Data Sources & Attributions

BusOva combines official government data, open data sources, and community contributions to build a comprehensive database of buses and bus services across the UK. We are committed to transparency about where our data comes from and are grateful to the following organisations and communities for making their data available.


Government & Official Sources

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)

Vehicle registration and licensing data is sourced from the DVLA. This includes information used to verify vehicle registrations, first registration dates, and basic vehicle specifications.

Data used: Vehicle registration verification, registration dates, tax and MOT status, basic vehicle details.

www.gov.uk/dvla


National Public Transport Access Nodes (NaPTAN)

Bus stop location data is provided by the NaPTAN dataset, maintained by the Department for Transport. This data powers our route mapping features, allowing us to accurately display bus stop locations, names, and facilities across the UK.

Data used: Bus stop locations (latitude/longitude), stop names, ATCO codes, NaPTAN codes, stop types, bearing information, locality data.

Coverage: Over 350,000 public transport access points including bus stops, coach stations, rail stations, metro stations, ferry terminals, and transport interchanges.

NaPTAN on GOV.UK | NaPTAN Data Portal


Mapping & Routing

Leaflet.js

Our interactive maps are built using Leaflet, an open-source JavaScript library for mobile-friendly interactive maps. Leaflet powers the map displays throughout BusOva, including route visualisation and bus stop locations.

Used for: Interactive map rendering, markers, popups, route polylines, zoom controls, and user interaction.

leafletjs.com | GitHub

Leaflet is available under the BSD 2-Clause Licence.


OpenStreetMap

Map tiles and geographical data are provided by OpenStreetMap, a collaborative project to create a free, editable map of the world. OpenStreetMap data is created and maintained by a global community of volunteer contributors.

Data used: Map tiles, road networks, geographical features, place names.

www.openstreetmap.org | Licence

© OpenStreetMap contributors. Data available under the Open Data Commons Open Database Licence (ODbL).


Open Source Routing Machine (OSRM)

Route calculations and road-following directions are powered by OSRM, a high-performance open-source routing engine. OSRM uses OpenStreetMap data to calculate realistic routes that follow actual roads rather than straight lines between points.

Data used: Route geometry, turn-by-turn directions, distance calculations, journey time estimates.

project-osrm.org | GitHub


Community

Community Contributions

The heart of BusOva is our community. A significant portion of the bus data on this platform is contributed by passionate bus enthusiasts who volunteer their time and knowledge to build and maintain this database.

Data contributed: Bus specifications, fleet numbers, operator assignments, livery details, photographs, historical records, depot allocations, and much more.

We are incredibly grateful to all our contributors. Every bus entry, every photograph, and every correction helps make BusOva better for everyone.

Interested in contributing? Create an account and start adding buses today. Check out our Top Contributors page to see who's helping build this resource.


Licences & Attributions

Open Government Licence

Data from the DVLA and NaPTAN (Department for Transport) is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Open Data Commons Open Database Licence (ODbL)

OpenStreetMap data is available under the Open Data Commons Open Database Licence (ODbL).

© OpenStreetMap contributors.

Data Accuracy

While we strive for accuracy, BusOva relies on a combination of official data sources and community contributions. Information may occasionally be incomplete, outdated, or contain errors. If you spot an inaccuracy, please help us by submitting a correction. Data on BusOva should not be relied upon for official or legal purposes.

Questions about our data? Contact us at webmaster@busova.com.