Goodness Gracious Me! (episode 1 indeed)

Is This the Answer?

A BBC comedy show, originally on steam radio, later transferred to TV and revived for one episode broadcast during the recent "India" series.

OR ...

... a 1960 hit song which was very loosely based on the plot of the film "The Millionairess". Their hearts went "boom bitty boom", you may remember, or you could listen on YouTube!

But what was the question?

That came from fbb's No. 3 son who sent the old man a "link" (whatever that might be) with the question, "Is this the future of Public Transport Information?"

fbb thinks it might be. The clever folk at Google have come up with a novel way to access bus and metro timetables in Delhi. Why Delhi? Dunno. No. 3 son suggests that the internet in Delhi is, like many things Indian, chaotic; hence world domination seeking Google are trying something new.

It's an "app", innit? Now fbb has very little idea what all those mysterious blobs on his phone can do. He can txt, he can take pictures, and with consummate effort, make the occasional phone call. He has even managed to set and subsequently cancel an alarm. Wowsers!

But this App speaks for itself.

Poking the grey blob with a sticky finger brings up this screen:-

The heading (Delhi Offline) gives us a clue as to what is different (nay, even super special) about this app. Usually "offline" means that the service is off line, i.e. busted due to the vagaries of internet technology. But this "offline" means that the app is offline, i.e. not online. It is called "a downloadable" app.

The whole caboodle (app plus all the data) has been "downloaded" onto fbb's phone. This was overseen by No. 3 son in a lengthy phone call but would appear to be a simple process for anyone aged about 7+; hence almost beyond fbb!

So let's start with the obvious. Poking this blob (touching the icon, fbb thinks is the technical term) brings us, Guess what? Every bus and metro timetable that serves Delhi.

There are nine Metro buttons ...

... two blue, two green, one orange, one "rapid", one red, one violet and one yellow. These equate to the colours on the city's metro maps and of signage at the stations.

The app lacks a mapp but maybe it will gain one in due course; the thing is experimental at the moment.

Unlike London's Underground, the trains carry a band of the line's colour.

The Metro has expanded rapidly in only 12 years.

But back to the App. fbb prodded "Rapid Metro" ...

... an intrguing wiggle (in pale blue on the map) leading from the "yellow" line (off the map extract above). Expecting a "simple" frequency list as with Docklands in the UK, fbb was astounded and delighted to be presented with a proper timetable.

Goodness Gracious Me!

Rapid Metro-India's First Private Metro service started operation from Gurgaon, Haryana on 14 November 2013. Rapid Metro is India's first fully privately financed Metro system connecting NH-8 to Delhi Metro via Cyber City, Gurgaon.

The above pic of Cyber City is on an on-line list of 101 things to do in Delhi. The metro line runs from centre bottom to centre right with Cyber City station being the white overall roof.

Rapid Metro, with an elevated route and six stations with a frequency of every four minutes, can carry 800 passengers in each trip. The 5.1 km long route covers six stations-Sikanderpur, Phase-2, Belvedere Towers, Cyber City, Moulsari Avenue and Phase 3. The Rapid Metro is using a common ticketing system with Delhi Metro.

The running time round the loop is ten minutes, the frequency is up to every 4 minutes but we are given an all stops timetable. Presumably the 24 hour clock is a step too far for the good folk of Delhi. An extension is planned continuing off the map bottom left.

the Rapid Metro is essential as occasional minor hold-ups affect the road network!

Goodness Gracious Me!

But all the Metro lines are similarly presented, full timetables with every stop shown.

And if you weren't sure how to use the Metro, helpful videos are available on the metro's web site:-

Tomorrow we look at the buses and the journey planner.

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SHEFFIELD UPDATE

From a blog reader and comment writer,

and, notably, a (different from yesterday's) Sheffield resident.

My copy of the "Sheffield South" general information leaflet dropped through the letterbox yesterday (Monday) together with eminently disposable adverts for stuff..

Cutting it a bit fine, aren't they? And remember, there are no timetables in these flyers; just very rudimentary route descriptions and a frequency chart. And if, like fbb, the advert bundle is binned without perusal, will the Partnership's prognostications ever be read?

