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!
Next Portsmouth blog : Mon 6th July
