Maybe A State Secret?
... announced by South Yorkshire's mayor, Oliver Copoard.
It has been reported by press release in advance in Social Media and even revealed by the BBC.
Yesterday (apparently) the transport authority has introduced a demand responsive bus scheme, called, imaginatively, "On Demand".
But details were few!
As ever interested in his former home territory, fbb rushed to the Travel South Yorkshire web site to find out more.
Nothing in 'service updates".
There was mention in the on-line news items of Doncaster, so ...
... to the Doncaster changes list.
Again no mention.
There are meetings in the Doncaster area ...
... one scheduled cleverly for today, after the service has started! As usual, there are plenty of on-line 'sound bites'.
... but no detail of areas served.
fbb could "download the App" and may have to do so to find out exactly what is happening.
In the meantime, he has asked his Sheffield contacts what they know.
Did "IT" actually happen yesterday?
Did anyone "Demand".
Did anyone know exactly where IT goes?
And a more salient question.
Does Olly Coppard know that, with very few exceptions, Demand Responsive services have been a 'disaster darling' all over the country. Generally they have cost the public purse oodles more than running a normal bus to a published timetable; and they have carried far fewer passengers.
Never mind, eh? King Andy intends to give Olly a share of Income Tax revenue, so he will be able to introduce lots more expensive schemes to use up the cash.
But Something IS Happening ...
... or maybe isn't. A secret "On Demand" minibus is pictured at Sheffield Interchange - where the service WILL NOT be operating!
Thanks to correspondent Roy for the picture.
More mystery!
This poster offers the launch meeting as above at Askern and a similar event at Dinnington ...
.... which has already happened. Actually in the list of "meetings" item way above, Askern's launch was 31st July
and 4th August (just 4th August in the orange panel). Did they really have TWO launch events at Askern.
The Dinnington lauch has not been revealed in the earlier piece.
What an
omnishambles, typical of Malcolm Tucker in "The Thick Of It".
fbb never watched it - too much gratuitous foul language.
"Learn more at the
sypn web site"?
Yer what ... ?
Of course, how silly of fbb to forget!
It is the new "orange" brand for South Yorkshire's ...
... upcoming franchised bus network.
The sypn website says nothing about the "On Demand" services!
Blast The Ballast
There is some hope of recovery.
fbb will need to borrow Mrs fbb's hand-held Dyson to suck up the debris. Having toned down the grey ballast with too much white, he will need to tone it back up again with some grey paint and some more grey granules.
No Swizz It's Swizzels!Do you remember Love Hearts? Do you (did you?) enjoy Love Hearts?
You can now get Emoji 'Love Heart' Swizzels!
And railway modellers can buy a Swizzles tank wagon in OO ...
... and OO narrow guage.
fbb already has sample fake tank wagons in his world famous collection and will NOT be lured into collecting the dozens of fake livery models - despite his enjoyment of an occasional roll of Love Hearts.
Bauer Bus Shelter Bonus Bits
fbb is indebted to correspondent Andrew for the following note concerning the company that has supplied Portsmouth's not particularly super "Super Stops":-
Andrew writes:-
I'm not sure if Bauer Media supplies the shelters here in Cardiff, but they maintain them and do an excellent job. Broken glass is replaced with 24/36 hours, and the stops are regularly cleaned - I often go swimming very early on the morning (6am) and see a man from Bauer washing down the glass and changing the advertisements.
Obviously the deal is (part?) financed by advertising; Bauer Media used to be known as 'Adshel'; but here are samples of their products together with the lavish description blurb which amuses Andrew.
The company offers a shelter in wood, as at Bournemouth ...
For over half a century, our bus shelters have been integral to towns and cities across the UK, with local communities using them for everyday journeys. This legacy continues with the introduction of our low‑carbon Milestone shelter range, crafted using timber from sustainably managed forests in Scotland with Grown in Britain certification.
Together, they stand as a testament to our commitment to quality, innovation, and sustainability, embodying our heritage and expertise in urban infrastructure and bus shelter advertising.
Then something that looks like Portsmouth's Super ordinary shelter.
Our Universal shelter has been reimagined from the ground up by our forward-thinking Product Development Team to tackle both current and future urban challenges. Drawing on over fifty years of expertise, this shelter has been successfully implemented in more than 400 UK towns and cities, honouring our heritage while making sure we meet the needs of modern life.
What’s more, our talented team are able to construct our universal shelter in just one day, causing minimal disruption to the daily lives of residents. With a recycled aluminium structure and customisable features such as seating and roof options, it can be tailored to meet the unique needs of each city.
Universal? Says it all, doesn't it?
There is also the Landmark Range ...
... with the lawn/wild flowers on the roof. In Seaton, the roof planting now looks very dead!
Whatever? If the deal with Bauer includes a good maintenance contract, then passengers can ignore the advertising - they usually do - and get better shelter in a cared-for shelter.
Bonus?
Tomorrow fbb investigates interesting happenings in the West Midlands.
Cunning Commuter Co-operation : Weds 5th Aug
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