Privacy Policy

Introduction

BusPing is a passenger-powered bus reliability app that helps people check whether a bus is actually coming using live reports from other passengers at the stop. This Privacy Policy explains how BusPing ("we", "us", "our") collects, uses, and protects information about you when you use the BusPing mobile app or visit our website at busping.co.uk.

If you have any questions, you can reach us at support@busping.co.uk.

1. Who We Are

BusPing is operated by The UGC Playbook LTD, a company registered in England and Wales.

Address: 3rd Floor, 86–90 Paul Street, London, England, United Kingdom, EC2A 4NE
Support email: support@busping.co.uk
Website: https://busping.co.uk

If you are based in the UK or EU, we process your personal data in line with the UK GDPR, EU GDPR, and applicable data protection legislation.

2. What This Policy Covers

This policy covers:

• The BusPing mobile app (iOS and Android)
• The BusPing website at busping.co.uk
• Support and advertising enquiry contact forms or email communications

It does not cover third-party websites, app stores, or services we do not control — even if we link to them. Those services have their own privacy policies.

3. Summary for App Users

BusPing is designed to be used with minimal personal data. Here is a plain-language summary of what we may collect:

Important: No login is required to check routes or send basic reports. Location is entirely optional. Community reports are displayed anonymously. BusPing does not sell your personal data. Sponsored cards in the app are always clearly labelled.

4. Information You Provide Directly

We may collect information you actively provide, including:

• Support enquiries: your name, email address, and the content of your message
• Advertising enquiries: your name, business name, email address, area or town, and enquiry message
• Optional profile: a profile name, email address, or other details if you choose to create an account
• Passenger reports and pings: the route number, stop or area, report type (e.g. late, no-show, full, drove past), and any optional notes you choose to add
• Saved routes and commute preferences: routes you bookmark or alerts you set, if you use those optional features

You do not need to provide any of the above to use BusPing's core features. Guest use — searching routes and submitting basic reports — does not require an account or personal information.

5. Information Collected Automatically

When you use the app or website, certain information is collected automatically, including:

• Device type, operating system version, and app version
• App performance data, crash logs, and diagnostics
• Route searches and feature usage (for example, which screens are used)
• Approximate interaction data such as reports submitted or features accessed
• IP address and browser type when visiting our website
• Cookies or similar technologies on the website where used

Where possible, we use this information in aggregated or pseudonymous form to understand overall usage patterns rather than to identify individual people.

6. Location Data

Location access is entirely optional. BusPing may request permission to access your approximate or precise location to help show nearby bus stops and routes more quickly. You can always search manually by typing a route number or stop name — location permission is never required to use BusPing.

You can enable or disable location access at any time in your device's privacy or location settings. Location data is used only to improve the relevance of results shown to you. We minimise the retention of precise location data and will update this policy as implementation is finalised.

7. Community Reports and Passenger Pings

BusPing is built on community-powered passenger reports. When you submit a ping, the following information may be shared publicly as anonymous community data to help other passengers:

• Route number and report type (e.g. late, no-show, full, drove past)
• Approximate stop or area
• Approximate time of report
• Confidence signals derived from multiple reports

Your name, account details, and any identifying information are never displayed publicly with a community report. Reports should not include personal information about other people.

Personal proof logs — a private record of your own reports — are kept for your own use only and are not displayed publicly unless you explicitly share them.

False, spam, or abusive reports may be removed or limited by our moderation systems. Repeated misuse may result in further limits on your ability to submit reports.

8. Ads and Sponsored Placements

BusPing is free for passengers and supported by clearly labelled local sponsored placements. At launch, advertising consists of:

• Local sponsored placement cards from businesses advertising nearby services

All sponsored content is clearly labelled within the app. Sponsored placements may be shown based on general context such as the route or area being viewed, or the app screen you are on. BusPing does not use third-party ad tracking for sponsored placement decisions at this time.

Local advertiser content is subject to our advertising terms. BusPing does not share your personal data with local advertisers.

9. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide route search, passenger report, and reliability features
• Show nearby stops and routes if you have enabled location
• Display anonymous community reports to help other passengers
• Save routes, proof logs, and account preferences if you use those features
• Prevent spam, abuse, false reports, and manipulation of reliability data
• Improve app stability, performance, and reliability
• Show advertising and measure ad performance
• Respond to support requests and advertising enquiries
• Comply with legal obligations

10. Legal Bases (UK and EU Users)

Where UK GDPR or EU GDPR applies, we rely on the following legal bases for processing personal data:

• Performance of a contract: to provide the app's core features to you
• Legitimate interests: to operate, improve, and secure the app; prevent abuse and spam; and show non-intrusive ads that help keep BusPing free
• Consent: for optional location access, personalised or tracking-based advertising where required by law, and cookies on our website where required
• Legal obligation: where we are required to process data to comply with law

11. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal data. We may share information with:

• Hosting and database providers that store and serve the app's data
• Analytics and crash reporting providers that help us monitor app stability and usage
• Local advertising partners — businesses whose sponsored placement cards appear in the app. We share only the placement and display information needed to show a labelled card. We do not share your personal data with local advertisers.
• Email and support tools used to manage and respond to support messages
• App stores and platforms (Apple App Store, Google Play) through which you download and use the app
• Legal and safety purposes: if we are required to do so by law, or to protect the rights and safety of our users and the public
• Business transfers: if BusPing or The UGC Playbook LTD is involved in a merger, acquisition, or transfer of assets, your data may be transferred as part of that process under appropriate protections

All third-party providers are engaged under appropriate data processing agreements and are only permitted to process your data on our behalf and under our instructions.

We never share your name or identifying details publicly in connection with a community passenger report.

12. Third-Party Services

BusPing integrates with or links to third-party services. These services have their own privacy policies and we are not responsible for their data practices:

• Apple App Store — governs app distribution on iOS devices
• Google Play — governs app distribution on Android devices
• Analytics and crash reporting services — used to monitor app stability
• Hosting and database services — used to store and serve app data securely
• Email and support communication tools — used to manage support requests

When you download or use BusPing through Apple or Google, those platforms may also collect data as described in their own privacy policies.

13. Data Retention

We retain your information only for as long as necessary. In practice:

• Support messages are retained as needed to respond and maintain appropriate records
• Community reports are retained for as long as they are useful for reliability history and moderation, after which they may be deleted, anonymised, or aggregated
• Account and profile data is retained until you request deletion or delete your account where that feature is available
• Proof logs and saved routes are retained as part of your account data until you delete them or your account
• Analytics and diagnostics are retained in line with our service providers' policies and our internal rules, typically in aggregated or pseudonymous form
• Local app data (settings, cached data) can be cleared by uninstalling the app or resetting app data on your device

14. Your Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

• Access: request a copy of your personal data
• Correction: ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Deletion: ask us to delete your personal data
• Restriction: ask us to limit how we process your data in certain circumstances
• Objection: object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Portability: receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format where applicable
• Withdraw consent: withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at support@busping.co.uk with the subject line "Privacy request". We may need to verify your identity before responding.

Account deletion: If you create a BusPing profile or account, you can request account deletion by emailing support@busping.co.uk with "Account deletion request" in the subject.

If you are in the UK, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk. EU residents may contact their local supervisory authority.

15. Children's Privacy

BusPing is not directed at children under the age of 13, or the equivalent minimum age in your jurisdiction. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under this age. If you believe a child has submitted personal data to us, please contact us at support@busping.co.uk and we will take steps to delete it.

16. Security

We take the security of your data seriously and use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect it, including secure hosting, encrypted connections where appropriate, and restricting access to systems to authorised personnel. No system is completely secure and we cannot guarantee absolute security. In the event of a data incident that affects you, we will notify you and relevant authorities as required by law.

17. International Transfers

Our service providers may be located in countries outside the UK or EU. Where personal data is transferred internationally, we take steps to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as Standard Contractual Clauses or equivalent mechanisms recognised under applicable law.

18. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our practices or legal requirements. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where changes are significant, notify you in the app or by other appropriate means. Your continued use of BusPing after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.