Portsmouth X Files (2)

PSVAir Or PCVAIR : P.S.

Following fbb's piece on some intrusive technology to comply with the upcoming "Access Information Regulations", correspondent Keith reports:-

What is even worse is the fitting of next stop screens for wheelchair users to see when they are in the wheelchair bay. A laudable aim but absolute hell for the vast majority of able bodied passengers. These screens are fitted to the near side and completely block the forward vision for all passengers sitting on this side of the bus. The offside forward vision is already blocked by the driver’s screen. So we can’t see where we are going anymore.

Please see photograph above of the rear of one of these screens as fitted to a new electric Stagecoach bus on the service from Kingswear to Brixham in Devon on which I travelled on recently.

So, to help the disabled, in this case a wheelchair user, a significant number of ambulant passengers become disabled as they can no longer see the road ahead and thus suffer a more unpleasant journey.

Back To The X Files!

The story so far ...

... concerns First Bus route 3 from Fareham via Paulsgrove, Queen Alexandra Hospital. London Road, The Hard and South Parade Pier at Southsea.

It is a slow urban grind taking a little over 90 minutes for the full stimulating journey. As is so often the case with First Bus timetables, the frequency is "varied" ...

... but on Saturdays it does start from Fareham every 10 minutes, clock face. Such a clear-cut and helpful frequency later adopts scheduled unreliability further down the line.

The X4 and X5 become "Xpress" for the last few miles by taking the M275 from junction 12 into the city.

It is not much of an express, especially at peak times when the M275 clogs up dramatically.  But from Fareham it is much quicker than route 3 ...

... 38 minutes to The Hard vice 73 minutes on route 3. But the X4 and X5 do not run to Southsea.

From 26th July

This is how First explains the changes.

We're making some adjustments to our Solent network from Saturday 26th July

These changes include revised frequencies on Services 1 and 3, the introduction of a new express service, the X3, and timetable updates to Services X4 and X5. 

The new X3 service will provide a direct link between Fareham and South Parade Pier, offering a faster journey and serving customers travelling to and from Southsea.

We've also reviewed running times on the X4 and X5 to improve reliability, with some evening X4 journeys being replaced by the X3 service.

We recommend checking your journey before travelling to see how these changes may affect you. 

Here is the new route 3 timetable showing a frequency reduction from every 10 to every 12 ...

... again with the caveat that every 12 at Fareham becomes less structured (and potentially more confusing!) as the route progresses. 

But you will probably get a posh electric bus for your delectation!

The new X3 is shown as extra journeys on the X4/X5 table following the same route from Fareham ...

... but extended fron The Hard to Southsea, just like route 3. 

But notice a typical First Bus daftness.

The new 3 calls at "The Hard/Gunwharf on its way to Southsea whist the X4 and X5 terminate at The Hard Interchange [D].

Somebody should tell First Bus that they are the same place.

So to help the passengers the times could be shown in the same line!!

Once branded (optimistically) Solent Express ...

... later generic 'Solent' ...

... the X4 and X5 are now also provided with new buses.

First Bus has also given us pictures of similar vehicles to pre-launch the X3; at Gunwharf/The Hard ...

... and at Southsea.

The only branding in these buses is a small, almost imperceptible 'Solent'.

It is good to see something positive from First Bus, when so much emanating from HQ is about withdrawals and timetable reductions. Whether a fast-ish bus every 15 min from Fareham to Portsmouth can be justified remains to be seen.

A similar result could be achieved by extending the X4 /X5 from The Hard to Southsea!

Time will tell.

  Next B Bus Blog : Weds 8 July 

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