There are no prizes; just for your enjoyment and to give fbb a breather during his Sheffield exertions and their consequences.
1. A Scottish top-grade operator?
2. Where?
3. Operated by?
4. Nearest station?
5. Burton upon Trent became?
6. Just gone bust.
7. An excellent pattern of operation?
8. Is the driver Henry, or Percy?
9. Local Authority operator?
And a tie breaker ...
10. On which Island would you find Bertie the Bus?
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Sheffield Changes - a Comment
A regular correspondent to this blog has added his perceptive comment to the woes of the residents of Sheffield.
As a ‘long-distance observer’ of the Sheffield bus changes, all the issues seem so reminiscent of the First Cornwall network changes of April 2003 – one common factor:-
TAS is the company that prepared the the former Cornwall network and the new Sheffield network; the latter which has been operating in "lead balloon" mode since 1st November.
Of course, to be fair, we don't know what the "partnership" asked TAS to do. Save money? Mess everything up? Design a new, vibrant and customer friendly network?
From plausible but impotent politicians ...
Bus users across Sheffield have faced delays, crowded buses and long queues following Labour's latest round of bus cuts which came into force on November 1st.
Since the changes took effect, huge queues have built up at bus stops, services have been delayed, and at busy times buses have been too full to let more passengers on.
Millhouses resident Andy Nash presented a 3,000 petition to the City Council to preserve the previous bus network, but the petition was dismissed by Labour councillors. Andy has now launched a campaign with Sheffield Lib Dems calling on the council to reverse the cuts.
Since the changes took effect, huge queues have built up at bus stops, services have been delayed, and at busy times buses have been too full to let more passengers on.
Millhouses resident Andy Nash presented a 3,000 petition to the City Council to preserve the previous bus network, but the petition was dismissed by Labour councillors. Andy has now launched a campaign with Sheffield Lib Dems calling on the council to reverse the cuts.
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A P.S. to Yesterday's Blog
A P.S. to Yesterday's Blog
Information of incomparable use to the passenger! Thanks to a correspondent fror sending this in.
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Next bus blog : Monday 16th November
As indicated a lot depends on exactly what remit TAS were given?
ReplyDeleteAll then apparently compounded by a lack of adequate advance publicity about the changes that people could easily access.
I have seen this type of exercise undertaken by a known consultant elsewhere. It was prepared at long distance using demographic and other web based information and in places lacked important in depth knowledge of the local area. Inaccurate assumptions were made and services/routes suggested that were simply not workable etc. etc. Yet they were reluctant to accept the concerns raised or spend time on the ground, rather than on the web.
I sometimes suspect that there are those who would like the bus travelling public to be like the Cyberman of Doctor - programmable to only be when and where they want them to be.
No doubt the politicians still managed to hold a enjoyable 'launch with a lunch' before going back home by car.
Re that EMPTY TO DEPOT display, it isn't particularly well worded, but isn't it indicating that the train will come in as an 8/12 and divide, with some of the train terminating there?
ReplyDeleteRegular passengers on routes with regular splitting/joining tend to recognise the two-line & terminology.
Apologies that I have only just managed to catch up on your blog. I think you have been a bit hard on TAS, it seems unimaginable that the final network proposed by TAS was not open to change by the 'Partnership'. Given that the members of the partnership should be well versed with their bits of the Sheffield network they should have spotted any major issues.
ReplyDeleteArriva Derby made a lot of changes to their proposed network following public consultation. Can't remember fully off hand who designed the network, although I know it wasn't TAS.
- Phil