The driving dashboard is the command centre of every route in Croydon London Bus Simulator. After the Redefined update, Centro Interactive rebuilt the right-side UI to surface stop information, lateness warnings, ticket prompts, and door status in a single readable panel. Understanding this interface is non-negotiable for efficient point grinding — passengers will not award credits until you issue the correct ticket and depart successfully.
Dashboard Layout Overview
When you spawn a bus and select a route, the dashboard displays your current stop name, the next stop, route number, and a departure countdown. A lateness indicator tells you whether you are early, on time, or late relative to the timetable. Green prompts confirm successful actions; red warnings flag incorrect tickets or missed bell requests from passengers wanting to alight.
Keyboard shortcuts for doors and indicators are documented in our keyboard controls guide. Physical ticket machine operation overlaps with camera controls covered in the cameras and doors page.
Passenger Ticket Types
Each boarding passenger displays a speech bubble requesting one of five ticket types. You must match their request exactly unless QuickBoard is active. The ticket types mirror real London fare products:
- Single — One journey to a stated destination
- Return — Outward and return travel
- Day Pass — Unlimited travel for one day
- 7 Day Pass — Weekly unlimited travel
- Months Pass — Monthly season ticket equivalent
Passengers spawn at stops when you begin a route or after serving the previous stop. During rush hour, up to 15 standard passengers may appear per stop compared to quieter periods. Serving them quickly without ticket errors is the fastest path to earning points.
Interactive Ticket Machines
Update 1.3.2 introduced fully interactable physical ticket machines in compatible bus cabs. Instead of clicking sidebar buttons, you aim at the machine panel and select the fare product matching the passenger request. This adds immersion and mirrors real Arriva and Go-Ahead equipment found across South London routes in-game.
Watch our interactive ticket machines video guide for a walkthrough of the 1.3.2 system. New players often find the physical machines slower initially but faster once muscle memory develops — especially on high-capacity double-deckers during busy shifts.
On-Time Departures and Bell Requests
The departure countdown is your timetable anchor. When it reads Due, close doors and pull away promptly to bank 5 points per stop, awarded at route end. Across a 20-stop route, that is 100 bonus points on top of passenger boarding income — often the difference between affording a new bus variant or grinding another hour.
On-board passengers ring the bell when they want to exit. A green stop bell icon appears on the dashboard. Pull over at the next safe stop, open doors, and let them alight for 3 points each (minimum 2 passengers required for alighting credit on some configurations). Missing bell stops frustrates simulated passengers and wastes time.
QuickBoard and Pro Integration
QuickBoard costs 799 Robux standalone or comes bundled with Croydon Pro. It auto-issues correct tickets on boarding, eliminating manual selection. For route 289 grinds or Pro exclusive replacement routes, QuickBoard pays for itself in reduced stop times. Evaluate whether it suits your playstyle in our subscription worth-it analysis.