Cornwall Is A Mess (2)

Back Home & Disappointed (continued)

 Disappointment 4 

Bus watchers were surprised when Cornwall announced its intention to renew all tenders in the county en bloc, offering them to single bidders for the whole lot.  They were even more surprised when the deal was done with GoAhead. An all over bright red livery was adopted with the name Transport for Cornwall as the brand.

Alternative logos were proposed as shown below on what looks like a branded First bus vehicle ...

... and in different colours on what is definitely a First Bus vehicle.

Ironic, really, as First's commercial services were outside the deal.

The "T" logo was accepted.

New buses were promised and many new vehicles duly arrived ...

... and very smart they looked. GoAhead sub-contracted some work to other operators, the biggest of which was OTS which also obtained new, branded vehicles.

Even the long-established Hopleys Coaches gained a sub-contracted route to add to its one commercial service.

This, 0combined with First's excellent branding, presented a really positive image in the County.

But a period of observation in Penzance revealed a different picture.

Plymouth City Bus vehicles with a Go Cornwall sticker were in evidence, including vehicles in an old Plymouth paint job, very much a weak flavour of the day.

The livery and the vehicles were obviously cast-offs ...

... and the overall impression, combined with the First Bus shambles, was disappointing. This one below was anonymous apart from a tell-tale City Bus on the front.

The official logo de-peelers had obviously missed a bit.

 Disappointment 5 

What greeted the fbbs in the environs of Penzance bus station was this ...

... a good selection of blocked off roads with protective traffic lights.

A major road works "happening" affected the main shopping street ...

... with its road and bus stops completely closed to traffic. This was to be for four weeks! It has not gone down at all well with the town's retail traders.

But the effect on the buses was even worse. The diversion was enormous.

It was bad enough for routes to the north and west, missing the vital town centre stops, but for buses to the east it involved a loop right round the west and north of the town as mapped above. To add to the fun, there were roadworks at the western end of the by pass (GREEN) road which backed up blocking the way for diverted traffic in both directions.

There was no printed information about the change leading to many utterly confused passengers.

But what was doubly appalling was that there were no supervisory staff in evidence either from First, GoAhead or the County Council. This was disgraceful as nobody really knew what was happening. 

On one of the fbb's journeys most buses were running 20 minutes late!

Where was Blakey when he was most needed?

But, seriously, it was seriously poor!

 Disappointment 5 

This was fbb's first live visit to the area since the new Transport for Cornwall regime. So the old man had not previously had an opportunity to experience Public Transport Information in the county. He has already complained about the shortage of timetable books - a really stupid cost-cutting decision - and been aghast at the lack of info on the stands at Penzance bus station.

But how were things out on the road?

All bus stop flags have been replaced by the County brand, even those previously branded for First Bus routes, now, of course, de-branded.

The flags are tiny and have no room for route numbers and, in a tourist area, should have displayed the name of the stop.

Timetable frames seem to be provided everywhere which was good, but they are too small, particularly for stops with multiple services calling. 

Here is one of the main stops at Falmouth.

Effectively this is where ALL the town services stop and there are several routes all numbered in the 60 series. The "glass" was dirty and the page was hard to read and hard to photograph as fbbs phone wanted to focus on the murk!

But fbb asks again - replays the gramophone record - why oh why are these complex services listed in time order?

Do Falmothians (?) wander up to the bus stop and think, golly gosh it is 1155 - where can I go, leaving now?

Of course not, they want to check the next available departure of their chosen bus route.

Departures should be in route number blocks and then (and only then) listed in time order.

And the print is far too small!

There are no maps and no lists of roads or stops served. The simple line diagrams, at the head of the frame, again are unhelpful. They are too simple and too small ...

... and often wrong!

Here are four routes "via Penryn". Does that mean they all go the same way?

If you know which way buses go, then you can understand the map; but if you don't, you will struggle whiith botplh mapping aub8ndo0m bus stop displays Most buses serve Penryn Bridge (on the wet stuff, near the F of Flushing) ...

... then climb up through Penryn itself ...

... and on via the huge University campus. The First Bus U1 to Truro (DARK BLUE) follows this standard route; but the new competitive GoAhead 32 (DARK BROWN) runs via ASDA.

The route strip in the bus stop frame does not recognise this difference.

You have to KNOW!

There are no town maps showing the urban routes of often complex services. Try to fathom the town circular and the coastal circulars, again at Falmouth!

But, as they say, it is disappointing, and not the super bus plan for Cornwall as promoted by the County several years ago.

The County is in a mess, practically and financially.

First Bus is in a mess, practically and financially.

GoAhead is in a mess, practically and financially.

Good innit?

P.S. fbb did figure out the route of the M6 to Mousehole. 

route continues to Mousehole

Simple when you know! With apologies with poor quality maps, here and above. fbb is still wrestling with the new Linux software.

Tomorrow we go to Derbyshire - where things are changing ; but we can follow what is happening. 

    Return of Hulleys?  blog : Weds 1st Oct