Re-inventing The Wheel Part 1

Or Re-inventing The Minibus?

It hardly seems a moment since fbb was reporting the return of the Minibus Revolution as instigated by the late Sir Harry Blundred. This version of the revolution was to take place in Ashford Kent where the town service had the old fashioned minibus treatment. It all kicked off back in February 2017.

See Ashford's Astounding Announcement (3) Read again.

From this week "Little and Often" became "Little and Even Less Often" as further frequency reductions were introduced.

Route B runs from northern estates at Kennington, Bockhanger and Bybrook ...

... into Ashford centre; then on, southbound to Park Farm and Bridgefield.

Bidgefield, you may remember, is where the buses were due to use an old farm-track bridge to reach an estate on the far side of the railway. For some reason this was not ready but still adorned with "No Entry except buses" signs.

The Accommodation Bridge Connecting Park Farm South with Bridgefield. The consortium has paid KCC the sum due to upgrade the bridge. Finishing the upgrade works and installing some missing bits of panelling will limit the risk of trespass on the railway. This is a pre-requisite for a bus service entering Bridgefield.

It is now open, although Streetview does not acknowledge the existence of Bridgefield itself.

When this route started, the frequency was every 6 minutes, every 15 evenings on Sundays. Changes in September and this week have knocked that back to every 10 (or is it every 9?) and every 20.

Reductions have also applied to the "C" route.

One of fbb's correspondents (Roger by name) has updated the old man; because Stagecoach have "redeployed their resources" on two new "Little and Often" routes.

The old half hourly "E", which had its origins in  service branded "The E Line" ...

... loses its link to the Hospital ...

... and runs cross-town to 

... South Willesborough, most recently served by the "G". The "E" is every 20 minutes; so three 16 eaters every hour ...

... replace two 40+ seats every hour. It doesn't seem a good deal for the passengers or one that will attract much extra business - "Little and Not Very Often".

Godinton Park (the north western bit of the old "G") increases from every 30 minutes to every 15 as a "Little and Not as Often as You might Expect" route.

Again, to follow the Blundred pattern, you might expect a bus every ten minutes

Roger sends a selection of pictures, for which many thanks, one of which is the timetable frame for the northbound E and G.

How unhelpful. Admittedly E and G run together along the Godinton Road, but, mostly, they are VERY different routes; so why show them as a muddled mess.

But Roger saves his opprobrium for the quality of the vehicles themselves. He reports that opening windows have had to be added, as a well loaded bus became incredibly stuffy.

The seats are large, high-backed and posh - BUT ...

... they are narrow and the leg room is ...

... negligible and less than negligible over the (grey) wheel arch.

There are 13 fixed seats with three (or is it four) tip-up extras.

These, of course, are lost if wheelchair, or even a baby buggy or two are part of the consist.

As Roger says (and he ought to know!) these ar simply NOT suitable vehicles for a busy (?) urban route.

There is yet another "timetable" picture, taken at the town centre stop in Bank Street.

Now we have As, Es and Gs on the same list. As and Es travel southbound from Bank Street whereas the new "G" runs north-westbound to Godinton Park - or is it Repton Park?

Poor.

The current edition of Buses magazine reports recent developments in a short article. It ends with, perhaps, he most telling comment on this manifestation of the minibus revolution - re-invented!

Maybe 300% is a bit over the top, but it is clear that passenger growth is not (yet?) matching the increased costs of the "Little and Often" network.

Will it last?

But the disease revolution is spreading.

 Next re-invention blog - Friday 24th November