Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 17:35 28 Mar 2024
- How do I renew my UK passport and what is the 10-year rule?
- Passengers pleaded with knifeman during attack
* Family anger at sentence on fatal crash driver, 19
- Easter travel warning as millions set to hit roads
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 02/06/24 - Summer Timetable starts
17/08/24 - Bus to Imber
27/09/25 - 200 years of passenger trains

On this day
28th Mar (1988)
Woman found murdered on Orpington to London train (*)

Train RunningCancelled
16:54 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
17:54 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
17:57 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street
18:37 Westbury to Swindon
19:33 London Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill
20:13 Swindon to Westbury
20:56 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington
Short Run
14:49 Plymouth to Cardiff Central
15:10 Gloucester to Weymouth
15:15 Plymouth to London Paddington
15:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
15:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
15:42 Exeter St Davids to London Paddington
16:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
16:19 Carmarthen to London Paddington
16:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
16:35 London Paddington to Plymouth
16:50 Plymouth to London Paddington
17:03 London Paddington to Penzance
17:30 London Paddington to Taunton
17:36 Swindon to Westbury
Delayed
12:15 Penzance to London Paddington
13:59 Cardiff Central to Penzance
14:15 Penzance to London Paddington
14:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
14:36 London Paddington to Paignton
15:03 London Paddington to Penzance
16:03 London Paddington to Penzance
Additional 17:17 Exeter St Davids to Penzance
PollsOpen and recent polls
Closed 2024-03-25 Easter Escape - to where?
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple MeadsBath SpaChippenhamSwindonDidcot ParkwayReadingLondon PaddingtonMelksham
Exeter St DavidsTauntonWestburyTrowbridgeBristol ParkwayCardiff CentralOxfordCheltenham SpaBirmingham New Street
March 28, 2024, 17:40:27 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[133] West Wiltshire Bus Changes April 2024
[132] would you like your own LIVE train station departure board?
[53] Return of the BRUTE?
[44] If not HS2 to Manchester, how will traffic be carried?
[41] Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption el...
[32] Reversing Beeching - bring heritage and freight lines into the...
 
News: the Great Western Coffee Shop ... keeping you up to date with travel around the South West
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: [1] 2
  Print  
Author Topic: First bus Saturday services-shouldn't Saturday terms and conditions apply ?  (Read 5384 times)
chuffed
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1499


View Profile
« on: December 26, 2016, 20:18:52 »

First are running Saturday services on weekdays throughout this week.To my way of thinking, concessionary passes should be available all day, as they are on Saturdays Sundays and public holidays the rest of the year. What do others think ?
Logged
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40690



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #1 on: December 26, 2016, 21:04:07 »

First are running Saturday services on weekdays throughout this week.To my way of thinking, concessionary passes should be available all day, as they are on Saturdays Sundays and public holidays the rest of the year. What do others think ?

Concessionary pass availability is set by your local transport authority - that would be Wiltshire where I live. Legally they must provide it from 09:30 to 23:00 Monday to Friday and at all times weekends and d=bank holidays.  They are the ones who would need to make a decision to extend the scheme to cover this week.

Many bus services are run "commercially" - bit of a joke in that they get BSOG (Bus Service Operators Grant ) and lots of concessionary fare payments from the council to help them break even make a profit, and for those services the decision on when to run (when they can make money based on the farebox plus the extra statutory payments of BSOG and ENCTS (English National Concessionary Travel Scheme) is made by the bus operator.

Remaining bus services are "subsidised" - filling gaps where no-one's prepared to run commercially, but the transport authority feels there's need for a service, and is prepared to back up that feeling with an extra support payment in addition to BSOG and ENCTS.   The times of buses, and whether or not they accept ENCTS outside legal minimum hours, and what timetables they run this week, are all going to be part of the subsidy agreement and goodness knows who your should ask about it.

It's not unusual for subsidised services to accept ENCTS journeys a few minutes before 09:30 where the service in question only runs very infrequently, and if First is running such a subsidised service to a Saturday timetable this week that pushes it from after 09:30 to before 09:30 at your local stop then you have an excellent case for having it accept ENCTS early. You would need to get your local council officers to agree and inform the bus company, and I suspect if you email them you may get an "out of office until 3rd January" response, which gives you plenty of tim to get it set up for next year if timetables haven't changed by then.
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
TonyK
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6435


The artist formerly known as Four Track, Now!


View Profile
« Reply #2 on: December 26, 2016, 23:17:40 »

I found ENCTS (English National Concessionary Travel Scheme) - English National Concessionary Travel Scheme - in the list of abbreviations. I'm blowed if I can find BSOG (Bus Service Operators Grant ), nor work it out, unless it's a toilet for dyslexic passengers.
Logged

Now, please!
JayMac
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 18894



View Profile
« Reply #3 on: December 26, 2016, 23:41:29 »

The Bus Service Operators Grant. A partial refund of fuel duty, enabling operators to provide sustainable returns to shareholders socially necessary public transport.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus_Service_Operators_Grant
Logged

"Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for the rest of the day. Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."

