side view of front part of bus
	Handbuch wien.gv.at	Detailed side view of front part of bus in outline
	Erco	Front view of bus plus text BUS
	OCHA	Detailed front view of bus
	MUTCD	Detailed front view of bus
	SADC	Detailed front view of bus
	D'source	Detailed front view of bus
	Picto'grafics	Front view of bus
	Avanti PUM	Front view of bus
	Galicia	Front view of bus
	AIGA	Front view of bus
	Aragón	Front view of bus
	EJP	Front view of bus
	Slovenia 2015	Front view of bus
	Museu Blau	Front view of bus in outline
	Wahyuntitle	Detailed front view of bus
	ONCE	Detailed front view of bus with driver and text BUS
	Handbuch wien.gv.at	Front view of bus in outline
	Network Rail	Front view of double-decker bus
	SSRS	Front view of bus, bus stop sign indicated left of the bus
	GSR Portugal	Front view of bus, platform and roof details on the right
	Québec	Covered platform with human figure walking towards front view of bus
	González	Human figures next to clipped frontal view of bus

Note: Some of the examples shown above were mirrored horizontally to contrast differences.

Discussion

The examples above are only a small selection from the multitude of bus images that can be found as public information symbols in guiding systems worldwide. While variants of a bus presented in side view usually can be identified clearly, buses in front view may be mixed up with other vehicles more easily.

A number of studies present research covering several pictogram variants for this referent. These papers offer some important information:

Using the Production Method Gehringer (1979) explored which mental images or visual stereotypes exist concerning the message Bus. 83 % of the responses showed a bus in side view. In about 12 % variants showing a bus with a bus stop sign were presented. Another 3 % provided other solutions and 2 % did not produce any result. Responses indicate that there exists a visual stereotype regarding Bus. This observation corresponds to the selection of pictograms found, which is dominated by images showing a bus in side view.

Kristina Skone from the University of Vienna (1977) tested bus symbols with varying level of detail. The minimalist bus of ISO 7001 in the table above was a result of that study, showing two relevant attributes required for well designed pictograms: it is not directional and it can be identified well in small scale reproduction.

Mackett-Stout & Dewar (1981) combined a number of measures to identify the relative effectiveness of a set of variants. In the evaluation of the four variants marked with a *, the variant from the Winter Olympic Games in Sapporo 1972 (WO'72) reached the highest efficieny index, and all variants tested except the LVA variant reached excellent comprehension rates among the university students volunteering as respondents.

In a Matching Test with a set of 29 symbols (Zwaga & Boersema, 1983) the variant from the Dutch Railways (NS 1980, Nederlandse Spoorwegen) reached 62 % correct responses. Symmetrical confusions with the referent Tram happened quite frequently.

Two later studies confirm that side views of buses are superior to front views concerning comprehensibility: in a Japanese study to propose domestically unified graphical symbols based on scientific methods, the pictogram variant labeled as Eco-Mo Foundation showing a bus in side view proved to be highly comprehensible with a comprehension score of 97.4 (Eco-Mo Foundation, 2001), while for a map symbol based on a front view of a bus similar to the AIGA symbol only 69.3 % of the responses could be classified as correct when examined by Fiori (2008).

Recommendation

Pictogram PI TF 006 of ISO 7001: Bus

Based on data known, we recommend the use of a pictogram PI TF 006 of ISO 7001 as it is unambiguous, not directional and suitable for small scale reproduction. Adding further details will not improve performance.

Tests of pictograms of referent Bus

Eco-Mo Foundation (2001): Test data of public information symbols in Japan - Procedure for the testing of public information symbols by the Study Committee. ISO: ISO/TC 145/SC 1 N 329.

Fiori, S. R. (2008): Mapas para o turismo e a interatividade - proposta teórica e prática. Tese de Doutorado - Depto. de Geografia, FFLCH-USP.

Gehringer, J. (1979): Untersuchung über die zeichnerische Gestaltung von Pictogrammen in Abhängigkeit von einigen Persönlichkeitsmerkmalen, sowie Überprüfung einiger Bildzeichen auf ihre Erkennbarkeit. Dissertation, Psychology Department, University of Vienna.

Mackett-Stout, J. & Dewar, R.L. (1981): Evaluation of Public Information Signs. Human Factors, 1981, 23, 139-151.

Skone, K. (1977): Erkennbarkeit von Symbolvarianten. Dissertation, Psychology Department, University of Vienna.

Zwaga, H.J. & Boersema, T. (1983): Evaluation of a set of graphic symbols. Applied Ergonomics, 14, 1, 43-54.