The plan for today's blog was to begin a look at the railways of Rossendale, the preserved East Lancashire Railway and possibilities of a re-opened national rail route.
But circumstances are such that an abbreviated blog has become necessary. The reason is simple - your elderly blogger is simply too weary (there are less appealing words!) to concentrate on a dull blog. Back in January the fbb's started a new Christian meeting, monthly on Sunday afternoons. Independent of any church denomination it meets in Seaton Town Councils premises.
Very nice, very comfortable and very cheap!
The meeting is called ...
... and consists of a 45 minute informal Christian get together followed by afternoon tea - sarnies, home made cake and a cuppa. The first week there were 12 attendees, yesterday 17. In a delightful small town touch, the premises were opened up and closed by Seaton's recently elected mayor.
There were sandwiches to make, and all the equipment, chairs and tables have to be set up. The meeting went very well and was much appreciated.
But a VERY tiring day.
So just a few bits and bobs, with a hopeful return to Rossendale tomorrow.
Snow, Snow, Thick Thick Snow
Headline news last week about cars and lorries stuck on Bodmin Moor ...
... and students trapped overnight at Callywith College (near Bodmin) ...
... because all the buses were cancelled. The contract was awarded to Plymouth Citybus (GoAhead) operating an extensive network. (click on the map for an enlargement)
Was this block cancellation an over-reaction? Other operators struggled on to provide their customers with the best possible service.
Here is Yorkshire Coastliner (Transdev) ...
... making its way across the moors and here, in less happy circumstances, is Rosso (Transdev) having come to a temporary grief in a precipitive slippiness.
Of course, bus companies must operate responsibly BUT; once upon a few decades ago the philosophy was "we must get our customers home" and, usually they did.
Real Consultation
There are numerous proposals in and around Leeds to encourage public transport with a raft of bus priority schemes. One is for the A61, trackbed on the prestigious 36 from Ripon via Harrogate to Leeds.
Some proposals have not gone down a bundle with motorists and the local press.
More than 1,800 people are fighting against plans to create two new bus lanes in north Leeds.
They have signed a petition which implores Leeds City Council to scrap plans to install two bus lanes on the A61 in Alwoodley.
The council wants to create a southbound bus lane, that runs between Crescent Gardens and Alwoodley, and a northbound bus lane, that runs between Sandmoor Lane and Alwoodley Lane.
If the plans are given the go ahead, drivers will be restricted to using one lane on each of the carriageways and traffic lights on these roads will give priority to buses.
The article is illustrated by a picture of an Arriva bus, none of which run on the road concerned.
Meanwhile, Harrogate Buses (Transdev) ave organised a series of "drop in" sessions to meet and consult (and hopefully offset some of the opprobrium).
Four sessions are planned.
Well done Transdev.
Those Were The Days
Party tickets on the Underground? When were they last offered?
Back to Rossendale tomorrow.
Delayed Rossendale blog : Tuesday 5th February
Provided they travel between 0930 and 1530 groups from schools in Greater London can travel free of charge on London Buses,London Tramlink, Underground, DLR and National Rail for prebooked trips. This facility is widely used, enabling school visits which would otherwise be unaffordable.
ReplyDeleteIt seemed to me highly unlikely that Transdev would be organising drop-in sessions for the Alwoodley scheme, and so it is. It is however good publicity for those organised by Leeds Council https://www.leeds.gov.uk/parking-roads-and-travel/connecting-leeds-and-transforming-travel/bus-travel?utm_source=bususersuk&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=connectingleedsphase2a
ReplyDeleteHow did such a small room fit in so much of your hypocrisy?
ReplyDeleteWith reference to East Cornwall disruptions from Thursday afternoon's snow, here are a couple of social media items;
ReplyDeletePlymouth Citybus on Twitter: Looe, Liskeard, Callington school buses have picked children up however we are experiencing high levels of disruption due to the snow. Our plan is to stay put as we are anticipating the weather will clear within 2 hours. We will continue journeys as soon as it is safe to do so.
i.e. Staying put was a safer option than getting stuck in a rural area with a coach load of kids. Callywith College was the same decision.
The following from First Kernow was the alternative.
First Kernow
1 February at 08:59 •
Thank you for your patience and understanding, particularly customers in the East of Cornwall. We appreciate that some of you were on our buses for up to 11 hours, and others were unable to travel at all.
We are working hard today to recover a significant number of vehicles that had to be parked up in a variety of locations last night.
Our biggest thank you, however, goes out to our dedicated and professional staff who battled on throughout last night to safely return their passengers home.
We are immensely proud of our driving team, and also those control staff, engineers and managers who remained in post and coordinated and supported the operation last night.
As you will understand, it will take us some time to recover all our buses, and indeed to get drivers who slept out or in our depots last night home and suitably rested.
Proper job!
Sample Reply:
Thank you First Kernow for getting students home early this morning. A big shout out to ‘Pam’ on DC 9, who kept the students, happy, calm, warm and secure. Greatly appreciated, a credit to your team. Thank you. (DC9 route is Duchy College near Callington via Bodmin and the villages to St Austell)
Had FBB read the news stories on the BBC and various local Cornish sites, among others, he might have learned that buses couldn't actually leave the campus due to the volume of snow. Some students who had tried to drive home failed and had to return to campus, and some parents who had set out to collect children likewise couldn't make it.
ReplyDeleteFBB often complains about the degree of criticism he gets for some blogs: perhaps if he did a modicum of research before besmirching operators he might garner a little more respect from his readers. Who may, or may not, include those he is demeaning.
As a past operator, I really am very surprised with some of the "suggestions" FBB spouts.
This is blog on which Fatbus shares his love of public transport and his faith. If you don’t like it then stay away.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIncredible article with a fantastic thought! Much thanks to you for a particularly important article. I truly like this extraordinary data.
ReplyDeletecupboards Bolton