This post was originally written last year, then shelved because i wasn't happy with it. Whilst looking through subjects i had previously written about, i found a new enthusiasm to improve and present it, so here it is. Ask the Audience A common criticism aimed at bus operators in the aftermath of service changes is… Continue reading Involved and Informed?
A Blueprint for Commercial Progress
Several pressure groups are using the current situation and funding to call for greater long term regulation to be brought in to the bus industry. Knee-jerk reactions to such an opportunity to make sweeping changes would almost certainly deliver disasterous results as such things need careful consideration to ensure they are fit for purpose. In… Continue reading A Blueprint for Commercial Progress
X5 Countdown
Saturday 13th June 2020 will see Stagecoach West depart from North Somerset for the final time of the current era as their stint operating the X5 service between Weston-super-Mare, Clevedon, Portishead and Cribbs Causeway will come to an end. The previously hourly service has been on a two-hourly schedule since the beginning of the Covid-19… Continue reading X5 Countdown
The Balancing Act
Apologies for this eventually being published after the event. A problem with some bus services is the act of balancing out the bits that work commercially with the less renumerative social and political demands. Sometimes a balance can be struck, sometimes it doesn't work. As an example, i'll point to our Friday shopper's bus diagram.… Continue reading The Balancing Act
Corona Chronicle
We live in peculiar times. Many people have been documenting the social aspects of this period, so i'll attempt to look at this from predominantly a business point of view. Closing Times The school which is the focus of our activities at the start and end of each day closed as part of the national… Continue reading Corona Chronicle
Part of a story
This Monday, the BBC aired a Panorama documentary on Britain's Bus Crisis (their words, not mine). It is available to watch on iPlayer here. Richard Bilton followed a number of journeys across the North from Redcar to Blackpool and (spoiler alert) came to the disappointing conclusion that the system isn't working. Lets look at some… Continue reading Part of a story
WECA’s Final Solution: A Response
As promised in Ask a Stupid Question, here is our full response to the WECA Bus Strategy Consultation. The consultation (open until Sunday 15/03/20) is still available at TravelWest. Just in case it disappears, the consultation document can also be found here: West-of-England-Bus-Strategy FYI: Consultation headings in bold, direct quotations in italics, responses in plain… Continue reading WECA’s Final Solution: A Response
Ask a stupid question
The West of England Combined Authority is currently consulting on a Bus Strategy which is intended to form a grand solution to all of Bristol... sorry, Avon... sorry, the West of England's passenger travel issues over the next two decades. I have major concerns over this document and the accompanying questionnaire. WECA staff have already admitted… Continue reading Ask a stupid question
Short Journeys
The following are all stubs of posting ideas that i've had over recent weeks. Rather than put three separate posts with short articles, here they are collected together - two on planning and a short story on filth. Where in the Worle? Although this might be stepping somewhat on the toes of former Brighton &… Continue reading Short Journeys
Consequences
As bus operators, we can be faced with questions regarding the consequences of our actions. When services are changed, something i am always acutely aware of is the unforeseen loss of links or connections which may appear trivial, but can have a significant impact. As somebody responsible for the consequences of the actions of my… Continue reading Consequences
