Was the bus late or the GPS disappeared?

A vehicle that disappears from the map may have stopped driving, lost communication or just sent an old position. Knowing how to separate these hypotheses avoids wrong conclusions.

What the map really sees

BuzuRadar receives position records associated with vehicles and routes. When a bus transmits normally, the map can show its most recent position and the age of that record. When the transmission becomes old, the data is treated as outdated. When there is no usable position record, the vehicle may not appear.

This means that the map observes digital signals. It does not physically track every bus. A failure in the equipment, mobile network, operator dispatch, public source, or processing can interrupt the trail even while the vehicle remains in service.

Four situations that seem the same, but aren't

For those at the bus stop, they can all result in the same feeling: the bus won't arrive. For an audit, however, it is important to correctly name what was observed.

SituationWhat can be said
Recent position There was a recent transmission from that vehicle.
Old position The last record exists, but no longer reliably represents the current position.
Vehicle without a usable position It was not possible to show a reliable position at that time.
Route with no vehicles observed No vehicle on the route appeared in the selected period. This alone does not prove that there was no service.

How to check before drawing a conclusion

Start by checking the last update time. Then observe whether the problem affects a single vehicle, an entire route, or several routes at the same time. A widespread simultaneous failure usually points to source unavailability rather than an actual shutdown of the entire network.

Then compare it with the route's history and the current operational plan. If the absence repeats at specific times and on specific days, it becomes more relevant evidence. To file an official complaint, note the route, vehicle number when available, location, date, and time, and use the 1746 hotline.

Transparency

Sources consulted

Links verified on August 12, 2026. Official documents and pages may be updated after this date.

  1. Boas práticas do GTFS Realtime MobilityData / GTFS
  2. Fiscalização e multas com dados de GPS Secretaria Municipal de Transportes do Rio
  3. Linhas de ônibus e planos operacionais Secretaria Municipal de Transportes do Rio
  4. Fiscalização de irregularidades em linhas de ônibus Central 1746

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