Service Seventy Shambles

Here we go again ...

Travel South Yorkshire [TSY], who back in Novenber 2010 rejected fbb's offer of help in favour of a re-iterated commitment to "sustainable" computer generated information delivery  (Ha, jolly ha!), have done it again.   It is all getting rather boring.   So, here goes:-

On 27th March service 70 (Chesterfield - Eckington - Killamarsh) is "revised". The service barely scrapes into South Yorkshire around Halfway Tram terminus,

but dutifully delivers a revised leaflet from TSY.

And here is what TSY tell us is happening - incidentally nearly three weeks after the equivalent timetable appeared on Derbyshire's website.

So we have a NEW 71, operated by Stagecoach and NOT running on Sundays.   Seems pretty clear.   And we are reminded of the slashing of the Sabbath service again at the foot of the timetable:-

But fbb is wise to the weird ways of TSY and seeks the comfort of corroboration.    A  dekko at Derbyshire's version is revealing and potentially baffling, because we read:-

And sam-salabim, saprisiti (etc) we have a Sunday service 71 operated, not by Stagecoach as might be expected from their take-over of the evening Monday to Saturday journeys , but by our good friends T M Travel.

Travel South Yorkshire, NO Sunday buses : Derbyshire, every hour. fbb is loath to apportion blame for this discrepancy - indeed is unable to apportion blame, because both the Stagecoach and the T M Travel web sites are as silent as Trappist monks on the matter of the forthcoming changes.

Whilst looking at the NEW Sunday service 71, however, our reader may be interested in the OLD Sunday service 70 ...

... spot the difference.  Well done, have a shiny penny!   The NEW service 71 is actually the SAME as the OLD service 70 (evening and Sunday variant), same route, same frequency but with slightly different times. Would it not have been better, less muddling for the worthy residents of Woodthorpe, if the explanation simply said "evening (and Sunday if you get your information from Derbyshire) journeys have slightly different times and will show 71 instead of 70."

Now for the next TSY blunder.   Look at the Derbyshire offering above and you will see that buses operate via a large loop in Killamarsh, from Bridge Street via Rowan Tree Road, High Moor, Norwood and back to Bridge Street.   TSY's map shows this, amazingly ...

... but guess what?   TSY's timetable shows buses terminating at Bridge Street with no loop!

So, if Derbyshire is the fount of all knowledge, Cinderella CAN catch the bus to the ball - sorry the Bull (and Badger) - on Cherry Tree Drive;

 

but over the border in sunny South Yorkshire she will have to walk (14 minutes!) from Bridge Street; here confirmed by the ever-accurate traveline.

 

If you want times for the loop you have to look at TSY's return journey towards Chesterfield, and, of course, there they are.   For the record, the Derbyshire version of the timetable (see above) shows the loop, correctly, for travel both to and from Killamarsh.

One further failure of the father figures of Travel in South Yorkshire. Their web site has a page for "NEW" services - which past experience has shown doesn't mean new services (!) - it means services with NEW route numbers.  So we have a NEW route number 71 from 27th March.   Does it appear as a "new service"?

    

What do you think, dear reader?   Well, it's mainly in Derbyshire and "they folk down there" are a bit "weird". Shockingly, they usually get their timetables right.   Very disturbing.   fbb waits with eager anticipation for a message to confirm that TSY is right and it is Derbyshire that is wrong.   A long wait?

A short wait : now confirmed by email to fbb from Derbyshire County Council that the Sunday service 71 IS operated by TM Travel under contract to them - so they ought to know.   Shall we tell TSY?


(North) Home Town : Northampton [2]
  will be published on 12th March  

(North) Home Town : Northampton [1]

The benefits of Privatisation, NOT?  PART ONE

fbb attended that excellent educational establishment, Billing Primary School - also attended, some 30 years later by actor-to-be Matt Smith, the 145th Doctor Who.  (Well, is seems like that at times - fbb is an avid fan as well as a bit of a bus blog saddo.)   And THIS is a reconstruction of the very first bus article written by a 6 year old future blogger:-

Note that it is the local independent operator (actually York Brothers of Cogenhoe) which offers reliability compared with Northampton Corporation (red) and United Counties (green).  An unjustifiable slur, of course, but indicative of the pride with which the local bus was viewed.

