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…

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.…

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 &…

Less Expression

First's North Somerset Excel network, previously the Express Yourself network will be undergoing changes from the end of April 2019, which (whilst being referred to in their press release as improvements) will see the loss of: - one direct bus per hour between Weston-super-Mare and Bristol (Currently 4, becomes 3) - one bus per hour…

This isn’t good enough

I know i've moaned about Weston Community Transport before, but they're not getting any better. I thought it might be a reasonable time to illustrate the ways in which this community transport operator is failing where a professional operator would not be able to do so: Step entrance vehicle. In an age where low-floor, accessible…

False Economy

Lets disspell a couple of myths: Community Transport is not saving bus services. Community Transport is not saving the public purse any money. On the first point: Community Transport is being used as a plaster to patch up a crack in a dam. Community Transport does nothing to promote new public transport usage to new…

The Barbie Dalek

Much of this post is based upon a press release issued to the local media on 4th December, which resulted in this article in the Weston Mercury. Text which is copied verbatim from the release will be coloured maroon and references (found at the bottom) in blue. Despite the date of publication, it was written…

Evolution of the Town

Before we begin, this post was written prior to the announcement that Crosville had given notice to resign from providing Weston town services 4 and 4A from the start of September 2017. North Somerset Council are currently seeking a replacement service. Although i've never formally studied urban planning, my interests in how we live stretch…

Winners and Losers in North Somerset

A bit of numbercrunching can find some interesting results. First were gifted £240,000 by North Somerset Council in early 2017 for interurban network improvements which are to start at the end of April. Surely a significant uplift in funding such as this would only produce winners...? X1, X1A, X2: Bristol - Backwell - Congresbury -…

The Impossible Dream

The Elected Members of North Somerset Council have recently voted themselves out of the reformation of Avon County Council currently being glamourised in various guises, most notably the Metro Mayor. I assume he (or she) will have had an immaculate manicure prior to taking office. But i digress. North Somerset's councillors seem to be blissfully…