Reading Timetables

Lesson 2 of 2: Time

In this lesson:

• Read any timetable using the row-and-column method
• Find journey durations — including trips that cross midnight
• Work out arrival times and choose the right service

Learning Objectives for This Lesson

By the end, you should be able to:

1. Read travel, class, and work timetables by row and column
2. Find journey duration from a timetable, including cross-midnight trips
3. Work out arrival or departure times and choose the right service

Which Bus Gets You to Jinja by 1000?

Which bus? How long is the journey?

Say These Three Times Aloud

Timetables are always printed in 24-hour format.

• 0745 — what time is this? a.m. or p.m.?
• 1330 — what time is this? a.m. or p.m.?
• 2015 — what time is this? a.m. or p.m.?

Say each one aloud before moving on.

A Timetable Is a Grid

• Rows = stops along the route (Kampala, Mukono, Lugazi, Jinja)
• Columns = different bus services
• One cell = the time that service reaches that stop

Use Two Fingers to Read Any Cell

Find the time when Service 2 reaches Jinja.

Step 1: Put one finger on the Jinja row
Step 2: Put another finger on the Service 2 column
Step 3: Read the cell where they cross → 0900

Service 2 arrives in Jinja at 0900.

Check the Column Heading Every Time

Some timetables have both departure and arrival columns.

• Departure: when the bus leaves a stop
• Arrival: when the bus reaches a stop

Reading the wrong column gives the wrong answer — even if your row is right.

Check the heading before reading any cell.

Quick Check: Read a Cell

When does the 1030 bus reach Mukono? Write your answer.

Duration: The Counting Is Unchanged

Finding duration from a timetable uses the same method as time-01.

• New: the two times come from timetable cells
• Same: hop to the next full hour → count whole hours → count remaining minutes

Read the cells, then count exactly as before.

Bus Duration: Kampala to Jinja

From the timetable: Bus 2 departs Kampala at 0830, arrives Jinja at 1115.

Read the two cells first, then count up:

0830 → 0900: 30 min
0900 → 1100: 2 h
1100 → 1115: 15 min

Total: 2 h 45 min

Same Skill on a Class Timetable

Question: How long is Mathematics on Monday?

Start: 1000 → End: 1140
1000 → 1100: 1 h | 1100 → 1140: 40 min → 1 h 40 min

Name What You're Measuring First

Bus A arrives Mukono at 0930. Bus B departs at 0950.

How long is the wait?

Before touching the numbers — name what you're measuring:
→ The gap between arriving on A and departing on B

0930 → 0950 = 20 min wait

A Smaller Arrival Number Is Not Earlier

Night bus: departs 2330, arrives 0245.

0245 looks smaller than 2330 — did the journey go backwards?

No. The clock rolled over at midnight (0000).
0245 on the next day comes after 2330 tonight.

Smaller number, but a later time.

Count Through 0000 in Two Parts

• Part 1: 2330 → 0000 = 30 min (clock rolls to new day)
• Part 2: 0000 → 0245 = 2 h 45 min
• Total: 3 h 15 min

Find the Error in This Working

Night bus: departs 2330, arrives 0245.

Working: 0245 − 2330 = −2085
Answer: "about 20 hours" (reversed it)

What went wrong? How do you fix it?

Write the correct two-part working before advancing.

Finding Arrival: Count On from Departure

You know the departure and the duration. Find the arrival.

Example: Train leaves 1420, trip takes 1 h 50 min.

Count on:

• + 1 h → 1520
• + 50 min → 1610

Same count-up method, run forward from a known start.

Choose Your Service: Read Backwards

Need Jinja by 1000 — which bus? Write it down.

Two Cells, Then Count — Every Time

✓ Read any timetable: one finger on the row, one on the column

✓ Duration: read two cells, count up

✓ Cross midnight: split at 0000, count both parts, add them

When arrival looks smaller: count through 0000 — the day rolled over