It was future fbb's maiden aunt (really Aunt Flo, but she professed posh and insisted on Auntie Anne, pronounced "Enn"!) who routinely took him on rides to the far flung disticts of Northampton, returning for a bag of chips at Allibones on the Wellingborough Road, then walking back to Auntie's pad past the co-op bakery.  The smell of freshly baked bread was fantastic, and if you were lucky, you could see the loaves trundling down the conveyor belt to the delivery vans.

One evening the dynamic duo espied bus 190, newly delivered (but seen above in later guise as a driver trainer), waiting at Abington Park to convey revellers at the Agricultural Show back into town.  The young lad was given a personal tour by the conductor.   Wow! 8'6" wide with the smell of real leather on the top deck. Harrogate and District didn't invent posh seats; they were normal for NCT at that time!

But a diet of Daimlers with Roe bodywork was not, from an omnibology point of view, particularly stimulating. Transient delights were (minor) livery variations and the ecstatic excitement of bus 228 which was the first to have fluorescent lighting fitted.  Such a thrill! But this staid operator stolidly plodded along the main roads to the Town Boundary, turned round and plodded back again.

Single decks arrived - but still daimlers.  Then it all happened.  In the 70s a political decision was taken to double the town's size, but first expanding east, and then south.   A huge new shopping centre was built on the edge of the town and buses were dramatically extended into the so-called "Eastern District".   Interestingly there were still "boundaries".   NCT Service 1 was extended from Weston Favell (The Trumpet) and some United Counties services were created, amended or extended to cope with the early flush of development.

The scheme imvolved NCT buses running on United Counties "owned" routes and, shock of shock, the richly red vehicles taking their place on stands in the Derngate Bus Station amidst hitherto all-pervading green. Above is a 301 to Lumbertubs (on its way, passing close by the deliciously named Buttocks Booth!!) leaving Derngate, let out by a number 8, one of the only  two "indirect" routes run by the Corporation.

Then came VRs and Leyland Nationals and the unique quality of the (rather boring) operator was beginning to evaporate.   In May 1976 Derngate bus station closed and all services moved to the universally despised Geryfriars bus Mausoleum (OK, bus station).  Then came privatisation!

NCT became part of First, having been originally bought by Grampian (Aberdeen) before it merged with Badgerline; here in Northampton's version of Grampian livery but badged as "First".

United Counties was one of the early acquisitions by the growth-hungry Brian Souter; becoming part of the expanding Stagecoach empire.

Despite new ownership, the two groups largely kept clear of each other's operations.   First ran the old "Town" routes with some extensions whilst Stagecoach plied the roads to the outer suburbs of the new development.   It all seemed to work rather well.

So how are things some 25 years after privatisation?   Not so good. There are many bolshie little bunnies in the Borough.

To find out more, look out for PART TWO!!   Coming Soon!

part two : published Saturday March 12th   

Multiplicity of Magazines

Too much Information?

Friday March 4th marked the launch of a new fortnightly periodical about passenger transport.  The remarkably appropriate title is ...

... which must win an award for originality.  It is run by a particularly "heavy team" which includes Robert Jack and Andrew Garnett (NOT the one who ran GNER trains) who have both jumped ship from the ailing New Transit,

which (consequently?) only managed one "monthly" issue for January AND February.

New Transit began ages ago as fortnightly Bus Business, edited by an energetic Peter Stoneham, and renowned for excellent news coverage.   Bus Business was very much the magazine for the management classes.   In a series of mergers and takeovers this morphed into "Transit" but, somehow, the dynamism of BB seemed to evaporate.

Routeone (pronounce it italian style and it sounds like a type of pasta) is free and on-line and, like its recently re-launched "competitor" (available over the counter at all good newsagents), Bus and Coach Professional, seems directed at the "vehicles and engineering" side of the business.

