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Author Topic: MetroBus  (Read 236455 times)
TonyK
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« Reply #840 on: January 26, 2019, 20:15:50 »

Quote
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.

I still get them muddled up! It CAN be the M3, can't be the M2, which needs the lower vehicles. So where have the Scanias gone?
« Last Edit: January 27, 2019, 22:36:49 by Tony (Formerly FT, N!) » Logged

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martyjon
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« Reply #841 on: January 26, 2019, 21:21:15 »

The undermentioned cut an pasted from a local news sheet, The Week In.

I guess his patience has worn thin at the lack of action by the LA's and WECA» (West of England Combined Authority - about) and I don't blame him one iota, this was brought to the attention, with photo evidence, of the authority's when m3 was launched last May


Turn 2+ lane into a proper bus lane

Dear Editor

Further to the letter from Nick in Oldland in Issue 557, headlined ‘Appalling’ abuse of ring road’s 2+ lane. He omits another alternative solution to the problem of the regular and continuing abuse of the 2+ lane on the A4174 Ring Road.

The obvious solution is to turn the 2+ lane into a proper bus lane. This would be easier to police and dramatically improve timekeeping of the metrobus and South Glos Lynx services from Yate, benefitting many hundreds of users at peak times.

James Freeman
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First West of England
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simonw
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« Reply #842 on: April 30, 2019, 17:45:46 »

Well, the metrobus phase 1 network of

  • m3/m3x
  • m2
  • m1

has been running for three months (some parts much longer) and I can safely say today will be my last regular day. I may still use it occasionally, but it has failed my regularity test.

Today two consecutive M1 buses failed to turn up (16:12+16:22 @centre). This may not sound serious, and probably isn't, but if I want to a commute of under one hour, consecutive missing buses do not help, when compared with much shorter train journeys and frequent services.

Over the past few weeks, Metrobus m1 has been late virtually everyday, and on several days they have gone round the centre in pairs.

This was supposed to be the dawn of a new type of Bus Service. Well apart from the upgraded buses, nothing has changed.
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rogerw
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« Reply #843 on: April 30, 2019, 20:12:26 »

However they dress it up it is still a bus and will get caught in traffic
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TonyK
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« Reply #844 on: May 01, 2019, 07:48:05 »

I got back to Bristol yesterday afternoon to see two M1s, empty, processing towards Rupert Street.

MetroBust have posted information on their facebook page, along with a picture of a happy passenger of average racial and sexual stereotype enjoying the latest Alma Cogan hit on her eye pod, about changes to the M3 during school and university holiday periods:

Quote
Metrobus BristolLike Page
April 22 at 10:12 AM
m3 new timetable from 28th April.

From Sunday 28th April, the m3 and m3x will run to a new timetable. We have seen from previous school holidays that the roads are much quieter, and often the buses are having to wait for long periods of time along the route to keep to the timetable.

Therefore, the new timetable for the quieter summer months has reduced journey times, which will allow you to get to and from Bristol more quickly.

Please check the revised times carefully as some of the m3 and m3x journeys now operate earlier than before.

The new timetable is available on our website here: http://tiny.cc/76qd5y , and new timetable leaflets will be put onto the buses this week.

Whilst this is a sensible step, it is also the first official admission that spending a quarter of a billion quid on new bus routes does not solve the problem of delays due to congestion. At least, it isn't as efficient as school holidays at making public transport faster and more reliable.
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Celestial
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« Reply #845 on: May 01, 2019, 08:58:54 »

I'm puzzled.  In my day, the school year ran until the middle of July. So why are they speeding things up from the end of April?
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jamestheredengine
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« Reply #846 on: May 01, 2019, 09:11:51 »

I'm puzzled.  In my day, the school year ran until the middle of July. So why are they speeding things up from the end of April?
Presumably the effect of a good chunk of the kids being on study leave for exams?
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johnneyw
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« Reply #847 on: May 01, 2019, 10:55:06 »

I'm puzzled.  In my day, the school year ran until the middle of July. So why are they speeding things up from the end of April?
Presumably the effect of a good chunk of the kids being on study leave for exams?

and the students finish before the schools too, many now preparing for imminent exams without the need to attend lectures.

With regard to observations about empty Metrobust/Justabus sightings. Where do the figures come from saying it's such a success? All the ones I've seen have benefitted from a higher mileage due to lack of passenger weight. For the sort of money it cost they ought to be much fuller than the average bus, otherwise one might as well have just laid on a new ordinary bus route.
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GBM
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« Reply #848 on: May 01, 2019, 11:57:12 »

I'm puzzled.  In my day, the school year ran until the middle of July. So why are they speeding things up from the end of April?

