Bus deregulation is not working

This courtesy of the BBC news website:

'The deregulation of English bus services has been a failure, with passenger numbers continuing to fall, MPs have warned.

The Commons transport committee found people had a poor image of buses and current arrangements could "not be made to work" without an overhaul. Its report recommended councils be told to draw up plans to ensure traffic moves more quickly.

Bus firms should also sign contracts ensuring quality services, it added.

'Drivers seen as rude'

The committee's chairman, Labour MP Gwyneth Dunwoody, said: "The public image of buses needs to be improved. "There is still a perception that bus services are generally unreliable and of a poor quality; that vehicles are old and inaccessible; that drivers are rude and that passengers are unsafe and uncomfortable."

Mandatory concessionary fares should be extended to the under-16s and others in full-time education, the MPs urged.

More research on the system operated in London - where services are privatised but regulated, and passenger numbers are rising - should be carried out.

The report also called for a strengthening of the role of traffic commissioners, who should be given resources to monitor the speed of travel of buses.

More bus lanes should be continued across local authority boundaries. These must be policed rigorously to stop car drivers ignoring the law, the report said.

'Cut car use'

Mrs Dunwoody said: "Concessions for children to use buses to and from school would cut down on the school run and for those in full-time education it might cut the pressure on 17 to 25-year-olds to buy a car as soon as possible.

"A good experience of using buses when young could influence travel choices later in life."

The industry was privatised in 1985 and, in 2000, the government set a target to increase bus usage by 2010.

But passenger numbers fell by an average 7% in English regions apart from London between 2000 and 2005, the National Audit Office and Audit Commission found.

In the capital, the figure rose by 32%.

Last month, Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander promised to give local authorities more control over deregulated bus services, ending a "free-for-all" situation in some areas of the UK.

"Certainly in some places like Brighton and York the public and private sectors work well together. But in too many communities they don't," he said.'

I don't think I could disagree with most of the comments, however, I know that Stagecoach is extremely unhappy perhaps someone could enlighten us on First Group's position?

When I moved back to the South West from the North of England a few years ago, I was horrified at the state of what had been Western National. The vehicles were the same that I had seen delivered new to Exeter in the mid seventies, and did not seem to be helped by poor maintenance. Rural bus services are becoming increasingly scarce, indeed within Cornwall I think that like North Devon we may see First vanishing from the scene. Of course it all comes down to finance, if that is not in place it is difficult to see how improvements can be made.

Bus Passes for the Elderly

An interesting story appeared in the Daily Telegraph regarding the free travel for the elderly. It's opinion was that the scheme was in danger of unravelling. because of the financial problems local authorities are faced with to run the scheme. It was yet another government initiative put in place with no financial assistance.

Local Authorities have had to make hard and unpopular choices, Plymouth pulled out of the Devon wide scheme because of the cost involved. This much to the annoyance of elderly council tax payers. Perhaps it would have been more sensible if the government had provided firm finance in the first place.

Memories

A Devon General Atlantean working in Torquay. I could never understand why we did not have them in Exeter, although a few did occasionally work on the Rifford Road route.
I remember riding on both these many times, CTT 23 C was a dual purpose vehicle ideal for the Torquay to Exeter route.
Torquay Bus Station one of the strangest I have been to.
Who can forget the fleet of Devon General open top Atlanteans. Here we see Earl Howe, they were a great tourist attraction and in the winter worked normal services with their "tops on".
Exeter City Transport started their modern single deck experience with Massey bodied Leyland Leopards with double doors. They then purchased Leyland Panthers with Marshall bodywork, as seen here at Exeter Bus Station.

Good News!

Plymouth City Bus have finally unveiled a web-site. They seem to have made a pretty good job of it as well.

http://www.plymouthcitybus.co.uk/

Bretonside what is the future?

Bretonside Bus & Coach Station

As I alluded to in the last post, I have a real problem with the inaction surrounding Bretonside Bus Station. We hear constantly in the local media about the regeneration plans for Plymouth. A new shopping centre, Millbay being re-generated, Colin Campbell Court and so on. Well that's fine, but where do a lot of visitors arrive at in the first place?

Easy answer The Coach Station. So visitors arrive at this vibrant waterfront city and are greeted by a sad and tired old 60's Bus Station that should have been demolished years ago.

Question, would you catch a bus from there, I wouldn't.

The City Council will tell you that it is all Henry Boot's fault, they had a contract and didn't do anything. The Contractor may tell a different story, but does it matter. The fact is nothing has been done and someone should pick it all up again and make positive efforts for something to happen.

For a start any new transport interchange (it sounds better than bus station) should have the capacity so that some if not the majority of buses currently using Royal Parade as a change-over stop should use it.

