13 : 23 : X2 : X3 : X13 - Fun With Numbers (1)

Stable Bus Routes ...

In 1934 the just-created London Transport was running the 24 route from Hampstead Hath to Pimlico. In 2021 Transport for London was STILL running service 24 from Hampstead Heath to Pimlico. That's what you call a stable bus route!

... versus Successful Business Results

Confused.com?

To get the best profit for its shareholders (and quite right, too - that's what the business is for!) bus companies are always chopping and changing, making the best use of their resources and trying to match service provision to demand or possibly to expected demand growth.

But their customers want a stable network! The modern "commercial" model simply does not deliver that the customer wants.

Apart from his work for the Great Britain Bus Timetable, your somewhat expanded blogger has taken more of an interest in buses south of Oxford since No 1 son moved there and started a family. No 1 grandson is now 18 and studying at Sheffield Uni. So, over a period of nearly a quarter of a century, buses along the main road between Oxford and Abingdon have had numerous tinkerings.

The detail of the most recent changes will be dealt with in a later blog but, initially, we can look at the set-up in Oxford in the light of the Boris Bus Bonanza report.

The flavour of the report is EPs ...

... but not the Extended Play records we knew and loved in our distant youth. (NOTE : fbb never owned a gramophone record, but his late sister had a few EPs, singles and LPs)

An Enhanced Partnership is an agreement that enables local authorities together with operators to set a shared aims with regard to improving bus services. An EP is one of 3 options available to local authorities when working in cosy partnership with bus operators. Other alternatives are Franchising or Advanced Quality Partnerships.

Without getting bogged down in the subtle but significant differences between these three "procedures", the overall idea is that local authorities and bus companies are brought together to deliver a better service. Currently it is illegal for bus companies to "collude" with each other, but they can reach agreements brokered by the local authority. 

If you really want to understand the concept of EPs in detail, please read the 53 page on-liner booklet easily found by searching for "Enhanced Partnerships". It is rib-tickling fun on every page but far to exciting and life-enhancing for fbb to even begin to summarise..

The Boris report hints that some or all of these "schemes" may well become compulsory but, if not, they will be the only way to access the huge dollop of dosh that the dynamic dishevelled one is dangling in front of the desperado bus companies.

Some years ago, in the face of utterly crackpot competition, Oxford City Bus, Stagecoach and Oxford City Council dreamed up the "Oxford Smart Zone". In essence the main cross city routes would become legal "joint" services and tickets would be fully interavailable.

The customer would be presented with one simple network where which operator ran any particular bus would be irrelevant.

Looking at the situation today, the good news is that both companies have the joint "Smart Zone" map on their web sites and both companies advertise the full co-ordinated joint services in their timetable sections. Here is Go Ahead (Oxford City Bus) service 2 ...

... and ditto from Stagecoach. You may need to enlarge (with a mouse click) the Stagecoach version.

Of course, in the true spirit of partnership, the two companies present their "joint" service differently with Stagecoach doing a much better job with its time points. City Bus offer a detailed map of the route ...

... but doesn't tell you which way the three routes gyrate through the befuddling byways of beautiful Kidlington. Stagecoach has no "line of router" maps, but the main "Smart Zone" helps in a diagramatic sort of way.

But "Smart" does not equate to real togetherness. Oxford Bus have distinctive route branding ...

... but from Stagecoach we get standard livery.

Maybe it was simpler when it was the 93?

But, even back then, there was a 93A.

But, on the road, there is little evidence of real togetherness. 

And when fbb tried to sort out fares, it became farcical. Stagecoach seemed keen On the "Zone" ...

... but were evasive on availability.

The only day ticket listed was actually a 5 day ticket. And their "Megarider" map ...

... is quick to point out that nasty Oxford City buses are "not welcome here". Meanwhile the other lot are even less forthcoming about the joint tickets available ...

... relegating "Smart Zone" to a note at the bottom of a long scroll and after "single fares". "Tell me more" is more helpful.

According to the City web site, there is far more variety than that which appears up front c/o Stagecoach. Go Ahead haver the whole variety of Smart tickets.

You get the impression that both companies are more interested in selling their company specific products than encouraging the use of the "both operators" deals; which is, of course, what "partnership" means!

fbb could find no clear statement as to whether ordinary return tickets tickets were fully inter-available on the joint services; or, for that matter, whether you could use your electronic ticket (Key or Smart) on the opposing company's buses on the "joint" routes.

Then, a small but important detail;  is the service to Blackbird Leys "joint". 

The timetable would appear to be ...

... but Oxford Bus is route 5 ...

... and stagecoach is route 1.

Do they go different ways round the estate loop?

Only Oxford Bus tells us which was their 5s go, map-wise ...

... but the stops suggest the routes are identical.

Again, in the true spirit of partnership, Stagecoach keeps the Sunday service secret - it simply isn't on their web site - whilst City provides full details.

Despite the needs of social distancing it seems unlikely that a bus every 7/8 minutes on Sundays is necessary.  Do either of the (non)combatants make any money on the Sabbath?

One thing is absolutely certain. Whatever noble labels, Zones and tickets may be mined from the depths of the two company web sites, Oxford is served by two separate, competing, bus companies who DESPERATELY want you to travel with them and NOT the other lot.

With two or more separate companies operating to serve their own shareholders, you cannot really see anything else appearing, whatever "Partnership" scheme is contrived.

From the passengers' point of view, EPs seem Exceedingly Problematic.

It seems that the only way round this dilemma is to develop a version of the French system whereby Companies can "bid" for whole networks and operate them under the local authority's brand.

The area concerned are communities to the west and north west of Paris.

Keolis is, effectively, owned by the French Government so the granting of these contracts is by local arms of French Government to the widespread tentacles of the National administration.

Hmmm?

Intalink -  A Rethink?

fbb has been taken to task for his comment that public transport in Hertfordshire has declined in recent years. When the Intalink Offices are open (most currently closed) they do have a selection of leaflets. The excellent timetable booklets are no longer produced ...

... replaced by summary leaflets. These have not appeared (Virus!) but may return. There are maps which you are invited to download BUT they are too big for most printers; so not really practical to take "on the road". It is not clear whether these will return in printed form. The current on-line versions do appear to be as up-t-date as anything can be these days.

Note that the works on Clarendon Road will enable the introduction of left hand drive buses ...

... with doors on the offside.

But the line of route maps associated with the individual timetables are truly useless. A screen shot of the appropriate part of the area map would be more help to the public!

 Next "Fun With Numbers" blog : Friday 19th March