tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2425346921966365551.post2448674566691920389..comments2024-03-25T19:07:29.729+00:00Comments on Steve's Bus & Train Page: Norwich In 90? Not AnymoreSteve Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06852377706742868978noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2425346921966365551.post-2846302185453079592019-05-22T09:41:08.526+01:002019-05-22T09:41:08.526+01:00OK this is going to make me unpopular, and I'm...OK this is going to make me unpopular, and I'm not excusing anything but as you asked Steve, nothing is ever as simple as it seems.<br /><br />Integrated ticketing, great. First Essex just added £800K to last years losses replacing ticket machines they'd just bought. Fine. For a small operator, dependent on rock-bottom price contract work, it's a killer. Even if the ticket machines can handle it, the drivers can't; I've had a First driver swearing to high heaven that a First Day is the multi-operator ticket in Essex (it isn't), and had a full-scale lecture from an Ipswich/Carters driver on how the Essex Saver multi-operator ticket doesn't exist and is a figment of the Council's imagination, and that we should never ever believe anything from their website, it is ALL a pack of lies. I can really understand how, even where there is established well-supported long-established multi-operator ticketing like Hert's Explorer, the smaller operators are deserting it in droves. Yes, I do know, Essex County's pack of lies gives a full explanation of their statutory scheme, including all the legals under Competition Commission guidance, under which operators are required to participate. Obviously under our local variant of the old saying there are lies, damned lies and laws (and bus tables, presumably) . . .<br /><br />But seriously is it better to keep your ticket machines up to date rather than provide that extra bus in the morning and evening peak to get passengers to and from work? We can mutter all we want about it shouldn't come down to hard choices, but in the real world it always does. An I can think of at least one operator that struggled it seems to get the newer ticket machines, and the consequence was that when there was a shortage or breakages a default standard £1 ticket had to be issued (or passengers were just let on free), so a popular contract service became lossmaking and it was subsequently withdrawn. Everything has its price, and sometimes it's just unacceptable.<br /><br />The same problem with tracking: even ignoring the vagaries of GPS and mobile signals which aren't consistent; two disparate systems: the national timetabling, and company tracking systems have to talk to each other to give passengers an "estimated" delay. They weren't designed to talk to each other. Hardly surprising the customised interfacing is flaky (how many of us have tried our own computer programming?) How many programmers have actually ever used a bus to understand the needs of passengers? You joke about Company Directors, but they are far from the worst!<br /><br />The road to hell is always paved with good intentions, sadly. Keep it simple is often the best guidance, albeit always honoured more in the breach.smurfukhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04812247601237248526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2425346921966365551.post-8117753848079976402019-05-19T11:06:02.251+01:002019-05-19T11:06:02.251+01:00I don't have the knowledge to confirm, but I w...I don't have the knowledge to confirm, but I wonder if part of the problem is that in the East we have to rely on recycled vehicles, which I get - we just don't have the population density to make the high profits necessary to justify new investment.<br /><br />The problem I suspect is that in the areas that do, they often need deckers to cope with peak demand; and the available recycled modern vehicles therefore aren't suitable for many routes (e.g. virtually all of those in Chelmsford and south Essex) because of low bridges. With no new investment locally there just aren't nearly enough recycled newer single decks to go around (and even less so the smaller ones for rural routes). So we're stuffed. It even more so leaves Eastern Counties a problem obtaining suitable smaller vehicles too. Hence this sort of difficulty.<br /><br />Perhaps First's business model just isn't working, which of course is at the heart of the dispute with their newest biggest shareholder. The devil, as always, comes in the detail which Head Offices aren't good at!