 

Both rely heavily on adverts for new and second hand buses and coaches.   B&C does offer something of a scoop on its website, namely a video (ex YouTube) of a song about Preston Bus Station.

Juicy!   Then there is Buses (once Buses Illustrated), very much geared to the bus enthusiast market with many pages listing in detail the purchase and disposal of operators' vehicles. 

.

It is good to know that Firstcoach London's Wrongge Bodied Paxman Paranormals are now in service with Arthur Daley Transport of Saxborough.  Cool.

And that's only looking at Buses.  To emulate the status of, say, Modern Railways, PT would need to search out technical journalism of the quality of Roger Ford; and who knows more about fares that Rail's Barry Doe? Both of these gurus are routinely tackling hefty industry problems with excellent knowledge and consummate journalistic skill.  A tough nut to crack.

So where does Passenger Transport fit in?  First impressions of a complimentary launch issue suggest that it is recreating the original Transit.   For "management" but still lacking the "punch" of  Bus Business.  Launching anything is tough these days, but PT's website underwhelms.   Apart from the "masthead" all that is on offer is:-

Perhaps fbb may be accused of pushing his own particular (and jaundiced) opinions, but what is lacking in ALL these periodicals is "incisive" journalism from the passengers' point of view.   (Barry Doe excepted, of course!) After all, without passengers we have no industry!

For example, PT offers a "mystery shopper" article about Cardiff Bus by Alex Warner (this time, sadly not accompanied by his pet greyhound!); who enthuses about its excellent service but, arguably, overlooks the complexity of city centre stopping arrangements in the Welsh capital.

Especially confusing are the varied arrangements at certain times of the day and when the Millenium Stadium is replete with wonderful welsh voices singing the praises of "Cymru" and "rygbi".   This extract shows Baycar's different Friday evening route, a common but confusing delight (?) shared by many of the City's bus services..

Whilst not Cardiff Bus's fault, these deviations to diurnal service delivery are less than helpful to Joseph Public esquire, and, fbb suggests, should get a critical mention.

PT has an excellent article on the struggle of German Railways [DB] in its homeland, Chris Cheek's analysis of company results, and, of course, a bit more fearnulation*.   There is plenty of news; but still with the on-going suspicion that we are in the realm of "journalism by press release" rather than up-front reporting.  Perhaps finances are such that the noble ideal of "real hackery" is, as yet, impracticable.

The magazine dropped through the letterbox on the same day that fbb was invited to do three days "supply" teaching at a nearby school.  For what it's worth, fbb's pedagogic pronouncement on Passenger Transport has to be, "a good first effort, but I expect to see an improvement next time.   B minus."

*fearnulation : (not yet listed in the OED) : The embarrassing adulation of newly appointed bus bosses who are expected, as a basic minimum, to perform unbelievable and instant management miracles.

P.S. PT's "best of the blogs" column, sadly, forgets to mention "Public Transport Experience".   Can't think why!

Next blog : due Wednesday March 9th  

Doff your Cockers in Bolton?

Sounds slightly vulgar!

Doffcocker is a suburb of Bolton lying some 3.5 miles from the centre just short of open moorland on the Chorley Old Road.  One proffered explanation of the name is that an early visitor was obliged to "Doff", i.e. remove, his "Cockers" i.e. stockings before crossing the local stream.  Hmmm.

A more plausible explanation is the the name comes from two anglo-saxon words meaning "dark" and "water", describing the same stream where the early tourist supposedly had his unwelcome paddle.  Either way, it was the location of a toll gate and refreshment stop on the turnpike to Chorley.  The more recent Victorian hostelry is a more spectacular building, shown here with a Bolton tram lettered "O" at its terminus.   The Doffcocker Inn still trades today and sits close to where all three local bus services converge.

Present day buses via Doffcocker are First's 501 Bolton city service via Brownlow Fold (at least every 10 minutes) ...

...the Stagecoach 125/126 service to Chorley and Preston via Chorley Old Road, the long pull uphill from Bolton Centre; every 10 minutes ...

... and the 519 to Johnson Fold also via Chorley Old Road; every 12 minutes.

