Contracting First : Commercial Failings (2)

 Sobering Thoughts

On the surface a fairy standard announcement of which there9 have been plenty over recent years. 

BUT ...

This is Helston  "Depot" ...

... a bus parking area near Flambards theme park ...

... and just along a track from Sainsburys, seen here with GoAhead Transport for Cornwall buses on layover.

It is hard to see how closing a parking yard can save a lot of money. Of course, if that also involves withdrawing from bus services in the Helston area ...

The another thought comes from a respected and experienced busman.

So obviously the huge expansion (and later contraction) outlined in yesterday:s blog cannot have been effective!

Such are the dubious benefits of the UK's "commercial" system for bus operation. Although the only example, as yet, of a franchised system outside London is hardly a roaring success, so far.

Is it Andy?

Likewise, despite the Buses for Cornwall deal with GoAhead and the short term subsidised fare reductions but with substantial iincreases on the way ...

... there isn't too much euphoria emanating from Cornwall's council offices.

And there isn't too much either from GoAhead's senior management.

But Back to First's Principles?

First Bus had a good thing going with the University of Falmouh. Two interurban routes were rebranded as U1 and U2 ...

... Linking Falmouth and the huge Penrym Campus with Truro (U1) and Redruth (U2). These were further enhanced by a local shuttle (U3).

Shiny new buses were operated ...

... including some in a unique livery!

But, looking at the summer's timetable book we see that things have changed.

The U2 service to Redruth is branded "Copper" ...

.., and reduced to hourly.

The U1 to Truro have been extended and gained a U1A variant ...

... and they carry the brand "Coast to Coast". 

"Extended" is not the right word, as the former U1 has been linked to existing routes between Truro and Newquay. 

It seems that First was unhappy with the level of subsidy from the Uni and withdrew a student special £1 fare offer. Maybe thereafter students voted with their feet, their bikes or their cars!!!

Meanwhile, buses with the former U1 branding have appeared on non university routes as here on service 27.

This used to run every hour from ...

... Truro to St Austell (LIGHT BLUE).

First no longer operates on this route!

This picture appeared a while back to publicise First's electric bus experiments (hence the turbine!) ...

It is supposedly on route 91, again hourly ...

... and again it has vanished from the latest timetable book.

The former 91 (DARK GREEN) is partially covered by Buses for Cornwall's 93 (PINK).

And who operated the 93 before the arrival of GoAhead?

Surprise, surprise!

Maybe, the way things are going, Cornwall Council may yet achieve their aim of being king of ALL buses in the county!

And fbb almost forgot. The nice neat and tidy Tinner T1 and T2 ...

... which used to be services 14 and 18 and once was every 10 minutes on the common section ...

... has become much more complicated!

It is beyond fbb's pay grade to work out what has been supplanted, but you can be fairly certain that it includes a reduction of service somewhere.

But there is good news (?).

The Mousehole ...

... is now joined by a Cat ...

... but the service through to the harbour is cut from every 15 to every 20! The Mouses are now smaller minibuses ...

... but the Cat is an unbranded double decker that doesn't, that cannot, go all the way!

The terminus is a bit tight!

If you go to Mousehole (pronounced Mowzle with Mow rhyming with Cow) there is (maybe was?) a bijou chippy very near that horrific corner.

Used once by fbb! The food was super yummy.

 Next Variety blog : Saturday 13th July 

Totally Topless Tour Part 1

Dateline Wednesday 26th June ...

... sees a small knot of people joining an open top bus at Woodseats Library in Sheffield, surely an unlikely urban location for topless travel!

The vehicle, housed at Stagecoach depot in Chesterfield, then proceeds down Woodseats Road ...

... before turning left at the bottom of the hill and joining the A621. 

No one notices the former Beauchief tram terminus ...

... or the service 97 First Bus coming in the opposite direction. Everyone on board is far too excited for such mundane detail - specially two elderly gentlemen obviously on an old crocks day out!

They are on their way to Chatsworth House but NOT to visit that noble pile.

The open topper climbs through Totley and past the service 97 turning circle in the middle of nowhere ...

... ignored by all but the two old men! Likewise the terrible twosome will also remember when Sheffield Transport buses ran occasionally via Holmesfield to terminate at the sausage-about at Owler Bar.

It is some "sausage".

The moorland ride to Baslow is simply gorgeous in the sunshine but with a noticeable breeze to make the experience pleasant rather than overheated.

Soon the route descends ...

... to the bus stops at Baslow Nether End. There are many ends to Baslow ...

... but "Nether" proffers some buses to enjoy. The dark red one is service 218 to Sheffield operated by T M Travel ...

... whilst the red and white is a Hulleys 170 from Chesterfield to Bakewell.

It is but a short hop from here to the first major stop.

Chatsworth has become something of a public transport hub in the summer with lots of stuff calling there. Here are T M Travel in Edinburgh livery, Stagecoach bus (as opposed to a tour) and T M Travel in maroon.

But the topless twosome (PLEASE NO!!!) are off on the RED tour to Bakewell on the bus that carried them, also topless, from Sheffield.

Stagecoach provides a simplified route map ...

... taking happy open toppers via Pilsley to the former Hassop station and then in a loop via Bakewell and Ashford in the Water. This was the original route as previously operated and and reported by fbb in an equally previous blog.

The route is pleasant and offers a novel way of visiting a series of Derbyshire communities; but scenery wise it not "spectacular'. 

Here is Bakewell looking back towards Chatsworth.

A quick whizz along the main road takes you to Ashford in the Water, a most joyous village. 

It has riverside gardens ...

... some pleasant typical Peak District cottages ...

... and a gurt big tree on the village green.

All very pleasing and made the more enjoyable from the top of a topless! 

For fbb of course, the locations are very familiar from his residency in Sheffield. The delights would be more delightful for a big city visitor from afar.

The RED route's half hourly frequency also offers plenty of opportunities to alight and enjoy a wide range of eateries (it's a proper Bakewell pudding) ...

... or take a brisk walk amongst the glories of Derbyshire.

It is perhaps significant that every RED tour bus that fbb spotted was lightly loaded even though it was a gloriously sunny day where the breeze of toplessness formed an admirable antidote to the sweatiness of sedentary activity or a torrid trudge round Chatsworth house itself.

Perhaps the "tour" lacks that special "something" that applies to, for example, a seaside open top ride?

By today's standards, however, the prices represent very good value, especially as the fare includes connectional journeys from Chesterfield and "south" Sheffield.

The two ancients pictured above thought it was good value, too, but that is because they set off on the second route (BLUE) immediately after they arrived back at Chatsworth.

It is true that the BLUE is a must do with many a new view, and historic too. 

It will feature in Monday's blog.

 Next Weekend Variety blog : Sunday 30 June