Great Western Coffee Shop

Bath yesterday evening, heading for the bus home and passing the bus station with a neighbour, the hourly 6a was sitting, driverless, at one of the the bus stands in the bus station, so we crossed the road to it.

Its driver arrived at about the same time.

We were on the wrong side of the bus station's glass doors, which weren't released, and a quick exchange of hand signals indicated that we needed to leave the bus station and make our way to the Manvers Street stop 150 metres away. If I hadn't been familiar with the bus's routine I'd have been mystified. We started to make our way from the shelter of the bus station back out into the wet streets and to the stop, and the bus duly overtook us and went to the stop where it was booked to wait for a quarter of an hour. it's actually good to have the bus wait there as it's the most convenient stop for the railway station and the vehicle from the shelter POV makes for a little bus station all of its own.

When we climbed aboard, the driver (who had good customer service skills but was presumably following instructions) explained that he wasn't allowed to pick up passengers at the bus station - so the episode resulted in about the most stereotypical public transport bus experience ever. I was quite glad I wasn't a manual wheelchair user.

Mark

The charges for using the bus station may be more to be allowed to pick up customers. The company may not wish to pay additional charges.

Is the bus scheduled to do so in their timetable?

I was wonnderng much the same. If the bus was not technically in service until it arrived at Manvers Street that may explain it

Thanks for this, both, this could be it - especially as it involves the four evening services on the route that are council funded.

Mark