Portsmouth X Files (1)

There was a certain amount of angst when Stuart Linn (latterly boss of Southern Vectis), in consultancy mode, was invited to design a new network for First Bus in Portsmouth. The press had a field day, supported by vox pop interviews wth Elsie Miggins of Hilsea who opined, "How can a bus be numbered '0'; that makes no sense."

What was worse was that route 0 was a both-ways-round circular numbered '0' in both directiions! Although, pedantically, there were no shared stops, there were stops for both directions next to each other.

A bloggist wrote ...

We'll start with route Zero. This brand new route connects Tipner with North End, Southsea, Eastney and Hilsea and vice versa.  Furthermore, there have been many suggestions to connect route Zero to the QA Hospital. With the forthcoming service review, it will be interesting to see what happens to the Zero - I can't see it remaining the same in 18 months time.

... and he was right!

The route did not go down too well with the average Portsmithian! Stuart hotly denied that it was a bludner, stating that he had offered First's management THREE options and they had chosen the option that included route '0'.

The historic (?) 3 to Paulsgrove ... 

... now had a 3A.

The 0 was replaced with a non circular 17 and 18 and the 3As became 3s! The 3 was (and still is) joined by route 2 at Paulsgrove.

The 2 has been around for ever!

Route 3 now starts from Fareham and runs via Portchester Castle ...

... rather than the obvious main road, before venturing into Paulsgrove and the hospital.

To add to the fun, the 3 once terminated at The Hard interchange aka Portsmouth Harbour Station aka Gunwharf ...

... and was subsequently extended to Southsea, South Parade Pier.

And it wasn't branded "Star"!

For the nostalgic joy of trolleybus aficionados, Portsmouth Harbour Station OR The Hard used to be called "Dockyard" and was the main central terminus for the city's trolleybus network.

To the mix, we need to add the X4 and X5 which linked Southampton with Portsmouth (X4) and Gosport (X5).

But that changed as well.

How bus passengers yearn for stability!

How bus operators just love to change things!

The current situation is shown on the map below ...

... where we see that the X5 pictured below departing Gosport ...

... now runs from Portsmouth instead.

Worry not dear reader; things change again from 26th inst. But fbb is on the case; he understands what will happen (clever clogs) and will reveal all tomorrow.

 Next X Files blog : Tuesday 7th July 

Sunday Variety

New Welsh Route

The diagram presented by the Minister looks a bit odd. Why did the publicist decide to use a diagram, and a crude and inaccurate diagram as well?

The "launch" article continues ...

... suggesting a (very) limited stop service and thus very different from the TrawsCambria network. This is much more like a National Express route.

A geographical map is more helpful.

There is, as yet, no timetable or any guide to frequency, although it is reported that the Welsh Government has already bought eight vehicles for the service.

Currently TrawsCambria 2 runs from Bangor to Aberystwyth ...

... and T1 from Aberystwyth to Carmarthen.

Fast, they are not!

PSVAir Or PCVAIR

PSVAir is a commercial company, whilst PCVAIR is an acronym.

It stands for Passenger Carrying Vehicle Accessibility Information Regulations which come into force later this year.

As far as fbb can tell, the key feature of this legislation is a requirement to provide visual and audible advance warning of next stop name.

The regulation appears to require the operator to provide displayed and announced names from NaPTAN, the National bus stop database.

That is not good news. fbb was never an enthusiast for this data; it is far too "over-engineered" and often obscures long standing locally known names.

Businesses are hot on the tail of the regulations, seeking a sale.

The bus destination blind people are offering a package ...

... and you can buy one of these ...

... called, mysteriously ...

PSVAIR?

It is fixed to a window and will obscure the side view of anyone choosing those front seats and the forward view of many others.

Although shown in a coach, the equipment is not required on Private Hire journeys.

Hey ho; more to go wrong; more technology to fail and render a vehicle unusable.

fbb is very glad he is no longer running buses.

Electrifying News (Not!)

And again!

And even in Ireland!

Maybe we need to hang on to our nasty petrol and diesel vehicles.

A Half Story?

Only on Fridays?

And not running from and to central London.

