Waverley Weirdness (4)

Production Led Or Customer Focused?

Always a dilemma for bus companies; and a bigger dilemma when revenue is marginal. Do you run a service which might attract extra passengers, or you run the best you can manage at the cheapest realistic cost?

Without a doubt, First Bus' services to Waverley have become increasingly Production Led to the detriment of Customer Comprehension. Some would say that this is a sure-fire way to alienate what customers you have, thus making the business even more dodgy.

See what you think, dear reader.

We begin at the Sheffield end ...

The 72 (PINK) is withdrawn completely. The service to Parkway is now provided by a complex amalgam of X54 (ORANGE Sundays only) and 74a/X74 (GREEN) of which more later. On Mondays to Saturdays an even half hourly 72 become a right bodge-up of 74a and X74 ...

... but running rough;y every hour - i.e. half the frequency! Three route numbers instead of one - PRODUCTION LED.

Waverley and Brinsworth are stirred around as well.

In simple terms, the 74a is rerouted drastically to cover the 72's dalliance with the former airport, now the Sheffield Business Park.

Again this represents a reduction of 50% to the daytime service compared with the 72.

At least routes and frequencies from Rotherham to (nearly) Catcliffe are unchanged.

But between Handswoth and Sheffield via Manor Top ...

... the service is halved from every 30 to every hour, 74 daytime, 73 evening and Sundays. PRODUCTION LED.

The (mainly) peak hour X74 runs via the Parkway to the junction near Morrisons (i.e. NOT via Waverley village) ...

... when it does a double run to Waverley's Industry (High Field Spring) and then toddles off to Rotherham via the Business Park, Europa Link and the "traditional" road via Templeborough. This ensures that Waverley village no longer has a bus service to the Meadowhall shopping centre but, of course, residents can walk to Highfield Spring - PRODUCTION LED.
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Thew X74 does not serve Brinsworth.

But it is where the X74s have appeared from that is of interest.

Not long ago, under the Rotherham Bus Farce-ship (Partnership?) competition between First and Stagecoach ended on the Rotherham Barnsley route 22 etc. Stagecoach kept the through route as 22X and First ran only as far as Wath as "circular" 22a/22c.

When First's Rotherham depot closed one of "the team" had the spiffing idea of running buses to and from their night time snoozy depot in service. So 22a ans 22c buses ran from Sheffield in the morning and to Sheffield in the evenings - peak flow, PRODUCTION LED.

With last Sundays change another spiffing idea was hatched. Why not run these 22a/22c journeys as X74 to provide a low cost way of filling some of the gap left by the withdrawn 72s. These journeys are not shown on the PTE's 22 timetable non-leaflet, a plan designed, presumably, to encourage usage.

But there they are on the GoTimetable version obtained direct from First ...

... so, pretty much PRODUCTION LED.

Apart from Brinsworth, which suffered a service reduction with in 2018 changes, most customers of this collection of services will be worse off; with a good chance of further reductions next time!

But, in steps a white knight in the person of Sir Brian of Souter ...

... with a brand new route between Sheffield and Doncaster (i.e. Finningley) Airport. The X6 starts on April 27th and replaces the evening flight times only 737 ...

... with what was rumoured to be an hourly service.

The new X6 runs much as the old 737, via Parkway and Bawtry Road, Wickersley, Bramley then M18 to Donny.

In fact buses will  run every 30 minutes as far as the M18 roundabout. then hourly on to the Airport.

But better than that (worse than that for First Bus!) X6 buses will leave the Parkway, run via the stop at Waverley Industry (NOT "village"), before looping back to the Parkway.

It is not clear, yet, whether this is a double run like the X74 or via Handsworth. We shall see when Stagecoach's publicity is available.

Compare running times!

Very definitely CUSTOMER FOCUS!

Which route are you likely to choose, the First Bus hotch-potch or Stagecoach's "regular" half hourly route, faster even than the X74; even if you have to walk a bit further to your "village" front door.

The X6 has, apparently, ruffled a few feathers at First for "political" reasons as well as with a competitive threat. So far there has been no comment from Powells whose X7 is in direct competition with Uncle Brian to Wickersley and Bramley etc.

It doesn't serve Waverley - YET!

fbb predicts more fisticuffs at Waverley and Wickersley in the next few months!

 Next  mixed-bag blog : Saturday 9th March