Privacy on the Bus Times website

This page describes what the website at bustimes.app actually does with data, in plain English. It supplements — and does not replace — the full Mobicia privacy policy, which is the binding document and also covers the iOS and Android apps.

The short version

  • There is no account, no sign-up, and no password. We never ask for your name or email address to use the site.
  • Your location is only read if you ask for nearby stops, and only for as long as it takes to answer that request.
  • Your favourites and settings stay in your own browser. They are not uploaded.
  • Analytics and advertising cookies are switched off until you choose otherwise.

Location

Bus Times asks your browser for your location only when you tap Find your nearest stops or open the location button. Your browser shows its own permission prompt first — if you decline, the site works normally and simply shows central London instead.

When you do grant it, your coordinates are sent to the Bus Times API so we can work out which stops are near you and how far away they are. That request is answered and discarded. Coordinates are not attached to an identity, not stored as a location history, and not passed to advertisers.

What is stored in your browser

Bus Times keeps a small amount of data in your browser's local storage so the site remembers you between visits. None of it is uploaded to us:

  • Favourite stops — so they appear on the Favourites tab
  • Recently viewed stops — so you can jump back
  • Display settings — dark mode, text size, and which tab you last used
  • App banner dismissal — so we do not re-show a banner you closed
  • A short-lived API token — an anonymous credential the site uses to call our own servers; it identifies the browser session, not you

Clearing your browser's site data for bustimes.app removes all of it.

Analytics

We use Google Analytics and Firebase Analytics to understand which features get used and where the site is slow or broken. IP addresses are anonymised. These load in a denied-by-default state under Google Consent Mode and only begin collecting if you consent.

Advertising

The site is free and we intend to fund it with advertising through Google AdSense. Consent for advertising and measurement is collected through Google's certified consent platform, which implements the IAB Transparency & Consent Framework. You can reopen that dialog and change your mind at any time from the privacy link in the site menu.

Advertising never receives your location coordinates, your favourite stops, or your search history from us.

Third parties that see your request

  • Google — analytics, advertising, and the consent dialog
  • OpenFreeMap — serves the map tiles, so it receives your IP address and the map area you are viewing
  • Amazon Web Services — hosts the site and the API

Children

Bus Times is a general-audience travel tool. It is not directed at children and we do not knowingly collect data from them.

Your choices and your rights

  • Revoke location access in your browser's site settings at any time.
  • Change your advertising and analytics consent from the privacy link in the site menu.
  • Clear everything the site has stored by clearing site data for bustimes.app.
  • To request a copy of your data or ask us to delete it, contact us through the Bus Times help centre.

Who we are

Bus Times is built and operated by Mobicia Limited, a London-based mobile development studio, which is the data controller. Questions about this page can go through the contact page.