 4 DAYS TO GO 

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 Next India blog : Thursday 30th October 

Too Much (Unnecessary?) Infromation

Rapturous Raptor Return

On Sunday (last) the fbb's and chum returned to Seaton from the Isle of Wight after leading the morning service at their former church in East Cowes. (Passage : John Chapter 5)

Having booked the 1330 departure there would have been plenty of time for post service chat, but, in the end all had left by 1225 and a quick nip round the corner saw the gang join the 1230 sailing as last on - just! The vessel was Red Osprey, one of the three "Raptor" class boats that chug to and fro up and down Southampton Water.

A few years back (is it really as long as that?) all these boats were stretched and made taller by gluing in some extra bits.

Red Osprey used to look like this ...

... and now looks like this. (picture shown here at equivalent scale.)

This made room for more cars BUT the amount of passenger seating was barely changed. There was much sniffiness when, in the busy Summer season, passengers had to STAND all the way from Southampton to East Cowes and vice versa. Well, IN THEORY, they didn't have to stand but the extra seats were on an open deck (labelled "A") so it was either a wet ride or stand. For some unaccountable reason, few chose the wet ride!

At last, the folk at Red Flannel have done something about it. They have glued a extra deck on the top. Technically, the open decks ("A") fore and aft (dig the nautical terminology) of the bridge have been covered over and a new open deck (deck "AA") stuck on the roof.

AA Deck
This is a brand new Wi-Fi equipped sun deck located fore and aft of the ship’s bridge. Accessed via four outside staircases from A deck, the new space features teak style seats and will afford striking views of the Solent. The new deck will be the perfect place for holidaymakers to unwind, enjoy a locally-made ice cream and watch the yachts and ships passing through the Solent.

At the same time the main passenger deck ("B") has been poshed-up with new comfy chairs and, of course, additional retail and catering facilities. Here's a promo video about it.

fbb did like the comfy seats, much appreciated after a busy preaching morning.

The video referred to 34 TV screens. This "exciting" faciltiy ensures that you cannot possibly snooze without being pestered by advertorial material or, heaven forfend, "TV programmes". The usual policy elsewhere is to show the BBC News Channel where, to while away your journey, you can listen to the same piece of news 26 times in a half-hour slot. How lovely!

Fortunately, on fbb's crossing, such delights were not available. But what were these 34 screens displaying? Apart from a pretty red Red Funnel title page, the screens were scrolling through these:-

Road Traffic Info? Useful for onward travel, mayhap; IF it is correct and up-to-date. fbb's lorry driving chum is somewhat disparaging about the work of the Ministry of Whatever broadcasts this stuff. He is often on the phone to tell them that either (a) there is no hold-up, or (b) there is an almighty cloggage which they haven't revealed to the unsuspecting (and stuck!) motorist.

Times of return ferries. Useful if you are making only a brief visit to the Mainland, or if you suddenly decide you didn't want to go anyway. Hmmm

Perhaps some drivers will be intending to park at the airport and catch a flight; but more useful might be arrivals if you are driving to meet someone.

Ditto National Express - no mention of Arrivals.

Ditto Rail - ditto Arrivals.

There is not a lot you can do sitting on a boat half way across the Solent taking in the details of flights, trains and coaches which are departing as you sail.

Overall, this data is being delivered because it can be, not because anyone has thought about how useful it might be. Because, except in a very few exceptional circumstances, it isn't.

And where are the times of the bus from ferry terminal to Southampton centre and station? There is absolutely nothing on the boat about onward travel by bus, mainland or island.

Too much unnecessary information indeed!

Tomorrow. Catching a bus or train in Delhi.

No. seriously folks. The blog is really really about catching a bus in Delhi, India ...

... or train.

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SHEFFIELD UPDATE

From a blog reader and comment writer,

and, notably, a Sheffield resident.

Comment posted at 1600 yesterday.

Despite earlier promises, no printed timetables in Arundel Gate office today. Racks of maps are available on some buses. Kind weather has allowed the survival of the cardboard stop notices at least in places. Buses carry stupifyingly vague posters saying 'Sheffield's buses are changing on 1 November' with no detail whatsoever. For the biggest set of changes in the history of buses in the city, this is pathetic.

 5 DAYS TO GO 

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  अगले बस ब्लॉग बुधवार 28 अक्टूबर

Across the Solent by Scooter??? [2]

fbb Goes to See; but Doesn't Go to Sea!

They named the first vessel in the Scoot fleet, toute suite, as "Scoot 1". Sweet? And really original?

