Today saw First Eastern Counties take over Ipswich Park & Ride services from Ipswich Buses. A new timetable, extended route to Rendlesham, and a fleet of 5yo Enviro 3oo's painted in Ipswich Town Blue. I understand Ipswich was a hive of photographers so I didn't go there. I went to the P&R side at Martlesham where a group of First managers were overseeing the first day, and wondering where all the buses had got to. A big gap had appeared and no one knew why. Body armour was needed as passengers were not keeping opinions to themselves, and I felt quite sorry for the managers who had no influence or control over the situation, but had to field the questions and comments as best they could.
After what must have seemed a lifetime to them a bus finally arrived from Rendlesham in the form of 67763 SN62 AUK
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| 67763 at Martlesham |
Very soon a Rendlesham bound bus arrived, disgorging some very unhappy bunnies, who again took it out on the managers who still didn't know what had caused all the delays. This time it was 67776 SN62 AXU, which I was to ride later.
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| 67776 at Martlesham |
Next up was the latest addition to the Ipswich fleet, 67406 SN13 CKC which only arrived from Bolton last week in exchange for Volvo B7rle 66983. It will eventually and up with a blue front but will be used on all routes if the rest of the P&R fleet is on the road. It still awaits its new destination screen.
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| 67406 at Martlesham |
It was time to drive to Rendlesham, where I planned to ride a couple of the E300's to Woodbridge and back. First up was the aforementioned 67776. It was still running very late so had to abridge the journey at Melton. Comfy seats, decent legroom, but a serious rattle coming from I think the emergency door spoiled the ride. I hope that rattle gets identified and rectified soon. A 10 minute wait at Melton during which one of Ipswich's excellent decker fleet came along on the back to hourly 64. they maybe the best part of 14 years old now but these B7tl's still look and ride great. Here is 32486 AU53 HKD
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| 32486 at Melton |
No sooner had tat departed than my next E300 arrived. 67775 SN62 AXO was the vehicle and I have to say this bus is lovely. No unnatural rattles and goes like the clappers! A thoroughly enjoyable round trip via Rendlesham to Woodbridge, and a decent friendly driver too. This is the standard the other buses should be.
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| 67775 at Woodbridge |
It was at Woodbridge I noticed what was advertised on the side of the buses. Now I have been known to comment on the ride quality of buses starting with E, indeed have described my insides being re-arranged on some, so I think this is extremely appropriate advertising, even if on a bus that gave a relatively decent ride.
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| Says it all really! |
Soon my final P&R bus of the day came in. 67773 SN62 AXH. This was between the other two in terms of quality, not as rattly as 67776 but not as quiet as 67775. This also needs tightening up in places but I'm sure Barry and his team will sort them out in time as they get to know the buses. Another friendly driver who was happy for me to take a pic at the Rendlesham terminus - a location I'm willing to bet no one else bothered to go to today.
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| 67773 at Rendlesham |
There are always teething troubles with a new service, and today was no exception, but I have confidence the service will settle down if the constant Ipswich roadworks let it. One problem I do see is the Rendlesham extension. If a bus is late out there it will be late back, causing a kink in the system. Some thought needed to overcome that from the team methinks, but on the whole a thumbs up. Those E300's are much nicer than the Versas they replace anyway.
Couldn't the management have rung up their own customer services and asked them to track the late buses? We don't know what's going on may be honest (and marks for trying), but isn't good customer relations. I know: try patience when everything else fails, people are doing their best, really. Sadly we don't think that way ...
ReplyDeleteBut seriously all the best to First for generally what I think is a well-planned operation in Ipswich. Have they got their CS on board though (not literally), as they seem strangely quiet?
Hahahahahaha you seriously think First's Customer Services would have had the faintest idea what was going on as tey're based in Chelmsford? They would have told the managers to please hold while they contacted the depot!
DeleteThis, unsurprisingly s what the managers were trying to do, but the Ipswich controllers were otherwise engaged on the phone to numerous drivers trying to sort the service out! Radios on buses maybe?
I thought CS were in Norwich (nationally, even more funny hahahaha!) - though Arriva do the same thing in Luton and maybe Stagecoach, rather more professionally, but they have been going longer so we need to give it time, as always. Though tracking radios and modules, dodgy software, and VOIP telephone systems that breakdown and don't prioritise calls - software developers are amazingly amateurish (even Google GPS could up their act, but the satellites aren't always in the right position anyway), so no I don't blame FEC at all. Not unusually they're let down by everyone else, including the wretched SCC. The stuff I have at home often seems better than what a lot of businesses seem to be fobbed off with, though happily I'm (sort of) master of my own fate.
DeleteThe trouble of course is that passengers tend to be hypercritical, often don't think, or have any patience. Of course they can argue that they're just paying for it all, after all! So yep if the passengers could just have the saintliness of the drivers!!!!
Arriva customer services in Luton and they can't get that right! Dread to think what they're like elsewhere!
DeleteJust a further thought. i hope the Rendlesham extension can be made to work, but if it messes up the P&R, what about a shuttle link to the Martlesham P&R? Who knows it might be extendable to the Maltings, who might be persuadable to subsidise it - after all their latest fad is apparently to market themselves as a wellness and substainability centre, with a multi-million pond development to match; so bung the small change to put their money where their mouth is doesn't seem such a bad idea to me! Alas, as usual the Suffolk politicians aren't on the ball. Witness Travel Ipswich, aka don't travel to Ipswich.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see this multi million pond development! But yes I agree, instead of giant car parks a shuttle bus services connecting with trains at Melton sounds an idea far too sensible to contemplate.
DeleteRegal Busways
ReplyDeleteAnyone know what is going on with them. They have de register most of their services from August
Nothing on their WEbsite and companies house still shows the company as Active
It's quite possible they are revamping all their services and you'll see a whole load of new registrations from the start of September, but hopefully someone reading this will know for definite.
