FWIW Swiss tram stops have electronic countdown indicators showing arrival times of the next few trams. They don’t really need them, though, since trams, trains and buses all stick to their timetables with to-the-minute accuracy. That’s why they don’t bother with electronic indicators at bus stops: if the paper timetable says 13.01, that’s when the bus will be there.

The Swiss know it, too. That stop will be deserted at 12.55: everyone only bothers to turn up in the two minutes before the scheduled time because they know the bus will be neither early nor late… It brings a whole new meaning and definition (and connotation) to the term ‘public transport’…

A lot of these places (and country pubs) do have emergency medical kits supplied by the Royal Flying Doctor Service, however.

What would really make bus shelters better is better information – not just timetables, but how far the next bus is away. There should also be ticket machines at each one to speed boarding.

Some cities have both, and they’re great.