Great Western Coffee Shop

A story of buses, but of those which run on a route that should have a train service. So posted here on the 'Bristol Commuters' board.

I experienced first hand the nightmare that can be getting to and from Portishead using the current public transport provision.

I had an assignment in Portishead today (16/10/2013) and as it was time critical I allowed what I thought was sufficient wriggle room in my choice of bus. I plumped for the 0915 X3 from Bristol Bus Station and was there at 0905.

The first signs of trouble were the amount of people waiting for an X2/X3 and the quiet grumbling from one guy to the person next to him, saying, "I've been waiting since 0830". Not good when the X2/X3s are meant to run to Portishead every 15 minutes.

0915 came and went with one X2 arriving, but that driver was finishing his shift and he should've arrived at 0815. So that bus was reversed to the back of the bus station. My X3 had disappeared off the screens.

At 0925 I went to enquire about Portishead services. The women manning the Customer Information/Travel Shop office (emblazoned with 'First' logos) told me that service delays to First buses were nothing to do with them and they had no information. So no 'customer information' from them then. I was told to go and find the Inspector, with the only description being, "He's called Dave* and he has blonde hair."

Three blonde haired, hi viz wearing staff later, I'd still not encountered Dave the Inspector, so I went back to the Customer Disinformation desk to ask if a call could be put out for him. I was now told that delays may be due to traffic and there was nothing that could be done about that. And no, they couldn't put a call out for the inspector. I asked these two representatives of First, why First weren't making announcements over the PA apologising for delays and explaining any reasons, if they knew of them. National Express next door were making regular PA announcements to their customers. 

After refusing to locate Dave on my behalf, I returned to Bay 11 to wait for a bus (any bus) to Portishead. Now at about 0950 I spotted another hi-viz wearing guy with blonde hair. "Are you the Inspector?" I asked. He was indeed. Asking about Portishead services I was told that two separate RTCs on the way into Bristol had snarled up traffic and there were five X2/X3s between Bower Ashton and Hotwells going nowhere fast. Enquiring why announcements couldn't be made, I was told that First don't do so at Bristol Bus Station. No further explanation. Delays are often out of the control of bus operators, but when staff know the reasons, as in this case, it really should be communicated to passengers. Dave did then say though that he'd come back when he had further information about the stranded incoming buses.

When Inspector Dave reappeared about 10 minutes later he was with a driver. He told those of us waiting for any bus to Portishead that this driver was spare and he was going to bring the bus parked at the back of the bus station (remember that one?) back into service. As there were people now waiting for points on both the X2 and X3 routes Inspector Dave said that this bus would run a combined route, taking in both Pill (X2) and Portishead Marina (X3).

So, we trundled out of Bay 11 just after 1000, over 45 minutes late. The 15 minute service frequency had gone to pot. We got as far as the exit of the Bus Station, where traffic was stationary for about 5 minutes. After about 10 minutes we reached The Centre (Hippodrome) and it was here that was the site of one of the RTCs. A minor bump between a lorry and a car at the junction of St Augustine's Parade and Colston Street, with both inbound lanes were blocked. One public spirited chap in a hi-viz was doing his best to direct traffic around the obstruction. He was fighting a losing battle.

I got to Portishead just before 1100. I'd planned to be there by 1000. Ho hum. At least I still had time to do my shopping assignment which needed to be carried out between 1000-1200. Did make things tight for a later assignment back in Bristol though.

Ultimately I can lay no blame at First's doorstep for the delays. They were down to motorists bumping into each other. But the initial lack of information and the worse than useless 'Customer Information' staff did nark me just a bit. "Let me see if I can find out" was obviously not a sentence in the vocabulary of either member of staff in the Travel Shop. Dave, however, deserves some thanks for rustling up a driver and a bus, and cobbling together two routes to get everyone waiting for an X2 and X3 on their way.

In conclusion, back to the thread title. The sooner the better. Today, with two minor bumps in Bristol, shows how the public transport provision between Bristol and Portishead can fall down. Incidentally services were still not back to normal when I returned after 1200.

North Somerset Council - Pick a station site NOW. Come on Mr ap Rees, there's been enough consultation.
DfT - Green light the project NOW.


*Not his real name.

Is there a "sympathy" smiley? ...

We grumble about trains sometimes (and things there are sometimes far from perfect), but this is an excellent reminder of issues faced - sometimes far worse - by other public transport mode users.  No wonder rail use has grown 80% in Wiltshire in 10 years and buses have been broadly static;  it all goes to strengthen the case for providing passenger rail service where there's little or none at present, and there's a good case.

It also illustrates a failing we have discussed on here time and time again with rail.  You can defuse a lot of anger and heartache at times of disruption if you communicate with your passengers.  So often frontline staff either don't have the information from higher up or fail to communicate it in a timely fashion.  Admittedly in the case of rail it tends to be the former rather than the latter, whereas in today's situation it seems more of a case that "we know but we aren't going to tell you".

A credit to Dave the inspector for managing to find a driver (probably the controllers  phoned round to try and get a driver  to come in urgently who knew the route to Portishead) I have seen it happen with another operator where a driver has been called in who didnt know the route (luckily the passengers helped out).

I agree about the poor service offered by the staff at the information desk, considering its name the staff should have provided more assistance especially since if First bus is nothing to do with them then why are they wearing First uniform?
Anyway I agree the DFT needs to get its act together and green light the Portishead line.

Trains will be busy from day one I say

The 'spare' driver was actually one who was supposed to go out route learning with another driver to Chipping Sodbury, but as he already knew the Portishead routes he was re-deployed.

  Hear, hear, hear, hear BNM.

Not wishing to rub salt into your wounds BNM as I use this service daily, but the biggest shake up  in my 50 years of using buses in Portishead Clevedon and Nailsea is heading our way from the 3rd November. First have put the changes on their website today and North Somerset  Council's Transport section has a summary of the changes. I just wonder we are only being given 3 weeks notice when the proposed changes had to be registered with the traffic commissioners, some six weeks ago.

Councillor Elfan ap Rees (http://www.n-somerset.gov.uk/Your_Council/The%20Council/councillors/Pages/Elfan-ap-Rees.aspx) should be able to provide you with an answer to that one.  :-X

I've gone one better and emailed Nigel Ashton leader of NSC who is a near neighbour of mine, referring to BNM's experience, saying that local MPs and NSC representatives should be straining every sinew to get the line opened well before 2019. I ended up saying 'perhaps we should give it to the Chinese ...they'd have it all done in a fortnight!

chuffed, I'm more than happy to have someone from North Somerset Council contact me directly about my experiences yesterday.

It's all grist to the mill.

Happy for you to point your contacts to this topic and to my email address, bignosemac@hotmail.com.

I'm looking at a couple of other assignments in North Somerset in the coming days, but yesterday's experience has rather put me off relying on buses. Another in Portishead and one I'm looking at in Nailsea which can at least be done by train, even if it does mean that uphill hike from the station to the town! Bus would be preferable in the current inclement weather as that drops me right in the town centre!