Sunday is a big, big day for buses in Sheffield - again. The following services have revised timetables.
Whoops! Forgot the 120.
Are the operators ready on-line? A check on Thursday (14th) with 3 days to go revealed that First Bus ...
... wasn't.
But, for some services, Stagecoach ...
... was. It is never a good idea to intermingle Monday to Friday (X means not bank holidays, obviuously?) and Saturday times. Publishing the change early does, of course, mean that the current timetable disappears; so tough luck if you wanted to travel ON Thursday. The time changes are, admittedly, trivial; but such sloppiness in publicity is not good for customer confidence.
Surely it is possible to show both? Even Travel South Yorkshire can manage that - clever people.
Whilst the 57 was shown as updated, the 120, a route joint with First, was still showing the February 2016 times as produced by Travel South Yorkshire (TSY).
Ditto 1 and 1A. Ditto 52 and 52A. Ditto 24 and 25.
In passing, fbb was intrigued by an entry on the Stagecoach web site. There were TWO 25s. The Sheffield service, joint with First's 24 and this other 25.
Clear and positive labelling it might be. On Stagecoach's expensive new (and exciting?) web site it may be, BUT ...
... It doesn't exist. Stagecoach Chesterfield's 25 runs between the home of the twisted spire and New Whittington.
Where were we? Oh, yes!
The provision of timetable information for Sunday's changes is patchy on-line with a couple of days to go, but, encouragingly, TSY has the lot. But what about printed publicity?
Pardon?
Printed publicity. You know, those leaflet things used by about 80% of bus passengers as their source of information.
Erm ... well ... you know ...?
fbb dispatched a Sheffield Correspondent to the Arundel Gate enquiry office ...
This is what he found. A lovely rack of blue "partnership" leaflets ...
The bottom selection tells us about thew rerouting in the University area, examined in a recent fbb blog series.
But look a little closer.
1, 1A, 57, 201, SL, SL1, 83, 83A and 88 is all you get.
No other Sheffield City bus route leaflets are available. In the strangeness that is the Sheffield Bus Partnership, the operators all took responsibility for their own publicity (e.g. Stagecoach 88 - above) and leaflets for the joint services were shared.
So where is publicity for First Bus?
There isn't any.
And none of these leaflets apply from tomorrow, 17th July. There was (last Wednesday) NO PRINTED PUBLICITY for any of tomorrow's changes.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
A Non-Brexit Minsterial Exit?
Claire Perry, known to some as one of Cameron's Cuties, has thrown in the towel.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Next Notices blog : Sunday 17th July
Absolutely inexcusable to have no printed timetable material for these changes for those who don't have access to electronic means. A greater test will come in early September when local media are reporting that some much major changes will come into effect. These are linked to the 'Bus Rapid Transit North' project and will see the removal of service 69 between Sheffield and Rotherham after 68 years. Apparently the replacement X1 will omit the residential areas of Tinsley which will see their frequency reduced from three buses an hour to one. Not surprisingly Clive Betts MP is not amused. How will First and SYPTE rise to the challenge of informing passengers of this improvement/upheaval, and will they actively promote it, I wonder?
ReplyDelete"Printed publicity. You know, those leaflet things used by about 80% of bus passengers as their source of information."
ReplyDeleteWhere does the 80% figure come from?
Unscientific but personal observation and research. A guesstimate, agreed - but it seems about right for a busy city. It is even higher here in Seaton. fbb's "circle" includes only one person who uses the internet for public transport and then only for trains. She then asks fbb's advice!
ReplyDeleteRLT (and others) : see tomorrow's blog!
ReplyDeleteThe problem is South Yorkshire changes bus times too many times its getting beyond a joke.Meadowhead to Sheffield town centre £2.30.Mosborough to town a single is now £1.50 work that one out.Am a bus driver telling passengers every 2 months is not on .They need to up their game .
ReplyDelete