It's certainly been an odd one today. Started at 6am on the 347. The second trip having far too much time on it so had to drive at 15 mph for most of it. Plus it was school time and they were in double noise mode. Then a trip on a 216 which was pretty quiet and chilled with just one set of roadworks going on with temp lights. Then a couple of extra trips to hyde and back on the 330 to help out the normal service and now i'm in stockport on the 7. First time on this long dart too. It's a nice bus. I think i prefer this to the new ones we almost got nearly not quiet. Home time when i get back. Not in until 1 tomorrow which is good although i'm not off now until next friday which is a bit of a drag but i'll survive i'm sure.
Why did the 330 need extra help? Why just to Hyde and back?
ReplyDeleteIt's just some roadworks in woodley. Seems to be breaking service a little bit. Nothing too much. If we have a spare bus and spare driver we will send them out to bed extra buses on busy routes. They only do ashton to hyde incase the bus is needed for something else that way it isn't too far away.
ReplyDeleteI think its called 'Floaters'. Extra buses that arn't timetabled but run to make up a service to cover for roadworks etc
ReplyDeleteI used to love getting out to F*** up all the UK North buses up on the 192,overtaking them all the time,and holding them up !
ReplyDeleteHaha yes i realise that but they dont want the likes of us passengers knowing that. Last summer Stagecoach had some competition on the 216. They put out 'floaters' because of the roadworks [they claimed] but we all know it was to f*** up the competition - which it did.
ReplyDeleteOh I see - thanks for the reply. I use the Hyde to Stockport section so don't see the benefit - d'oh!
ReplyDeletethe 'competition' your on about would be the S50 i presume???
ReplyDeleteIt is still going but does anyone when no when it does the full stretch again?
The s50 discussion has been had on many a site regarding how speedwell went about launching the route. The whole marketing campaign was very poor. With the right advertising and the ability to pick up in piccadilly would have made it a real headache for the bosses and a very profitable route for speedwell. I don't think they will run it to town again as it seems to be doing well enough as it is. I'm all for competition on the roads but wouldn't like to see anything like the uk north fiasco again.
ReplyDeleteI have alot of time for Speedwell and asked the question recently to the owner. He assured me that when the roadworks have finished along Ashton new road they will begin running the full route again as its still offically registered.
ReplyDeleteWhat you have to remember is that just weeks before the launch of the S50 last year Speedwell had there Operating licence cut meaning they had no spare buses. So when there buses got stuck in traffic they were behind all day whereas if they had had spare's like Stagecoach they could have run 'floaters' to keep the service to time.
I hope it does start again because competition is always good for the passenger. Sorry for rambling on.
They did launch it out of nowhere so it wouldnt surprise me if speedwell were to hush about the 'full route'. Im surprised theres no livery promoting the fares, is it illegal to vinyl a fare onto the buses or something?
ReplyDeleteNo its not illegal as Stageocach advertise there day and weekly riders on the windows as do JPT. To be perfectly honest i always think the plan was to launch the £1 flat fare, build up passenger numbers then put it up.
ReplyDeleteIt also was advertised at the time. They did big leaflet drops in Ashton, Hyde and Shudehill, and advertised in the local papers it was just all abit rushed.
Apparently they had printed leaflets, timetables etc which stated they were running to Piccadiily but after there advertising stints GMPTE told them they had to use Shudehill only.
Im all for competition too,but at what price ?
ReplyDeleteI would rather sit on a new enviro,than on an ex WW2 transporter. Ok thats a bit harsh,but you know what I mean !
Theres plenty of that on the 350 v S50 side...but its dennis dart V Marshall dart so you can guess how the S50 survived well hehe.
ReplyDeleteFirst are worried about it though because, on the odd occasion, I have seen there new B9TL's on the route.
It would struggle alot with the 216 becauses the stagecoach has newer buses, cheaper than 1st and alot more frequent service compared to the 350
But can you really say that traveling on a Enviro 400 is any different to traveling on a Marshall Dart?
ReplyDeleteFirst are very worried about the 350/S50 because if and when Speedwell register there evening and sunday services and charge a fare GMPTE has no choice but to cancel the 350 tender, meaning First wouldn't get a penny for running it. Speedwell are playing a clever game of running a 'free' service to build up passenger numbers before registering it so First cannot compete.
tbh i would rather go on enviro than the marshall hehe but I like speedwells solo's. probably the best Mossley can have until 217/8 has there occasional enviro.
ReplyDeleteIt is clever that they're running a free service on sundays & evenings.Are Speedwell registering the full sundays & evenings or plannning too?
If Gmpte do pull those tenders then that is alot of the Oldham to Ashtom journeys gone because those are nearly all tenders, correct me if i'm wrong.
Why would the pte cancel the tender for the 350 based on someone else running along the same route. Surely the tender will still be issued but there will be competition as to who it goes to.
ReplyDeleteWhat you have to remember is that its Tax Payers money that pays for tenders. So in effect the PTE is paying First to run the evening/sunday 350 on our behalf because its not commercially viable.
ReplyDeleteSo if another company comes along and registeres the same route commercially and it runs ahead of the tendered service then the funding should be cut and used somewhere else.
I think its part of the 1985 transport act.
I will have a read up on that. Interesting point.
ReplyDelete