MetroBus

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

Better go and see Matron later .

[martyjon]

From a blog I read which was posted today ;-

My work is based in the Harbourside area. Many of my colleagues in the (large) building were regulars on the 903 to/from Anchor Rd. Latest updates on an internal forum, which has a page specifically set up relating to Metrobus, revolve around the number of colleagues who are now either getting the Excel in from Nailsea and the like instead of using the P&R^▸ (Park and Ride), or are parking at the P&R and then walking to get the X1/X6/X9 in. Either way, they have already given up on the m2.

[WelshBluebird]

So Bristol Sport have announced plans to add a 4000 capacity sports and convention centre amongst other things in a new development next door to Ashton Gate. The interesting bit is that as part of it, they are proposing "an integrated transport hub to connect the Metrobus; the railway line; cycle routes and crossing sections over the Winterstoke Road". You mean the Metrobus that doesn't actually serve Winterstoke Road and that people have been told not to use to get to Ashton Gate despite the stop being named Ashton gate and it only being a 10 minute at most walk away from the stadium?

[Red Squirrel]

...they are proposing "an integrated transport hub...

This is an integrated transport hub, 2018-style:

[eightf48544]

Where? Presumably TFL^▸ (Transport for London) territory.

[Red Squirrel]

Purley. FAY-mous place...

[martyjon]

Used Metrobus to get into Centre yesterday and Today (17 & 18/09/28). Yesterday was also the start of the U3 service from the Centre to UWE only. Apparently students have been told to use the m3 as the quickest route between Bristol Centre and the campus. Students were therefore sitting and the Centre stop oblivious of the nice newly painted blue bus sat at the stop with a First Logo on the side but operated by CT Transport would take them to the same stop at the UWE campus even though the side destination display was stating U3 UWE Frenchay and the drivers were having to gee em up to board what would have been an empty bus departing to the campus.

I an amazed at the campus, there are blocks of accomodation at the campus described as family apartments and indeed one blue U3 service I witnessed departing was carrying 4 Oriental looking females each pushing a babies buggy and tugging behind them older children, 1 having what I would guess was a 5 and 3 years old and another a 4 year old with all 4 buggies stowed in the wheelchair space and the space made available by folding up the 3 seats on the drivers side after the stairs to the upper deck. And yes there is a nursery and kindergarten on the campus.

One thing that intrigues me is this, the U3 is operated by CT Transport who will operate Metrobus route m1 when it commences operating, U3 will become part of that route but route U3 CANNOT use the M32 Bus Only lanes to exit and join the M32, only in Bristol could such ludicrous conditions be concocted,

Also I noted this evening that stops on South Gloucestershires patch still has the old timetables displayed, I might vandalise the Lyde Green Park and Ride stop in the morning by sellotaping a copy of the new combined U3/m3 timetable to the timetable display case as a public spirited individual providing information to the pulic as the LA can.t be arsed to do it.

[TonyK]

As an alumnus (dropped out of a part-time course c.1991), I can confirm that UWE even then did not have a policy of discrimination against parents of young children. The cohort of foreign students was large in many departments, and their fees, substantially higher than those charged for home-grown talent, effectively subsidised the locals. Heads of departments spent periods in the far east every year (not usually for as long as the mayor) drumming up business, and the college estate was increasing to accommodate them, as it still is.

The U3 service is a bit of a mongrel. Passengers have to buy tickets in advance, as with MetroBust, but it cannot, as martyjon says, use the umpteen million pound bus-only bridge. The reason for this is to be found in the MetroBust rules of engagement. Operators using MetroBust facilities have to sign up to the Quality Partnership Scheme QPS).{/url] Buses using the MetroBust infrastructure have to conform to exacting standards. In particular, part C of the QPS says that:

All buses used to operate MetroBus Services shall, as a minimum:
• conform to the agreed MetroBus branding (see paragraph D13).
• be fitted with dual doors so as to facilitate swift loading and boarding, and be no more than 6 months old when first operated as a MetroBus Service.
• offer step free access and have a kneeling facility to match kerb heights at MetroBus Stops.
• have high quality vehicle interiors and passenger features, to include individual seats, audible and visual real time information and next stop displays, and wi-fi connections for passenger use.
• be fitted with a package of both active and passive temperature control measures.
• be equipped with a two way radio allowing communication between the driver and the depot or control centre, a driver emergency button, and on-board
GPS-based equipment and a driver display monitor that is fully compatible with the Authorities' Real Time Passenger Information system.
• be equipped as necessary to meet all requirements relating to fares and ticketing (see paragraphs B1 to B15).
• meet the further standards set out in paragraphs C2 to C16 below.
• for services operating via the AVTM Guided Busway, be equipped with guide wheels and guide arms. Manufacturers’ maintenance schedules and guidance must be fully complied with to ensure the guide wheels maintain suitable contact with the guideway on both sides of the vehicle.

