Buses in and around Bristol - merged posts

[whole diary]

[TonyK]

Ah - I get it.

[Mark A]

Tapping in and out aside, the card reader on the pillar next to the door. Anyone else think its placement is a bit iffy as thats actually intended as a handhold?

To add to this, the rather aggressive edge to the rigid pinky purple plastic notice that wraps round the card reader is a bit of a meat slicer even before the bus driver has to do an emergency stop etc.

If you're fortunate enough to board one of those smaller Optare buses and there's someone sitting in the sideways seat at the front nearest the card reader, do admire the position of their head relative to the well supported plastic blade.

All fittings on the bus with rounded edges, and then someone adds this...

Mark

[TonyK]

First, though, you need a bus. While the Bristol mayor is working out his lame duck period, drawing fantasy underground lines in crayon on local maps, First Bus and another of the local mayors are busy cutting the existing services, according to the Bristol Post.

Anger over plans to axe 18 Bristol bus services amid driver shortage
One Bristol Live reader said: "Oh for the good old days when all these different services did not exist."


Bristol bus services set for the chop (Image: Bristol Post)

People across Bristol face frustration after West of England mayor Dan Norris revealed 18 bus services in the area set to be axed from October.

The long-feared announcement of which buses will be cut is expected officially next week following a major network review over the summer, but the metro mayor has now named the 11 commercial and seven subsidised routes which he says will be scrapped.

The article continues at source, with First saying they can't say anything until they have finished the consultation, but a lack of drivers is apparently to blame. The Post's commitment to "Quality with a Capital K" journalism is evident, with no expense incurred in trawling the internet for comments by agry locals. The article adds:

The commercial services proposed to be cut are: the No 5 Downend to Bristol, No 22 University of Bath to Twerton, No 41 Lawrence Hill to Bristol, No 42 Odd Down park and ride to Bath’s Royal United Hospital, No 72/72A Temple Meads to UWE Frenchay, No 171/172 Paulton to Bath, the X2 Bristol to Yatton, X5 (in part) Bristol to Weston via Portishead, Y3 Yate to Bristol, Y4 Yate to Bristol and the Y5 Chipping Sodbury to Bristol.

The subsidised, or “supported”, buses set for the chop or changes are the No 11 Bathampton to Bath, No 12 Haycombe Cemetery to Bath, No 20 University of Bath to Twerton, No 36 Bristol to Annes which will be extended to Brislington but with the loss of Wick Road, No 82 Paulton to Radstock (Tyning), No 96 Hengrove to Brislington and No 178 Radstock to Bristol. Mr Norris says there will be a new No 47 covering Yate, Bristol and Downend and a new 379 serving Paulton, Bath, Midsomer Norton, Radstock and Bristol.

Marvin might doodle and dream of mass transit, but the reality seems to be transit mess.

[Bmblbzzz]

TBF^▸ (To Be Fair) nearly every bus does seem to carry an advert along the lines of "If you'd like a job where you sit down and chat to people, come and be a bus driver." I guess we're all just so antisocial nowadays... 

[TonyK]

TBF^▸ (To Be Fair) nearly every bus does seem to carry an advert along the lines of "If you'd like a job where you sit down and chat to people, come and be a bus driver." I guess we're all just so antisocial nowadays... 

The bus drivers with HGV on their licence who wanted to work with people seem to have been attracted back to driving lorries by the increased pay being offered by hauliers, in particular store chains, and the fact that their cargo doesn't insult or attack them.

It isn't just buses. I recently signed up to a local service, part of a national franchise. The first email I got was the standard "Welcome, our local team will be in touch soon". The second was "We are hiring in your local area".

[Bmblbzzz]

Yep. I know someone who, having been a kitchen fitter for a firm that went bust during the pandemic, took an HGV course a few months ago and is now doing agency work in the Midlands for one of the big parcel firms, earning far more than he ever did fitting kitchens.

[infoman]

Monday 5th septemmber from 10:00am

[infoman]

Wednesday 30 november from midday.

[Fourbee]

Thread reminded me of something I saw on the local news recently; FirstBus to end all services in Southampton:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-63797546

Hopefully Bristol's outlook is brighter.

[infoman]

in the City of Winchester,even he knows what a shambles Bristol transport is.

News item on Radio Bristol on Thursday 22 december

[LiskeardRich]

James Freeman? He’s been driving buses in the Winchester area pretty much since his retirement. Some people just can’t retire it seems and he’s come back to being just a driver

[froome]

Anyone who has heard James Freeman speak will know that his first, foremost and quite possibly only love is driving buses.

[LiskeardRich]

He’s always the first one on the driving roster for heritage events too. As you say Froome it’s his passion and hobby as well as his career.

There are many others just like him. Look at many of us in the heritage bus preservation world, we are lucky enough to have day jobs in our hobby and interest. Many of my preservation friends spend their working life driving the modern stuff in service and majority of their spare time working on heritage stuff whether that’s mechanical, cosmetic or driving at rally’s and running days.
Just attend a running day event like Penzance (3rd Sunday April every year) or Isle of Wight may and October events, and look at the huge numbers of volunteers and enthusiasts to realise that buses are a huge hobby in this country.

[grahame]

Report from a meeting in Keynsham today ... all "as I understand it from the reports"

Weca has NOT renewed contracts on supported bus routes. They have voted in favour of converting the majority of supported bus services in the area to a DRT system.  Affected services include 5/47 22 96 172 174 178 179 506 513 514 516 672.  They are now going to do the final planning for the DRT system to start, from nothing in two months time. They have finance for 2 years.

Concerns:
How will it be financed after the 2 years?
How will it be set up so quickly?
Will DRT work for these service - is it practical?

It has been suggested by cynics that the mllions that WECA^» (West of England Combined Authority - about) have received under Bus Back Better cannot be spent on supporting existing servives, so they're scrapping existing sevices and introducting new service which they can then support from that money.

There ARE good cases for replacing / revamping some services, but on this scale it looks like madness to me!

[Bmblbzzz]

DRT: Directly regulated transport?