MetroBus

[whole diary]

[Red Squirrel]

...By the way, can I make a request to First Bus, I am fed up viewing the video on these lovely SCANIA buses and am fed up with being told that if everyone used m-tickets it would save 98,123 litres of fuel, 148,987 trees, 987 miles of paper tickets .... Can we have a new video for the New Year please.

I'm not sure why you are asking our permission to do this, but I for one am more than happy for you to make such a request! Here are their contact details: https://www.firstgroup.com/bristol-bath-and-west/about-us/contact-us

[simonw]

With 2018 coming to an end, and the fabled M1 route about to start in a weeks time, is Metrobus ready?

With the lack of any pre 0730 trains today, I decided to use the T1 bus from Willow Brook Centre this morning. One of the bus stops is still lacking its Ticket and Information point.

[chuffed]

Big Eval reincarnated on the metrobus m1 announcements ! First time I have heard a regional accent announcement on a bus ! Radio Bristol aficionados of the 70's will remember her classic 'conversations' (if you can call them that!) with 'Old Pete' Lawrence. Those were golden halcyon days for the station.  IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion). Half expecting Roger Bennett and the blue notes jazz band to get on board. We were thanked for travelling with Bristol Community Transport and I thought an 'orl roight me luvver? might have been forthcoming but it wasn't, so i just used the default Brizzle fallback of 'Cheers Drive'!

[simonw]

Yep, nearly spilt my coffee as we approached Queen's Square with her pronunciation - so Bristolian.

Really refreshing after all the antiseptic announcements on other buses and trains.

Today was the first time I have seen back to back M1 buses. Missed the first one by seconds (@Broadmead), got ready for a 10+ minute wait but then next bus appeared seconds later.

[TonyK]

Today was the first time I have seen back to back M1 buses. Missed the first one by seconds (@Broadmead), got ready for a 10+ minute wait but then next bus appeared seconds later.

So was one 9 minutes late or the other 9 minutes early?

[simonw]

Not sure, just crossing Rupert St as the first M1 went past heading for Cribbs Causeway.

About a minute later I had crossed Rupert St (Pedestrian crossing lights ...), and the next M1 appeared and I had to dash to get to the Broadmead stop on Lewins Mead.

Not sure if I care much about the time table, the frequency is the most important thing. Was so impressed, but feel sorry for whoever had the extended wait.

[martyjon]

Yep, nearly spilt my coffee as we approached Queen's Square with her pronunciation - so Bristolian.

Really refreshing after all the antiseptic announcements on other buses and trains.

Today was the first time I have seen back to back M1 buses. Missed the first one by seconds (@Broadmead), got ready for a 10+ minute wait but then next bus appeared seconds later.

Lucky you, I was waiting at ASDA in East Street Bedminster 25 minutes for an ostensibly 10 minute interval service on Monday and when an m1 finally arrived the driver was apologetic but explained it was a White Van Man irresponsibly parking his White Van in the highway in West Street Bedminster whilst he made a delivery to two premises there.

[TonyK]

I've seen reports elsewhere of MetroBusts queueing through Bemmy and Aztec West. The limited infrastructure just means they get to the pinch points more quickly. There are also grumblings about the withdrawal of some services from South Bristol.

[grahame]

I've seen reports elsewhere of MetroBusts queueing through Bemmy and Aztec West. The limited infrastructure just means they get to the pinch points more quickly. There are also grumblings about the withdrawal of some services from South Bristol.

If only some of that road traffic at Aztec West could go be rail.   Let me see ... the nearest railway line to Aztec West is ... right by it.  And it has ... 2 local trains (Turbos are local trains, right?) and 2 expresses every hour going through already.

[simonw]

And adding a  new M4 junction by Emerson Greern will free up traffic from the M4|M32 junction, which will in turn free up traffic from M5/Aztech West. (planned)

Adding better local buses linking Bristol Parkway to Aztech West to Chalton Hayes and Cribbs Causeway would help (wish)

Then adding a combined bus|rail smart card for local traffic will encourage more people to use public transport (common sense)

Finally, you prior suggestion of moving Patchway Station about 400m along the line to provide a joint new Patchway Station and Aztech West would also help (wish)

[johnneyw]

I've seen reports elsewhere of MetroBusts queueing through Bemmy and Aztec West. The limited infrastructure just means they get to the pinch points more quickly. There are also grumblings about the withdrawal of some services from South Bristol.

If only some of that road traffic at Aztec West could go be rail.   Let me see ... the nearest railway line to Aztec West is ... right by it.  And it has ... 2 local trains (Turbos are local trains, right?) and 2 expresses every hour going through already.

"This is a job for Superman" see sorry "SEWWEB", man!

[Red Squirrel]

Big Eval reincarnated on the metrobus m1 announcements ! First time I have heard a regional accent announcement on a bus ! Radio Bristol aficionados of the 70's will remember her classic 'conversations' (if you can call them that!) with 'Old Pete' Lawrence. Those were golden halcyon days for the station.  IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion). Half expecting Roger Bennett and the blue notes jazz band to get on board. We were thanked for travelling with Bristol Community Transport and I thought an 'orl roight me luvver? might have been forthcoming but it wasn't, so i just used the default Brizzle fallback of 'Cheers Drive'!

If, like me, you are never likely to travel on an m1 bus, you may like to hear what Fran Edwards sounds like: Here she is: https://youtu.be/kn6WEpFOa4A

[martyjon]

My MetroBus insider tells me that some duty sheets are not being able to be completed due to these CNG^▸ (Compressed Natural Gas) fuelled vehicles prematurely running out of gas.

[TonyK]

My MetroBus insider tells me that some duty sheets are not being able to be completed due to these CNG^▸ (Compressed Natural Gas) fuelled vehicles prematurely running out of gas.

I have heard reports of older buses working the MetroBust routes - can't be the M3 though. Could this be down to them spending time idling in traffic?

[martyjon]

My MetroBus insider tells me that some duty sheets are not being able to be completed due to these CNG^▸ (Compressed Natural Gas) fuelled vehicles prematurely running out of gas.

I have heard reports of older buses working the MetroBust routes - can't be the M3 though. Could this be down to them spending time idling in traffic?

I have SEEN older buses working the m3 route, not an avid bus fan but those were what I think are Wright Streetdecks and on many occasions in the past couple of weeks there seems to be a shortage of SCANIAs for the Y1 and led to moans from passengers about taking our lovely new buses away.