It also says that vehicles must have engines to Euro VI standard for emissions. I spent a bit of time looking at things in the city centre yesterday, and the two buses I saw working the U3 were 16 years old, so would stand no chance of meeting the standards. Presumably, the refusal to allow them on the network is to incentivise the operators to buy some new buses at £400,000 apiece, ASAP, or at least sub-lease some from First.

I did notice that the inbound U3 was near empty, whereas the outbound M3 was full of young people of about student age. When I had a ride on the M3, it was full by the time it left Cabot Circus, and emptied at UWE. There is absolutely nothing to stop students eschewing the slow and antiquated U3 in favour of the much more comfortable and direct M3. That isn't going to help anyone unfortunate enough to want to travel to Keith Emersons Green, I think that may prove to be a problem.

[Red Squirrel]

Dual doors are a thing, aren't they? When one person operation was introduced by the Bristol Omnibus Company back in the seventies, all OMO^▸ (One Man Operated)* buses working city services (in Bristol, Bath, Gloucester and, if I remember correctly, Cheltenham) had dual doors. You could see the sense in this as it allowed the driver to fire up their trusty Setright machine and start taking fares that bit quicker, but the layout died with the last of the RELLs and VRTs by which time presumably people had forgotten how much better life was when buses had conductors. I find it odd that this system should make a comeback on services with off-vehicle ticketing.

_{* One-man operated. This was, as I say, the seventies.}

[TonyK]

Dual doors are probably a good thing, once passengers realise that they can actually use them, and not just for storing pushchairs. The official reason for withdrawal was to stop people sneaking on without paying, but the central London buses seem to manage with three doors, yet only one driver. I have noticed that the new T1 and Y1 etc series of routes use dual doored vehicles, and I would not be surprised to see them as standard when new buses are procured for the Bristol area.

Blackpool's spanky new Bombardier Flexity 2 trams have, IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly), four doors on each side. They hold up to 200 passengers, and normally have at least two conductors on board, one of whom usually makes it to your seat before you do. From my experience, I would say dwell time, even at busy times, is around 30 seconds, and they are punctual unless something has gone wrong because of external factors en route. Despite this apparent over-staffing, Blackpool Transport returns £1 million to the council's coffers.

[Bmblbzzz]

Dual doors are a thing, aren't they? When one person operation was introduced by the Bristol Omnibus Company back in the seventies, all OMO^▸ (One Man Operated)* buses working city services (in Bristol, Bath, Gloucester and, if I remember correctly, Cheltenham) had dual doors. You could see the sense in this as it allowed the driver to fire up their trusty Setright machine and start taking fares that bit quicker, but the layout died with the last of the RELLs and VRTs by which time presumably people had forgotten how much better life was when buses had conductors. I find it odd that this system should make a comeback on services with off-vehicle ticketing.

_{* One-man operated. This was, as I say, the seventies.}

Your insight is DAZzling!













Sorry...

[Bmblbzzz]

On a serious note, I think dual vs single door is probably down to passenger volumes rather than staffing. The more rural routes run by Bristol Omnibus back in the 70s and 80s had single doors and you paid the driver, even if they ended in Gloucester or Bristol. And there are many city services where the driver only drives and fares are only inspected by randomly wandering inspectors, if at all, which have double doors. (And obviously many other variants.)

[Red Squirrel]

In BOC (pre-National Bus Company) days there was a clear distinction between city and country services. Bristol city services were latterly numbered 1-99 and operated by Bristol Joint Services vehicles, half-owned by the corporation, whilst Bristol Country services were in the 300-399 range and were operated by wholly-owned BOC vehicles. To make the distinction BJS fleet numbers were prefixed 'C' e.g. C5003. City services got dual-door vehicles, whilst country services got the single-door variant; there were occasions when vehicles were rebuilt to single-door format on transfer to country services. Clearly as you say this reflected the passenger volume, but staffing didn't come into it - dual door vehicles were only crew-operated on 'jazzer' services.

[TonyK]

Your insight is DAZzling!

If Daz don't whiten it and Omo won't brighten it...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KxZnWSNswgA

[Western Pathfinder]

Then Bugger it . Best universal grit grime and effluent remover ?
A good chap that Fred Wedlock.