MetroBus

[whole diary]

[Red Squirrel]

The majority of buses, by a long chalk, went to ECW in Lowestoft. Lorry cabs were built by Longwell Green Coachworks, however.

[martyjon]

In Bristol today a driver of the poor half brother service to the M3, the U3, showed me mobile piccy of two brand new vehicles for the M1 route which were delivered yesterday. I don't know if one of the two was the one I reported earlier this week had arrived at the Avonmouths premises of SCANIA. The driver said to me, imagine these buses travelling through Hartcliffe and Knowle West, they'll be trashed within a few days. He asked if I'd heard that an I-Point had been trashed in Hartcliffe within 20 minutes of the contractor leaving the site after installing it.

I am told that the West of England Zone ticket is now available to be purchased at an I-Point but when I checked with my TravelWest card at approx 15:00 it wasn't available but it was available to be purchased on a ticket machine on a U3 service at £6 which is the buy before you board price, buy on the bus is £7 according to the literature but maybe they were playing safe and allowing the buy before you board price cos you couldn't buy that product at the I-Points, I shall see tomorrow.

Grahame, if you are reading this, DR has to have an op on Monday at St. Thomas's in London and I wished him well when I spoke to him earlier this evening and I know those members of this forum who are acquainted with him would wish him well too.

[grahame]

Grahame, if you are reading this ...

... yes and following up in "And Also" ... 

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=20808.0

[Red Squirrel]

There's a stretch of cycle path that runs alongside the MetroBus route between Brunel Way and the Ashton Swingbridge, which I just happened to be cycling along this afternoon when an A1 bus passed me heading for town. It slowed down, as it must, to engage its little wheels on the guideway, and from then on I was easily able to keep pace with it - until it got to the end of the guideway, when it sped off.

Did I miss a memo? I thought the point of the guideway was that it made the buses faster, not slower...

[Bmblbzzz]

Admit it, you just wanted to boast about your thighs of Hoy. 

[TonyK]

There's a stretch of cycle path that runs alongside the MetroBus route between Brunel Way and the Ashton Swingbridge, which I just happened to be cycling along this afternoon when an A1 bus passed me heading for town. It slowed down, as it must, to engage its little wheels on the guideway, and from then on I was easily able to keep pace with it - until it got to the end of the guideway, when it sped off.

Did I miss a memo? I thought the point of the guideway was that it made the buses faster, not slower...

You're so funny... 

[chuffed]

Admit it, you just wanted to boast about your thighs of Hoy. 

Not to mention the calves of Man if you were an island lover.

[dhassell]

There's a stretch of cycle path that runs alongside the MetroBus route between Brunel Way and the Ashton Swingbridge, which I just happened to be cycling along this afternoon when an A1 bus passed me heading for town. It slowed down, as it must, to engage its little wheels on the guideway, and from then on I was easily able to keep pace with it - until it got to the end of the guideway, when it sped off.

Did I miss a memo? I thought the point of the guideway was that it made the buses faster, not slower...

The speed limit on the guided section is 30mph afaik. The buses should be able to enter/exit guided sections at this speed... but the drivers seem to have a habit of slowing right up to enter/exit each tiny section of guided busway... Think it varies driver to driver, as I've had some not even touch the brakes, others bring the speed right down to a few mph. Not sure what they are instructed to do.

Using the Cambridge Guided Busway manual as an example, "The maximum mandatory speed of approach and entry to any
guideway section is 30 mph (48 kph)."

Here is the link for the Cambridgshire Guided Busway 'operations handbook' for those interested.
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/424906/response/1024493/attach/4/FOI%208129%20APP1%20CGB%20Operations%20Handbook%20v1.10.1.pdf

[Phantom]

Think it varies driver to driver, as I've had some not even touch the brakes, others bring the speed right down to a few mph.

I wonder how many of them slow right down as they are worried about damaging the rails etc?
It is still amazing how many times a bus drives into a kerb when pulling into a stop - would imagine the cost of replacing damaged kit is part of the concern

[martyjon]

To those who know DR, I have spoken to him this morning. He sounded fine, op went well, he's in London today for checks and he faces further treatment and tests.

I told him that at the moment his health is more important to him than bus passengers, to which, being DR, he added' "and train passengers".

Speedy recovery DR.

[TonyK]

Think it varies driver to driver, as I've had some not even touch the brakes, others bring the speed right down to a few mph.

I've had one trip to the airport where the driver drove straight through at a constant speed, and got it absolutely perfect. The other drivers I have had experience of have slowed down, save one, who gave us rather a jolt.

[martyjon]

Seen a copy of new m3 timetable to be operated from 06.01.2019.

5 inbound morning peak services Hambrook - Cabot Circus and 7 outbound afternoon peak services Cabot Circus - Hambrook will operate directly between these locations, i.e.will not operate via UWE and the route designation will be m3x for these services.

[TonyK]

Seen a copy of new m3 timetable to be operated from 06.012.2019.

5 inbound morning peak services Hambrook - Cabot Circus and 7 outbound afternoon peak services Cabot Circus - Hambrook will operate directly between these locations, i.e.will not operate via UWE and the route designation will be m3x for these services.

That makes perfect sense, except that it will be an express express service, which I thought was expressly forbidden.

[martyjon]

Seen a copy of new m3 timetable to be operated from 06.012.2019.

5 inbound morning peak services Hambrook - Cabot Circus and 7 outbound afternoon peak services Cabot Circus - Hambrook will operate directly between these locations, i.e.will not operate via UWE and the route designation will be m3x for these services.

That makes perfect sense, except that it will be an express express service, which I thought was expressly forbidden.

When m3 started I made a comment to (useless) officials that I can see no reason reason why the m3 didn't go straight down the M32, UWE could be covered by the 19/19A by using the Hambrook stops in both directions as an interchange point. In them early days prospective passengers for the m3 at the Stoke Lane and Begbrook stops were being denied boarding cos students were filling up the service at UWE to travel into the City Centre. The (useless) officials denied this was possible because they (metrobus) had a contract with UWE to provide a regular fast service to the city centre from the UWE transport hub.

Come last September when it was these embarrassed (useless) officials that realised (privately) that their computer model had got it wrong and the U3 service was introduced operating only between the city centre and UWE but not able to operate via the bus only M32 links. From my observations, the U3 would amply cover its running costs with the volume of student travel alone and its only the student travel usage of the m3 that keeps this service on its 20 minute interval service throughout the day. It would be interesting to see passenger loadings on the m3 between Emersons Green and UWE in both directions outside of the peak hours but I don't think the relevant bodies will put a casual observer (usually a retired person) on the route to accurately record actual numbers using the service and give us council taxpayers exactly how much 'fresh air' is being carried between Emersons Green and UWE off peak, must be in the greater than 90% figure.

A recent conversation I had with a person of another political persuasion to mine used an expression which intrigued me, "the council gives First Bus a sum of money for 'unspecified support'". The conversation also revealed that this 'unspecified support' is in addition to the support which we see on the printed First Bus timetables footnotes as 'This service operates with financial assistance from Xxxx Council' and is usually attached to a routes early morning / late evening and Sunday services.

[chuffed]

For 'unspecified support' read 'b****r all'