Greystones Quirks
Yesterday, fbb commented that Stagecoach route 6 (via Greystones) did not mention the estate anywhere in the limited non-publicity.
Thanks to Pinterest, which seems to be able to read fbb's mind, the 81/82/83/84 leaflet from 1996 doesn't mention Greystones either!
Then fbb mentioned that Greystones was once served by Sheffield Transport route 61. Actually that was only half the story. It was a 61 from city and a 63 to city being part of the Abbey Lane circular.
Interestingly (?) number 83 was originally used for the route to Birley to the east of the city. 
To provide for the 83 and 84 via Greystones, the Birley route was renumbered 63, using one of the numbers that plied the hills of Greystones - they swapped over!
But back to the tripartite consultation, where ...
... It's All On Line! ...
... but only if you know to look on THREE different web sites.
Sheffield correspondent Andrew sent this picture of the frame for route X74 and X54 at Sheffield Interchange.
The changes to these routes are significant but there is not even a tiny mention of the "consultation" - even the on-line details - to encourage users of these routes to offer their views.
First Bus And Greystones
Seems positive?
Unfortunately First publishes neither timetable nor maps, so understanding their proposals is far from easy. Here is what is said about Greystones.
Let's look at an extract from the current 81/82 timetable.
The 81 runs to Dore ...
... every 30 minutes. Mostly the 81 runs FROM Dore as well, but sometimes (for operational and confusing reasons) some buses show 82. Buses to the Millhouse loop also run every 30 minutes as route 82.
That little wiggle is also a lie, there is no weird loop off Millhouses Lane.
Note that the shambles of a timetable shows roughly (again really really rough) four buses an hour on the core section of the route. So when First tells us that the frequency is increasing to every 15 minutes, they either mean every 15 minutes to Dore and every 15 minutes to Millhouses - NO CHANCE - or they lie!!
Yes, they lie!
So despite the enthusiasm of First for an increased frequency, the note actually tells us (if you have the skill to interpret the truth) that the half hourly 82 will be diverted via Greystones, putting back the estate's frequency that First gave up when it withdrew the 83.
Whilst it will make journeys from Millhouses longer, hardly anyone uses the loop as it is presented so badly that you need an Einstein-like mind to work out when your bus might arrive.
So what happened to Stagecoach 6 via Greystones?
Stagecoach And Greystones
This is what Stagecoach tells us about changes to its tendered route 6.
Yes, go on, route 6?
So, goody, no change to the route via Greystones; folk will still be able to get from the estate to the University Halls, Broomhill and the Hallamshire Hospital on their tedious way into the city centre.
Hooray!
BUT ...
The PTE (Whoops SYMCA)!
.jpg)
It doesn't read well on a phone so fbb will extract the text.
A revised route and timetable will be introduced to improve reliability. Service 6 will operate along Ecclesall Road and Ecclesall Road South rather than serving Greystones and Bents Green, which are now covered by revised service 82.
Someone should tell Stagecoach as their people obviously haven't got a clue about what is happening!
There is a map with weedy lines, so not too easy to read ...
... but it does show the 6 NOT running via Greystones.
Even more helpfully, there is a timetable for the 6 ...
... which, perversely, shows the route as an back-and-out circular; which it isn't.
But all this presents potential users with a problem. Neither First nor Stagecoach have provided maps or timetables - well how could they as it is all "out for consultation"?
But the PTE/SYMCA knows the truth. It is all a done deal and the "consultation" is just playing the game, but ultimately it is a total waste of time.
There are many more changes, the most significant being from First Bus and the SYMCA; but fbb will hold back his comments on the First Bus goodies (improvements, of course, yeah right!) until the actual timetables are published.
But, for the time being here are a few delightful snippets.
Shiregreen changes from 75/76 to 47/48
Chapeltown changes from 1a/11 to 76**
Gleadless Valley changes from 1a/11 to 47/48
Walkley changes from 95/95a to 54/55/55a
Meadowhell via First Park changes from 95/95a to 75**
Waverley changes from 73 to 55
Dyke Vale Road changes from 41 to 8a**
and there's more.
The obvious reaction from Sheffielders ...
** revised route numbers still unclear!
Next Cornwall blog : Thursday 11 July
The 81/82 route numbering is even more confusing than FBB indicates. On Mon-Fri and Sat, 81 always goes to Dore and 82 to Millhouses, though as he says they can swap number for the return journey. But the First Bus piece de resistance is that on Sunday daytimes the opposite is true - the 81 goes to Millhouses and the 82 goes to Dore. This used to apply all day on Sundays, but now, as thought that was not confusing enough, they swap back on Sunday evenings! At the other end of the route 81 always goes to Stannington and 82 to Hall Park Head (a slightly different part of Stannington), so that's good for Stannington residents! Perhaps the First Bus AI which creates these nonsensical timetables has calculated a higher level of intelligence which can cope with this in Dore and Milhouses!
ReplyDelete