The point of this investigation is to show that, compared with  "some other cities in the North" the information on the leaflets is correct, clear and consistent.  Likewise every leaflet contains an easy to understand map (e.g. the 501) ...

... with all significant roads labelled and helpful district names added.   Greater Manchester PTE also publishes a series of detailed and comprehensive area bus maps - again, accurate and consistent, as per this extract from the Bolton district offering.

The map extract also shows the route of the 505, every 30 mins to Markland Hill (Old Kiln Lane) then continuing every hour via the huge Middlebrook "retail park", Bolton Wanderers Stadium and Horwich Parkway Station to terminate in Horwich itself.  This route "grazes" the edge of Doffcocker but, correctly, does NOT claim to stop there; unlike the route listing policy of some other PTEs (!).

fbb has travelled to Doffcocker by bus to visit friends; has used the information available and it really works.  If you are thinking of visiting the area, a ride over the moors to Chorley is particularly enjoyable on the top deck of a splendid Stagcoach steed (seen here leaving the soon-to-be-rebuilt Bolton bus station).

As an added incentive, the intrepid traveller can break their journey at the popular watering hole and feeding station, Bob's Smithy Inn.   Bob's smithy was opposite the pub.

Nice!

The big question of the day is, of course:-  If Greater Manchester can get it right, why does a certain authority on the other side of the Pennines make such a mess of things?   Perhaps Tr*v*l S**th Y*rksh*r* could learn from the success of others?

P.S.  Bolton Archives provide this lovely snap of Bob's Smithy Inn in 1910 - with the smithy itself opposite. Both the pub and the road are somewhat enlarged nowadays.

Next blog : due Monday March 7th   

The Naming of Parts

A war poem by Henry Reed, published in "The Spectator" in 1942; in which Reed contrasts the tedium of wartime training with the beauty of nature that surrounded his military camp.

Bus operators have real difficulty in the "naming of parts", describing simply but accurately the "parts", i.e. the localities, served by their routes.   fbb has oft commented, in passing, on the inability of Travel South Yorkshire to know where their buses go.

This set of traffic lights is at Fir Vale in Sheffield.   Lots of bus routes follow the yellowish car at the red light, up Barnsley Road;or the right hand lane of silvery vehicles along Owler lane and on past Firth Park.  fbb took his first ever bus pictures here in November 1963 - alas none has survived.

But this IS, really really IS, Fir Vale.

But you won't see a service 36 anywhere here despite this extract from the local computer (for want of a better word) "system".  That's because the 36 terminates at Northern General Hospital clock tower [NGH] about half a mile away off to the left.   

First's route map shows something of the truth; the real Fir Vale is off the bottom of this extract, where the blue and bronze lines join.  Firth Park shops are clustered round the roundabout at the top centre.

 

When fbb wrote about the 36's misleading route description in a past blog, a chum from that great city castigated him (ooh-err, nasty) saying that he, the chum, was born in NGH and lived opposite for the first 30 years of his life.  He assured me that NGH was indubitably located IN Fir Vale.  Of course it is.

Traveline disagrees profoundly and puts the hospital in Longley which just creeps in to the map below at the top left.  So it isn't!

The district map confirms the hopsital as being soundly rooted in Fir Vale.  The complex now fills almost all of the left hand half of the map, west of Barnsley Road.   The main gates were (and still are, for pedestrian access to some buildings) at the Fir Vale road junction ...

... here when the original building was a Workhouse!

So the problem is simple.   Northern General Hospital in IN Fir Vale but it is not AT Fir Vale.  It would appear that the whizzo software used by "sh, you know who" has a pathological desire to treat district names - sometimes choosing the wrong ones -  as stop names; with unhelpful and chaotic results.

Solution : easy peasy.

Instead of getting a computer to write your route descriptions, use a "person" (can't do that, it's not "sustainable"; so says SYT) with a "pen" and a piece of "paper".  What is more, if you choose a "person" who knows where the buses run, you might even get it RIGHT!   You will probably save his wages cost by not having to print corrections.

