For those blog readers who do not avidly pursue the politics of public transport in our towns and cities (yawn), a brief background. Desperate Dan Jarvis ...
... Sheffield City Region Mayor, does not have the "big powers" that London's Mayor holds, nor does he have access the "big money" to make big changes.
So he set up a "commission" under the chairmanship of Labour MP chum Clive Betts ...
... to propose a means of "sorting out" public transport - that's buses only, tram gets very little mention and local trains nothing at all.
Pages 85 to 93 of 118 list the commission's recommendations.
Pages 1 to 84 are mainly aspirational and procedural; big aims for the commission and "what we did to come to our conclusions".
Three points did emerge from the first 85 pages which will come as a surprise to readers of this blog (!!); they are, in blunt language NOT used in the report ...
A : The PTE is a waste of space
B : The Bus Partnership is a complete failure
C : We need more money
Big surprises there - NOT!
Hmmm? fbb will summarise the recommendations (which are either blindingly obvious to those with the mental acuity of Mr Tubbles ...
... or involve big political decisions and/or lots of additional "government " money).
IMMEDIATE (within 3 months)
1. Appoint a buses "leader" which should be the Mayor
2-5. Make noble but costly changes to various concession fares schemes
6. Pay a consultant to look into London-style Franchising
7. Pay a consultant to look into an "Enhanced" partnership
Aaaagh! The curse of the consultant strikes again!
Aaaagh! The curse of the consultant strikes again!
SHORT TERM (within 6 to 12 months)
8. No more service reductions until December 2021
9. Draw up a "Public Transport Implementation Plan" $
10. Create a South Yorkshire bus partnership, legally binding %
11. Abolish the ponderous and expensive PTE @
12. Reform the tendering system
13. Get additional government funding
14. Use buses to tackle climate change
$ Isn't that what the commission was supposed to do?
% Yet another unworkable partnership?
@ Replaced by the ponderous and expensive Sheffield City Region?
MEDIUM TERM (within 3 years)
15. Make a decision on Franchising bur don't rush
16. Integrate bus policy with planning, housing and roads **
LONG TERM (5 years - ish)
17. Investigate municipal ownership of the buses **
18. Make city/town centres more attractive **
** but don't rush!
** but don't rush!
A cynical fbb might come to a more general conclusion, namely that the "commercial/tendered" model has failed totally in South Yorkshire - failing utterly to serve the people adequately; but the various alternative options hinted at in the recommendations will cost more money which we have not got. And as we come out of the virus crisis, we are not likely to get for many years.
Nope. Nothing much will change as a result of the commission's deliberations.
Not much hope for Desperate Dan's plans; and even less hope for the hard-done-by bus passengers of South Yorkshire.
Maybe, just maybe, if the operators started telling people when and where the buses go (good quality printed material, simple access to timetables on line) and started making a few cut-price offers, then people might, just might start using the buses a bit more.
Nobody has tried such revolutionary policies in Sheffield in the last ten years (25 years?). Is it just possible that this lack of enthusiasm might, just might have contributed to the decline in usage.
There, Dan, that's a start - and the advice did not cost you a penny!
And, Talking Of The Virus
It has been fairly straightforward to deal with buses that used to run via High Street, Church Street, Leopold Street and Pinstone Street. They have simply been diverted via Arundel Gate and Furnival Gate.
Nope. Nothing much will change as a result of the commission's deliberations.
Not much hope for Desperate Dan's plans; and even less hope for the hard-done-by bus passengers of South Yorkshire.
Maybe, just maybe, if the operators started telling people when and where the buses go (good quality printed material, simple access to timetables on line) and started making a few cut-price offers, then people might, just might start using the buses a bit more.
Nobody has tried such revolutionary policies in Sheffield in the last ten years (25 years?). Is it just possible that this lack of enthusiasm might, just might have contributed to the decline in usage.
There, Dan, that's a start - and the advice did not cost you a penny!
And, Talking Of The Virus
This means the very wide stop spaces on Pinstone Street with oodles of room for social distancing ...
... have been moved to the narrow pavements opposite the Crucible on Arundel Gate.
These stops are some distance from the High Street and, of course, have no shelter or sources of information. Here is a 75 grazing in the layby last Sunday 14th June the first day of the diversion.
These are stops AG123 and AG124 ...
The former ...
... with 5 reasonably frequent routes to stand there, the latter with another 6.
So much for social distancing when (if?) it begins to get busy and most certainly there is less room all-round than the vacated stops on Pinstone Street.
So much for social distancing when (if?) it begins to get busy and most certainly there is less room all-round than the vacated stops on Pinstone Street.
Stops further along Arundel Gate will be busier with this beauty being the most challenging.
The extra stop, just along the road serves a further six routes that originally ran via the closed sections of road.
Before this mammoth and possibly pointless change, all that was offered to passengers was a small yellow notice.
unprepared
confused
cross
missing their buses
Yet again, a poor example of the work of the City Council, poor publicity from the PTE and immense frustration from the operators who didn't think it was necessary (it isn't) and will be faced with huge operational challenges as passenger numbers and other traffic begin to increase.
But we don't just want to give you that ...
There are buses approaching Leopold street and Pinstone Street from the west to be considered. And for them it is even worse.
From James Freeman First Bus Bristol
And A Mask Miscellany
Three mask-erades from a shopping trip (for sandpaper and screws) on Wednesday.
Elderly lady striding purposefully along with mask over her mouth but not her nose
Elderly gent (a local 'character") also seeking goodies from Abbotts Hardware ...
... joined outside queue by standing right next to fbb, entered shop to make purchases then left happily with mask round neck throughout.
Two passengers (obviously "together") joined the Stagecoach 9A to Slyme Regis on Harbour Road opp Axe Valley Travel depot ...
... climbed the stairs and settled as the bus passed fbb mansions with the gruesome twosome enjoying their beverage prepared by pouring boiling water over cured leaves of the camellia sinensis. As the gent was seated, he removed his mask and popped it into a pocket. They were the only two on board.
fbb did not notice a police pursuit vehicle following with sirens blaring and lights a-flashing.
But we don't just want to give you that ...
There are buses approaching Leopold street and Pinstone Street from the west to be considered. And for them it is even worse.
From James Freeman First Bus Bristol
And A Mask Miscellany
Three mask-erades from a shopping trip (for sandpaper and screws) on Wednesday.
Elderly lady striding purposefully along with mask over her mouth but not her nose
Elderly gent (a local 'character") also seeking goodies from Abbotts Hardware ...
Two passengers (obviously "together") joined the Stagecoach 9A to Slyme Regis on Harbour Road opp Axe Valley Travel depot ...
fbb did not notice a police pursuit vehicle following with sirens blaring and lights a-flashing.
Virus Variety 4a : Saturday 20th June
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