So on Friday last, fbb scooted out to Yarmouth Isle of Wight to observe the service in action. Already the timetable has been revised slightly. Those peak time trips for "pre-booked commuters only" have mainly become un-asterisked crossings for all. But after just one month of operation, certain early morning and late evening journeys became "on request only".

Booking must be made no later that one hour before departure or the boat will not sail.

Note the significant gaps in the hourly schedule, the largest being one of 2½ hours between 1300 and 1530 (from Yarmouth). The terminal facilities are basic; correction, there aren't any. But a poster sandwich board indicates where to wait.

A notice on a gate confirms that you are in the right place within the confines of Yarmouth Harbour and next to the lifeboat.

Shelter, in the unlikely event of precipitation (?), is there none. So keep a brolly handy.

Of course, it never rains in Yarmouth IoW.

There are no on-shore booking or enquiry facilities, so prebooking on-line is strongly recommended for the 12 seats available. You can help yourself to a timetable card from a little box on the big board ...

... but both board and cards show the original timetable, not the modified one shown above.

fbb watched the 1625 arrival from Lymington (5 minutes late) ...

... with just six passengers.

... and six departures including three children. Likewise the 1725 arrival disgorged its half dozen ...

... including the man in the peaked hat (Richard, left) who used to work for fbb. Spooky! This trip returned Lymington-wards again with six, including two children. None of the passenegers looked like "commuters". Scoot have not said what sort of loads they expect, but, putting the timetable change together with the "peak" (?) loadings that fbb observed, it is hardly a roaring success.

Yet.

But about a week ago, there came yet another announcement.

Arriving 5th November 2015!

Here at Scoot HQ we're thrilled to announce the upcoming launch of our new Cowes-Portsmouth service, which will connect Cowes and Portsmouth with just a 35-minute crossing time and an approx. 40 minute turnaround.

The new service will run from Trinity Landing in Cowes to Millennium Pontoon in Portsmouth, offering an (optional) FREE five minute shuttle bus service to and from Gunwharf Quays to help make your journey just that little bit easier. The new route will start early in the morning and finish late at night, seven days a week, 365 days a year, giving all our Scooters the chance to travel with even more convenience!

The new Cowes to Portsmouth route and the existing Yarmouth to Lymington service will operate their normal timetables on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and New Year's Eve, whilst offering a reduced, book-only service on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

We'll be opening up advance booking on the new route from Wednesday 21st October, but for the meantime be sure to check out our new timetable and take a sneak peek at the great new features of our new vessels, Scoot 2 & 3!

Scoot 2 and Scoot 3 are variously paraded as offering 33 or 40 seats.

One or two points of note. For the Portsmouth run, Scoot have abandoned the Yarmouth to Lymington idea of a seven-day-a-week fixed timetable. One might also question running every 45 minutes; hard to remember. Some would suggest more passengers would be carried if boats ran at an easily remember "every hour". Maybe it doesn't matter if the majority of tickets are booked on-line? You can pay the on-board conductor but the fare is higher.

This is not the first time a Cowes to Portsmouth service has been proposed and even started (even in fbb's memory) and every time it has failed.

Can Scoot make it work?

Frankly, fbb doubts it. But a hearty three cheers for having a go. Let's hope their backers have deep pockets.

The vessels are produced by an Island Boatbuilder ...

South Boats IOW has an extensive portfolio of crew transfer vessels for the offshore wind farm and oil and gas sectors. With a range from 13m to 28m, there is a vessel to suit the meteorological conditions of every project, be it a small inshore project in the UK, Round 3 offshore project in the UK, North Sea German Bight or the ice conditions on the German Baltic Sea. South Boasts IOW wind farm vessels are a proven, dependable, low risk option for all projects and clients.

No mention of Scoot?

 Next ferry blog : Tuesday 27th October 

Across the Solent by Scooter??? [1]

Has fbb Finally Flipped?

Scooter?...

... or Scoot?

Scoot is and airline operating out of Singapore.

Its staff seem particularly ebullient and way out of place for the restful flights that oldies like fbb would seek.

Tee-shirts for cabin crew; scandalous! But this company is not serving the Isle of Wight.

Back in late spring this item appeared in the local Isle of Wight Press.

A foot and bicycle ferry service

between Cowes and East Cowes

is launching.