P.S. A picture of the entrance  to the hospital today - AT Fir Vale with the walkway beyond leading the various buildings that are IN Fir Vale.  The clock tower, terminus of the 36, is about half a mile up this hill.

It is quite a long trek. There is also another well used pedestrian entrance to the huge hosptal complex - situated about half a mile to the left, up Herries Road.   This is served by yet another block of bus routes.

For once fbb has to congratulate Travel South Yorkshire (sound of SYT staff swooning in sequence as they read this!) on their excellent map of NGH in their Sheffield Hospitals Guide.

It is accurate, up-to-date and understandable with stop numbers linked to their appropriate bus service numbers.  Sadly not QUITE as good as it should be....

... Timetables are NOT included so you need to collect a whole heap of leaflets to complete the picture. Or, perhaps have an encyclopaedic knowledge of Sheffield bus routes.

For the record (again!), the Clock Tower terminus for service 36 (NOT AT Fir Vale) is stop number 4, the stops AT Fir Vale are numbers 5 and 6.   It's all very straightforward when you know - isn't it?   So clear, in fact, that recently, a Sheffield resident had cause to contact an on-line chat room and ask, "How do you get to Northern General Hospital?"

A telling comment on how well our bus services are publicised?   If the enquirer had a bus tinetable book, he/she could have found it easily.  Now, what a good idea!


Next blog : due Friday March 4th  

Will X5 (new) Xcite You?

A Wilts & Dorset [W&D] Revision

Remember, click on an image to see a larger version.

Once upon a time, e.g. Great Britain Bus Timetable in 1996, W&D ran buses between Salisbury and Swindon.   Between Marlborough and Swindon some buses ran via Chiseldon, others via Avebury.   Buses showed either 5 or 6 depending on route.

More recently the service became an hourly service 6 to Larkhill; and an hourly service 5 on to Pewsey.   From here "connecting buses" continued to Swindon via Marlborough and Chiseldon (service 95) or via Marlborough and Avebury (service 96).

From yesterday (27th February) the whole lot was recast.

All journeys, irrespective of destination or route are numbered X5; although the X "tag" means nothing - certainly not "express", possibly "Long DiXtance" - it's just a brand name.   The timetable is broadly unchanged (hourly Salisbury to Larkhill; hourly Salisbury to Swindon) BUT there are now no journeys via Avebury.

The hourly buses all go via Chiseldon, dramatically improving the number of journeys via the big new Great Western District Hospital in Swindon.

For obscure licensing reasons (petty bureaucracy rules OK) the service is still shown as "connecting" at Pewsey, although we are assured that the buses run through and the "connection" is guaranteed!  Typically daft interpretation of pointless regulations.

What about the missing bit?   Passengers from Avebury to Swindon can use the hourly Stagecoach 49 but the "few" (according to W&D) who journeyed from Marlborough to Avebury will have to use a selection of "odd" services provided under the Wiltshire "Connect2" scheme.   The 96 is not replaced.

 

The W&D X5 leaflet is  an excellent example of how it SHOULD be done.  It shows the full timetable, a complete route map (extract only shown, too long at 15 inches for a blog!) ...

... and detailed plans for the bigger villages and urban areas.

Unusually, but creditably, it also gives sample fares.

An excellent production, giving plenty of the sort of information that the potential user might want; including encouragement to simply go for a ride and enjoy the view - other operators take note and emulate! 

Sadly the news is not all good.  It is, of course, totally astounding that Traveline and Transport Defunct have made a blunder.   Such a rare occurrence.   Whilst the X5 was "ready to boogy" from 27th, the withdrawn 96 was still firmly in place and available for use up to the posting of this blog on Monday 28th.   [Still there, March 1st : eventually corrected 1 week later!]

 

No comment - at least no printable comment!   Just remember the £50 million we pay to fund Transport Direct and the countless (and largely hidden) millions expended by bus companies and local authorities as they "struggle" to remember to remove cancelled services.

Perhaps someone at Traveline needs to understand where and when buses run, rather than how to "manage the data"?   More porcine aviation, we fear.

Next blog : due Wednesday March 2nd