Coach travel is less hassle than the new service, fbb has so travelled. It does not involve a change and takes you straight to your London rail terminal of choice.

Coach is also cheaper than train and services run every night!

How Soon We Forget?

You could buy a booklet; you could buy a conversion calculator. 

The banks closed on Thursday and Friday ready for the change on the Sunday.

On 15th February 1971, the UK changed to Decimal Currency. The pound changed from twenty shillings or 240 pence to one hundred new pence.

But do you remember that the bus industry, scared of the chaos that might ensue, changed to decimal one week later, from Sunday 22nd February.

Sheffield Transport published its conversion fare tables in September 1970 as pictured on an old slide from fbb's archives.

The thick pink book was packed with huge fare tables, the thinner red book was the staff instructions.

As part of a meeting to look at the Parable of The Talents, the fbbs' "congregation" is suffering a quiz about Britain's "new money! which caused huge consternation but passed by with very little angst!

Answers tomorrow!

  Next Portsmouth blog : Mon 6th July 

Saturday Variety

 Crisis In Cambridge?

Above is Nik Johnson, lately Labour Mayor of Cambridgeshire. He was quite keen on buses, aiming to increase the spend year on year.

But young Nik got deposed at this year's Mayoral elections. His successor is ...

... cheery chappie Paul Bristow.

But young Paul is from the Conservative Party. Graciously, he has promised to maintain bus funding at the present level. Which means in real bus route subsidy terms, that the lolly available for buses will now reduce year on year.

That's inflation, folks.

This has provoked some local concern.

The article goes on to explain.

Labour has committed to franchising for the County but it looks like conservative policy is less enthusiastic,

Should something as socially and economically important as Public Transport be at the whim of party politics? Will the whim of Cambridgeshire's current commercial operators be replaced by an equally vacillating policy depending on the colour of rosette worn by the Mayor?

And where does that leave Manchester if the rosette changes from red ...

...  to light blue at the forthcoming battle for the Mayorship?

Maybe Nige will paint the Manchester buses pale blue?

Thanks For Non News

Positive news for Franchising in South Yorkshire has found its way into on-line news feeds ...

... and we are not going to tell who the shortlisted " competitors are.

More Non News

Bet he didn't ride all the way from his home! That would be all the way from Windsor Great Park to London's Guildhall for an Earthshot Prize event.

More On-Line Daftness

And it is computer generated daftness about daftness.

fbb would challenge any decorating expert to paint a straight band across their house, barely balanced on a wheelbarrow cum steps pushed by a scantily-clad young gell.

But, apparently, the pair are employed by a developer to paint red bands on similar properties elsewhere ...

... in this case built on an Alpine precipice. The step ladder has been specially adapted to have one flight of steps longer than the other making it useless for its designed purpose

Total Idiots posting garbage on-line!

Through Ticketing

Interesting?

When fbb, in student mode, travelled to Bruxelles to learn French (he had just been appointed as a French teacher to 8 and 9 year olds), he caught a train from home in Northampton to Euston. He crossed London by Underground to Victoria.

Here he went to the Continental ticket office and purchased a large paper ticket printed on light brown paper.

It was all very basic and nobody looked at fbb's passport during out and return journeys except the UK border officers on his return!

The ticket carried him by BR train from Victoria to Dover; by steamer to Calais; by SNCF to Lille and by SNCB to Bruxelles. "One Journey, One Ticket"

This was in 1966.

fbb's memory is a bit fuzzy but he does remember that at Dover Marine ...

... and at Calais Maritime ...

... the ferries parked alongside the station. It was a short walk from train to boat and vice versa.

So what's new?

Eurostar is, of course easier but ticketing is a mess by comparison!

Which One Would You Buy (1)?
Just under £400 quid ... or ...

... £84.50 for a "Railroad" versi9n? 

The latter is, of course, a "Special Offer".

Which One Would You Buy (2)?

The above is second hand. Below is in special offer for a new unit ...

... reduced from £429 to a modest £343.

They are, externally, the same model but the expensive one makes a sound like a Class 158 diesel unit. 

The cheap version makes a sound like a model train!

  Next Variety blog : Sunday 5th July