Yes, it's all changed these days...
School will finish around mid/late July.
College will usually finish early July.
University will finish at the end of May.
However, as most will have be completing/have completed exams a slow drop off in public transport ridership will ensue.
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martyjon
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« Reply #849 on: May 02, 2019, 08:29:18 »

In the past few days I have ridden the the m3x (Emersons Green Express) twice. Loadings not as many as I would have expected for this Express Service. The first and initial journey was 31 minutes from the Central Bristol starting point to my alighting at Emersons Green and yesterdays was 35 minutes for the same journey. Couldn't do it much quicker by car if I included walking to a car park and retrieving vehicle. I am surprised that there is no morning outward express services to Emersons Green and no evening inbound express services from Emersons Green to cater for those employed on the Emerald Park / Science Park Business Parks. Off peak however the service is still carrying a high proportion of fresh air around. I would be interested to see what the loading figures are for this service but I know that any divulgence of this information would be classified as 'commercially confidential' and therefore unavailable but how long can First Bus continue to operate this service at the current 20 minute frequency off peak which must be eating into the proceeds of the farebox and thus profitability achieved by the patronage in the peaks,
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Lee
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« Reply #850 on: May 02, 2019, 09:43:55 »

The fate of express bus services has always interested me. One of the very first lessons I got in bus service planning was when, as a fresh-faced young un in the early 90s, the Managing Director of Southdown Portsmouth, the short-lived, ultimately Monopoly-destroyed merger of Stagecoach and former corporation bus operations in the city, kindly agreed to have lunch with me.

We discussed express bus services, particularly in the context of access to much of Portsmouth being facilitated by the motorways that interact at the top of Portsea Island, and this is what he said:

Quote
Personally I love the idea of express bus services, Lee, as they look great from a network perspective. In reality though they dont work, as there just arent as many opportunities to get passengers on the bus as there are with regular bus routes.

Southdown Portsmouth was broken up not long after, and much of their Portsmouth operations were taken on by Transit Holdings, the successor group of Devon General. As was their style, they introduced high-frequency minibus operations across their network, including a number of express routes under the Blue Admiral brand. These all promptly bombed, and lasted barely longer than the minimum notice period for service changes.

I have lost count of the number of times I have seen that happen in the years since.
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GBM
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« Reply #851 on: May 02, 2019, 10:57:12 »

The fate of express bus services has always interested me.

I have lost count of the number of times I have seen that happen in the years since.

Fascinating, thanks Lee Grin
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Red Squirrel
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« Reply #852 on: May 02, 2019, 11:26:24 »

It was a curious aberration, that minibus craze. Here in Bristol, in the mid-80's, they flooded routes that had hitherto used proper buses with a mixture of nearly 200 16-seater Ford Transits and 20-seater Mercedes 608Ds, branded as 'City Darts'. They were so ubiquitous that they even appeared in the soap opera 'Casualty' branded as 'Holby Hoppas'.

Standing at The Centre now, surrounded by fully-loaded full-spec double decker buses, it is hard to believe that Bristol's bus network once largely consisted of, essentially, delivery vans...
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Bmblbzzz
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« Reply #853 on: May 02, 2019, 11:42:05 »

"Holby Hoppas"  Grin

<irrelevant digression follows>
Mrs Bmblbzzz grew up in rural Poland. The buses to the nearest city, about 30km away, are provided by two services. One is the remnant of the old state-run buses (now, I think, a sort of public-private hybrid run on a regional basis), which trundles along on an timetable every hour or so using proper buses. The other is a variety of private enterprises which run at higher frequency to a purely nominal timetable using "delivery vans with seats" – most of them even still have the van doors at the back. Fares are about the same and journey time is similar, as the ex-state buses trundle slowly but only stop at scheduled stops, whereas the private minibuses reach higher speeds but stop to cram in more passengers at every opportunity. Given the choice, we always take the bigger buses, simply because it's far more pleasant to have a seat than to be crammed into a small vehicle where, even if you do get a seat, someone will be standing in your lap. Vehicle type really does make a difference. (Though another difference is the driving of the private minibuses can sometimes be a bit scary.)
<please resume Metrobus discussion>
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johnneyw
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« Reply #854 on: May 02, 2019, 12:04:33 »

It was a curious aberration, that minibus craze. Here in Bristol, in the mid-80's, they flooded routes that had hitherto used proper buses with a mixture of nearly 200 16-seater Ford Transits and 20-seater Mercedes 608Ds, branded as 'City Darts'. They were so ubiquitous that they even appeared in the soap opera 'Casualty' branded as 'Holby Hoppas'.

Standing at The Centre now, surrounded by fully-loaded full-spec double decker buses, it is hard to believe that Bristol's bus network once largely consisted of, essentially, delivery vans...

Wasn't the raison d'etre for these mini buses supposed to be that they were more suited to smaller roads, sharper turnings and presented less of an obstacle to other traffic than ordinary buses?
I can't now remember if any of their routes were where bigger buses feared to roll but it looks like the potential advantages they presented were never really there in the first place.
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