There should be a dedicated link operating at frequent intervals from the Railway Station, these vehicles should have the capacity to be able to move shoppers also directly to the transport interchange, freeing up the traffic on Royal Parade. There is no reason why an ftr type of vehicle could not be utilised.

This debated needs to be aired and considered at the moment it appears just to be drifting away. Public Transport is not just about the type of bus used, it has got to be seen as part of a larger strategic framework for the City. Oh yes, and finally, will someone please rebuild the bridge "cherry picked" near the station, it's only a matter of time before a fatality occurs.

The Changing Face Of Plymouth

After seeing the start of the Millbay development yesterday, I was thinking about the change going on within the city. Here you can see Drakes Circus (photo taken from Bretonside). Initially, I didn't like the new structure but I have to admit that it has grown on me. If nothing else a positive step forward. Downsides, the Car Park seems already to be causing traffic chaos.

Next time I will muse about Bretonside - someone needs to talk about it!

The Barbican on a Sunday

After the bus rally, what better than a bracing walk on the Barbican?

Real Time Information

You may have noticed that some bus stops in the city now have real time information. Now not wanting to criticise such an innovation, the siting of the displays does not seem to have been thought through. If you are sitting in the bus shelter the displays are behind you!

Equally, only low floor vehicles are equipped with the technology, cutting out those passengers whose vehicles are not low floor.

The last Atlanteans

A good day on Sunday greeted the last of the Leyland Atlanteans running from Bretonside, although there were some vehicles that were trying to impersonate, and failing badly.

We travelled on 201 (pictured above) and had a smooth and quiet ride. The Enviro's did not appear which was a shame.

Our thanks to Plymouth City Bus and the Preservation Group for the day.

SuperBus High Quality Public Transport

I read in the Herald tonight that concrete proposals are being made by the City Council for a High Quality Public Transport system, run by articulated vehicles. The cost £4 million. Fine I thought. But reading further this is to satisfy the residents of the non existent Sherford Development. The Guardian newspaper commented that the idea was supposed to appeal to 'middle-class commuters who think travelling on a bus is beneath them.'

It does look though as if another Park & Ride service will be introduced at some stage at Deep Lane. Perhaps Cornwall County Council, The Tamar Bridge Authority could now give some thought for South East Cornwall?

Low Floor Vehicles in Plymouth

As FD&C have moved most of their operations from North Devon, this will prove beneficial for their Plymouth operation, in that for the first time most of the vehicles will be low floor easy access. Combining that with the new acquisitions for CityBus, Plymouth should certainly be enjoying much better Public Transport Vehicles than before.

Perhaps there will be a race to see whose fleet is totally low floor first!

Sunny Days in Paris & Nantes

You know what happens when you take photographs on holiday! After showing the relatives who look thoroughly bored you just store them. I came across these the other day.
The open top Volvo runs people round Paris all day, which is quite costly. Here it was near Notre Dame.

The tram helps run an extremely efficient Park & Ride System, the other was just a normal service bus.

Park & Ride

apologies for the camera shake

I noticed the other day that PR2 the Coypool Park and Ride was operating with deckers obtained from Bath, equally the Darts SLF should also be operating shortly. This will come as a relief to both passengers and the City Council as the short based Darts used by FD&C caused problems at peak times due to lack of capacity.

The new deckers for PR1 are in the process of fitting out and it is understood that one of them will be travelling from Alexander Dennis in Falkirk to the renamed Bus & Coach Expo at the NEC at the start of November.

The Plaxton President bodied Tridents, currently on PR1 are still expected to make the long journey north to Glasgow once the Enviro 400's are in service.

FTR complaints already??

Sometimes I wonder what people require from their public transport system. First York is regarded as in the "premier league" of operators but I recently read a blog written by a student of York University, who was complaining about the new FTR service. Now, I have travelled on this vehicle (I'm the sad and lonely one in the pink shirt) and whilst taking account of the complaints about the exact fare system, wonder what there really is to complain about. It just shows whatever is run, someone will complain.

Perhaps we could transfer a few VR's to York? I'm sure FD&C wouldn't object although the driver (known as Pilot in Firstspeak did say that the ftr was heavy on fuel).

Sunday - The Last Atlanteans!

Sounds like a new SciFi series but it's all about buses.
Sadly, this Sunday sees Plymouth City Bus running their final Leyland Atlanteans.

The Atlantean I think broke the mould and I think the first versions entered service in the late 50's. Plymouth City Transport (as it was then) had a fine fleet, normally bodied by Park Royal/Roe.

Anyway back to Sunday!

The fun starts at 10.00 at Bretonside until 16.00. Should you have the urge to ride around Plymouth on a Sunday on an old bus, then this is for you! I will certainly be there, trying to pretend that I am not an enthusiast (and hiding the camera behind my back). It also gives us the opportunity to see one of City Buses latest acquisition in the shape of an Enviro 200.