DeleteA lot of Regal's contracts finish in August and have either been lost to other operators or the services are being withdrawn by Essex County Council. Regal will be a lot smaller company soon.
DeleteIt's simply the retendering which Essex CC have comprehensively undertaken over the last couple of years. Six years ago Regal hit their high water mark, having relocated from the south coast to take advantage of ECC tenders. But unfortunately they ended up with smaller contracts spread out across the county, many during unsocial hours, with little opportunity for profit on fixed price contracts. I think they did well to manage them as well as they did, though passengers in some areas complained bitterly and it's too not hard to imagine why. You can see from the tender results on ECC's website that, hardly surprisingly Arriva, Hedingham and First have got their act together, and generally taken the services back where they have their local depots. To me it makes sense, passengers like services they can understand, and I've never seen the day, evening and Sunday services with different operators as any particular operational benefit. Regal as much as Stephensons (even with a better reputation) have missed out. Essex CC too, sensibly, have moved where they can from fixed price contracts, into ones that expect operators to take some of the revenue risk, and the big boys have the finances to cope with risk sharing. Where Regal can play, as with taking the local 71/72 from Stephensons, they have benefited too. There has also been growth in both the local DART (set up specifically for the purpose by former Eastern National staff) and the County Council's own minibus service in winning tenders in the difficult to service rural areas. Horses for courses. To me it all makes sense in the real world where we have to try and do more with less, though not perhaps for anyone hung up on nostalgia. Whether First and perhaps Hedingham are stretching their resources too far, only time will tell.
DeleteWith costs rising and income falling everyone in the industry is feeling the squeeze. Like the rest of us. The effort is on making the best of resources, rather than buyong and selling like moving pieces around on a chessboard. Sensibly, in my opinion. It will however be interesting to see the result around Waltham Cross on the country borders, where there is a huge rumpus about the withdrawl of services, and the suggestion that Regal mismanaged things, making the services appear unprofitable. As with a slight rise of the eyebrow that Braintree/Colchester and Colchester/Malson out of daytimes were unrenumerative (even with subsidy) too, neither with any competition from rail unlike much of the county. Buty the County council can't throw our money around like confetti, and shouldn't. When some subsidies were running at £15 per passenger (their maximum is £5, which sounds about right to me i.e. about equal to the maximum single fare revenue) I can't criticise them for asking what's going on and calling it a day. It does assume though that the stats are right.
Up to press two contracts are going to be lost from ipswich buses as the free shuttle ends..it would be a good fit for ipswich buses if they had network Colchester also as it is far from arrivas other operations...sure it would be nice to see network Colchester in ipswich livery ..maybe it can happen
ReplyDeleteIt won't. Ipswich Buses can barely afford to keep themselves going without taking on Network Colchester too. Apart from anything else I can't see the good folk of Ipswich, whose Council Tax helps subsidise IB being that impressed to see their money being spent in Essex!
DeleteIpswich is lucky to have a municipal bus company where the public are involved rather than a private company just looking to proffit
DeleteIs there a new managing director at ipswich buses steve ive not heard since jeremy left
ReplyDeleteGood question, John. I haven't heard anything on the grapevine so I assume not. Last I heard they couldn't afford one.....
DeleteI hope ipswich buses do well...stagecoach will be looking from the sky as would any other of the big groups but to go in private hands is not the best
ReplyDeleteMunicipal bus companies and public ownership, like LT-type commissioning of services, all sound wonderfully romantic, and lovely in theory. But what does it mean in practice, in this area? Enough bus companies have been bought and sold. What difference has it made in practice?
ReplyDeleteOn the evidence it actually seems to me that the best (perhaps only) innovators over the last decade in this area have been . . . shock, horror, First. What innovation and benefit to the passenger competes with the X1 and the introduction of the Norwich Network concept? Yes, Borderbus and Lynx, or Stagecoach taking over Norfolk Green, but largely they are a continuation of existing services rather than true innovation. IMO Park and Ride is largely a formula so I don't count it as innovation either. (I'll admit Megabus though, but wouldn't call that local). Whether First can develop their northern Ipswich network realignment into a innovation will be interesting to see!
Even in Essex (a shock horror to me) nothing in the innovation stakes compares with the introduction of the 70, 100 and even the X1 and the X10. They along with the X1 and Norwich Network have probably saved the companies in this area. I am a fan of Stephensons who have carved a business out of former First routes, but they are not an innovator. I was surprised to see they charge more than First on a route where they both operate, which matters. Why? I suspect I know who is better placed for the future, and it isn't Stephensons, as shown by the results of the recent Essex tendering. Even the excellent all-rounder Ensign seem to struggle to develop scale, I suspect, along with newbie EOS who are making the right noises and may be one to watch.
We can wish it were otherwise, but I suspect that the foundation of any network is the the commercial operation (and specifically its paying punters which might, I suspect, be Borderbus' limitation), when you can extend into tendered services but not nearly so easily the other way; then you can hopefully transform your tendered services into commercial operations. We shall see. I just think that sometimes the execution at First leaves something to be desired, sadly; but I think they are aware of it and are trying hard. (Perhaps a bit of innovation on existing services wouldn't come amiss though either). They say small is beautiful for a reason. But the key question is would the County Councils have commissioned the innovations I referred to above? I don't think so. It's not the way that any politician I've ever met thinks, and I worked with plenty of them in my time. Politicians are wonderful for clinging on to, or trying to recreate, the past. Trying to make the future. We shall see.
Discuss, please!
Oops. Re-reading this I meant the Essex X30 not X1. Must have the latter on the brain, but I can understand why! Apart from that guess I've stunned everybody with my off-the-wall comments!!!
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