Distance between matching active stops where the distance is greater then 500 meters
February 2025
Current there are 335 OSM nodes which match an active NaPTAN bus stop, where the distance between them is over 500 meters, most of these stops (218) are within East Midlands - Leicestershire with the furthest match being node 562724473 at 31km (19.2 miles).
This node has not been edited within OSM since it was imported back in November 2009 and does not show on the rendered map (no highway or public_transport tags). The NaPTAN data shows AtcoCode 260017700 was last update February 2016, (take with a grain of salt, not every change on a record within NaPTAN results in an update of this field), this could be when the location was changed.
Checking a few more random stops the discrepancy in the locations comes down to:
- The OSM node has been moved accidentally
- The local authority has changed the location within NaPTAN instead on removing it and creating an new NaPTAN record
- The OSM node has the wrong AtcoCode
- NaPTAN location is wrong, unlikely but possible. Physical survey needed at both location to confirm AtcoCode if listed on stop
So ... how do we deal with this within OSM? Out of the 335 listed below, 97 have one or more OSM nodes within 50 meters of the given NaPTAN location, for example:
/node/562726615 - AtcoCode: 260008005, Marked stop, Stand 3 - There are no active NaPTAN stops near the OSM node location
Matches node near NaPTAN location:
node/6435933075 - AtcoCode: 26000802F - Flexi stop.
In this instance node/6435933075 matches a active and nearby NaPTAN record, no action is needed.
The options now would be delete node/562726615 and create a new node or move the node to the NaPTAN location 52.833687,-1.300472
- What happens when a OSM node is apart of a bus route relation?
- What happens when a OSM node is moved to align with NaPTAN, do the shelter, tactile_paving, bench etc tags still apply or need to be removed?
- What happens when there are no OSM nodes near the NaPTAN location?
There is a lot of physical survey's, cross checking and updating needed to get the data within OSM to align with NaPTAN which will take months and may never by completed OR (can imagine very unpopular) remove the nodes with location discrepancies and reimport them with fresh NaPTAN data.