For commuters who live in East Cowes, but travel to the Mainland on the Red Jet, will find the service hard to resist. Rather than needing to walk through Cowes from Town Quay, where the RedJet lands, to catch the Floating bridge ...

... the new service will directly board at Town Quay. People will  then be dropped off at Grid Iron Steps in East Cowes.

The service would link East Cowes (near the chain ferry, bottom centre) direct to the Red Jet terminal (top left) on the map below.

The charge will be £1 for a single journey, with concessions available and is expected to start in August. The service will run as a shuttle starting at 6am, running through until 15 minutes after the last Red Jet lands. This service will have the capacity for up to 50 foot passengers, as well as space for push bikes, wheelchairs and prams.

After many years of free crossings for pedestrians, the Island Council introduced a 40p return fee on the floating bridge in August last amidst vehement protest.

Given the convenience for East Cowes-based commuters, it’s highly possible this service will reduce the number of paying customers the Floating Bridge will have, in turn putting a dent in the council’s estimates for income, that campaigners say are already highly questionable.

But it never happened! No such service appeared.

But the company was called "Scoot".

Scoot Ferries Ltd,

Medina Ship Yard,

Pelham Road,

Cowes,

Isle of Wight,

PO31 7PG

And here is a piccy of their imposing front entrance (on Pelham Road).

But next came another announcement:-

Scoot Ferries Ltd, the new Isle of Wight-based ferry company has announced that it will be running a special, scheduled ferry service for this year’s Cowes Week between Cowes and Hamble.

The service will run from Friday 7th August until Sunday 16th August between the south side of Trinity Pontoon in Cowes and Hamble Town Quay. With single tickets costing £15.00 and anytime returns costing £25.00, the first boat will depart from Cowes at 05:30 and run a 30-minute schedule throughout the day. The last sailing from Hamble to Cowes will be at 02:00 hours.

In fact, during July and August several announcements were made about future plans.

Cowes to East Cowes : August 2015

Yarmouth to Lymington : August 2015

Cowes to Hamble : Spring 2016

Cowes to Portsmouth : 2016

And the Cowes to Hamble service during the yottie week did operate; but not without a snag.

New Island ferry company Scoot Ferries missed four of its morning sailings between Cowes and Hamble today (Saturday), after staff failed to turn up for them. Scoot has been running sailings from Cowes to Hamble over Cowes Week, before the full service is rolled out next year. The company had moved to apologise to customers on their Facebook page this morning.

Erm; whoops!

“Hello Scooters, we screwed up royally this morning and failed to turn up for our scheduled sailings at 0530, 0600, 0630 and 0700. This is ENTIRELY unacceptable and we are absolutely devastated to have let some of our fantastic customers down when we’d been doing so well. We’re contacting all our booked customers directly to try and do everything possible to make amends.”

Will a service to Hamble be viable? Here's a report from a real genuine passenger.

"Yesterday, I took a trip over to the Isle of Wight from Hamble village with the new ferry service that is now operating. The owner was telling me about what a bad season he's been having and how he has found it hard to get the word about. I work in Cowes very often and think that I will use this chap for commuting; but certainly during Cowes Week I will be going over every day. If anybody else is up for it, please get in touch as he needs a minimum of two passengers to run! He charges £20 for a return and he says that he will run late into the night."

Sadly that was written in 2013 and the service soon foundered (although not literally!)

But from 1st September 2015 the service between Yarmouth and Lymington commenced in a blaze of glory.

The "orange" journeys were restricted to "pre-booked season ticket holders" but the scope of the service was certainly very impressive.

The boat will be able to take up to 12 passengers and sailings cost £9 each way. A 30 day season ticket will cost £300.

Thus £10 a day assuming it is for any 30 days.

Yesterday, fbb motored over from Newport to Yarmouth to see the service in practice.

His incisive and slightly chilly report will continue tomorrow.

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Fishwick Finally Fails after over 100 Years

The long established firm providing services between Preston and Leyland ceased trading at the end of business yesterday. Immediate news releases do not reveal the reason but the announcement was made suddenly a few days ago.

Once with their own bus station (pictured above in 1968) the company had a deserved reputation for high quality vehicles ...

... and excellent service. Stagecoach will be running a slightly modified service 111 from today and "are in discussions" with Lancashire Council about service 109, 115 and 119 which will not be covered immediately. Other existing services will mitigate some of this loss.

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 Next ferry blog : Monday 26th October