Rural buses - does anyone promote them?

[whole diary]

[Richard Fairhurst]

We have two buses here in Charlbury: the S3 Charlbury-Woodstock-Oxford (operated by Stagecoach) and the X9 Chipping Norton-Charlbury-Witney (operated by Pulhams).

Both were formerly commercially viable, just about. Post-pandemic both are now on subsidy and likely to be withdrawn unless their fortunes turn round.

It occurred to me earlier that I've never seen a single piece of publicity for either service. No leaflet drops, no posters, no advertising, no promotional fares, no community outreach. Nothing other than sticking timetables up at bus stops. The bus comes and the bus goes and it's up to you to find out about it.

As it happens, both services are fairly labyrinthine, partly as a result of the town's one-way system but also due to the way the S3 interworks with Chipping Norton services. I've lived here for 20 years and take an unhealthy interest in these things, and even I only figured out last week which way the evening S3 services leave Charlbury. The most common complaint I hear is that "I don't know where and when the buses go from".

Stagecoach and Pulhams are both generally thought of as good operators. So - is this normal? Are other Coffee Shoppers outside the big metropolises being regularly exhorted to get their local buses?

[CyclingSid]

Most of my bus journeys tend to be between local towns; Reading to Wokingham/Bracknell or Reading to Newbury.

services are fairly labyrinthine

This is normally (locally?) a function of subsidy to enable the availability (?) to the most number of potential passengers for the amount of subsidy paid. This means that buses through Wokingham tend to have their routes reviewed and changed fairly regularly so that the council thinks it is getting the most passengers for its pound. Gets gripes from the elderly passengers that Reading is causing the problem (their buses) but it is actually caused by their council (Wokingham).

West Berkshire does tend to advertise especially their cheap bus deals in the run up to Christmas. Never seen anything off bus in Reading despite the council owning the bus company.

Going "further afield" to Oxford I think there is less information now that Thames Travel has been completely absorbed into Oxford Bus. To High Wycombe I tend avoid Arriva (especially the back seats) as they had another bus fire this year, and seen another one towed out of Reading in the last month. Don't always have timetables on their bus stops.

I would have though with the current situation on the railways that bus companies should have been shouting their wares from the roof tops.

[WSW Frome]

Frome Town Council together with FAVBUG (local campaign group) are planning quite a large promotion of bus services (and I hope rail services too) in the area for early 2023. This will include features in the local newspaper and other material.

Frome Town Council being an unusual authority and quite dynamic has various "green" transport campaigns. This one will definitely be an awareness campaign since people do not seem to know the range of public transport services available even in a smaller town like Frome. One aspect will be use of services across town for medical appointments and town centre visits. Frome is quite well served for bus and train services, not always so frequent, but we do (still) have regular evening bus and train services to/from Bath and beyond.

The Melksham team have, naturally, undertaken similar promotions previously.