<br /><br />In theory they could buy secondhand as everyone else does, but I suspect that this is a market problem, not peculiar to First, so prices aren't cheap. So they struggle on as the least worst commercial option (for them, though not necessarily for the passengers, as we are finding!)smurfukhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04812247601237248526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2425346921966365551.post-11692216774893187322019-05-15T20:10:33.763+01:002019-05-15T20:10:33.763+01:00https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-4828...https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-48281752?fbclid=IwAR0DLyIO6M50WuyzxKxaANDn1-g5Tu_b20_jBR_uD4wNlvrUhMDRDQrgUO8Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2425346921966365551.post-79082579524660494792019-05-13T14:17:00.589+01:002019-05-13T14:17:00.589+01:00It's good to hear of Konnect perhaps getting t...It's good to hear of Konnect perhaps getting their act together. Go- Ahead certainly seem to have the resources and the commitment to do so, as with Stagecoach. Both have their disasters (local examples), but they are committed to the UK bus industry and overall the consequence is that they have to do better more often than they do worse.<br /><br />I'm not so sure about First. In what looks like an emerging battle between the BoD and private equity I'm not sure which is worse for UK Bus; and that really is saying something. Locally, I'm not sure whatever gave us confidence that First could succeed where Anglian under Go Ahead's stewardship failed (although I hope for the best)? It really reflects the position elsewhere; the bus industry in the Shires is usually trying to find a way to make the best of a difficult job. In Essex and Herts I hope that someone can find a a way to combine First's and Arriva's operations if they are both up for grabs as I expect. I can see a future for Arriva's local ops; but as for First's Essex decrepit shambles it really is beyond me why anyone might want it! Nobody has so far, it seems; and I'm sorry to you all it was dumped on Eastern Counties. I just hope it's not infectious.<br /><br />If there are three things I've learned they are don't make things harder for yourself (principally by biting off more than you can chew); little things matter (a lot); live within your means and and make the most of what you have (and do well). The hardest bit is the forethought. Same as in the rest of life, I suppose. Sadly things don't just work out because we think they should. smurfukhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04812247601237248526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2425346921966365551.post-3886436918199181082019-05-12T11:56:50.101+01:002019-05-12T11:56:50.101+01:00Fake news, it seems. Fake news, it seems. Steve Whttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06852377706742868978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2425346921966365551.post-29393613722003893182019-05-12T10:34:45.258+01:002019-05-12T10:34:45.258+01:00All to often late buses are blamed on traffic and ...All to often late buses are blamed on traffic and that to an extent is true but quite often it is down to drivers departing lateAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2425346921966365551.post-1034217941192139362019-05-10T21:50:01.499+01:002019-05-10T21:50:01.499+01:00Cheers, I'll try and find out details.Cheers, I'll try and find out details.Steve Whttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06852377706742868978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2425346921966365551.post-26037886364562762652019-05-10T21:49:01.746+01:002019-05-10T21:49:01.746+01:00Exactly, First have effectively killed the route. ...Exactly, First have effectively killed the route. Can't get this image of you kissing a 99A out of my head.....Steve Whttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06852377706742868978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2425346921966365551.post-34628321928225291102019-05-10T18:58:01.533+01:002019-05-10T18:58:01.533+01:00First Ipswich are apparently getting 4 further E30...First Ipswich are apparently getting 4 further E300's from Colchester, Which means 4 Eclipses are leaving the fleet. Central Suffolk Bus Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04259083860248909734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2425346921966365551.post-30654235895514003302019-05-10T12:55:16.215+01:002019-05-10T12:55:16.215+01:00Had my own return from Norwich to Halesworth today...Had my own return from Norwich to Halesworth today. On the way down I nearly kissed the connection, partly due to the driver faffing about in Norwich instead of getting the bus ready. One other person made the connection with me. 6 people on the way down to Halesworth including myself. All but one was fare paying. <br /><br />On the way back the bus arrived about 15 minutes late, though it meant the wait in Bungay wasn't as ping. Only myself and one other fare paying passenger here. We both got on at the same stop too.<br /><br />I don't see what first are expecting to happen with these routes, if I had missed a connection on my way down it's a two hour wait. If these are a regular occurrence it will just deter more passengers.<br /><br />On another note I'm not sure why First take a longer route on the 41 around Woodton, rather than go down The Street like Konect/Anglian used to.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com