- Sir Terry Pratchett.
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40690



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #4 on: December 27, 2016, 00:17:32 »

I found ENCTS (English National Concessionary Travel Scheme) - English National Concessionary Travel Scheme - in the list of abbreviations. I'm blowed if I can find BSOG (Bus Service Operators Grant ), nor work it out, unless it's a toilet for dyslexic passengers.

The Bus Service Operators Grant. A partial refund of fuel duty, enabling operators to provide sustainable returns to shareholders socially necessary public transport.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus_Service_Operators_Grant

Sorry and thank you.  I've gotten so involved in buses that I forget others haven't.
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
TonyK
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6435


The artist formerly known as Four Track, Now!


View Profile
« Reply #5 on: December 27, 2016, 09:59:14 »

Sorry and thank you.  I've gotten so involved in buses that I forget others haven't.

Oh dear...
Logged

Now, please!
brompton rail
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 262



View Profile
« Reply #6 on: December 27, 2016, 11:07:33 »

Well, where I live -South Yorkshire- the PTE (Passenger Transport Executive) announced (on their website & probably on 'Festive Travel' leaflet) that Bus Passes are valid all day between Monday 26th and Monday 2nd. This also covers Sheffield Supertram. For SY residents only there is a further concession that the Pass allows half fare rail travel on Northern services only from start of service to finish with no peak fares applicable ( these are relaxed for all passengers).

That's the good news, the bad is that (apart from very few routes in Sheffield) there were no buses on Boxing Day, and New Years Day, Sunday service today (27th) and Jan 2nd, and Saturday frequencies Wednesday to Saturday (where buses end by 18.00).

Incidentally I noticed that Stagecoach in Cheltenham operated regular services (on town routes at least) all day yesterday (Boxing Day).

Every incentive to keep folks out of their cars!😀
Logged
TonyK
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6435


The artist formerly known as Four Track, Now!


View Profile
« Reply #7 on: December 27, 2016, 11:31:38 »

I had a couple of drinks. It was all I needed to keep me out of the car.
Logged

Now, please!
Chris from Nailsea
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 17865


I am not railway staff


View Profile Email
« Reply #8 on: December 28, 2016, 00:12:54 »

I've now added Bus Service Operators Grant to the Coffee Shop forum's list of abbreviationsWink
Logged

William Huskisson MP (Member of Parliament) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
chuffed
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1499


View Profile
« Reply #9 on: December 24, 2018, 13:13:50 »

I started this thread in December 2016. We now have 'Saturday services' right up to January 5th on Firstbus services and they have still not addressed this issue. South Yorkshire PTE (Passenger Transport Executive) are leading the way by lifting all restrictions on concessionary passes right across the Christmas period. So how about it, Mr James 'Scrooge' Freeman ?
« Last Edit: December 24, 2018, 13:20:45 by chuffed » Logged
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40690



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #10 on: December 24, 2018, 13:17:10 »

I started this thread in December 2106. We now have 'Saturday services' right up to January 5th on Firstbus services and they have still not addressed this issue. South Yorkshire PTE (Passenger Transport Executive) are leading the way by lifting all restrictions on concessionary passes right across the Christmas period. So how about it, Mr James 'Scrooge' Freeman ?

Not in time for this holiday season, but I will ask at the Bath Bath User Panel on 22nd January.
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
Adelante_CCT
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1314



View Profile
« Reply #11 on: December 24, 2018, 13:21:41 »

I started this thread in December 2106.


From the future?
Logged
TonyK
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6435


The artist formerly known as Four Track, Now!


View Profile
« Reply #12 on: December 25, 2018, 09:07:59 »

My time machine isn't working properly, but I should have it fixed by last Christmas...
Logged

Now, please!
Reginald25
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 301


View Profile
« Reply #13 on: December 25, 2018, 09:52:46 »

To be absolutely objective, the Saturday based timetable and the ENCS, are independent. In Wilts, they have chosen to offer the free fares at all quieter times (whether working weekday, bank holiday or weekend) - but just because the bus company is running to weekend times, doesn't mean that it's 'off-peak'.
In practice of course, most of us think of the holiday as starting Friday 21st December to Monday 2nd January and expect fares to charged to bank holiday rules. I'm not sure what the financial implications are for the councils/central government and for the operators (ENCS travel is refunded at a lower rate than fare box prices) but I'd rather a Saturday bus service throughout the period with chargeable early morning buses, than no  buses at all.
Interestingly, rail journeys I looked at  for 27th December on GWR (Great Western Railway) were off peak all day. Whether that is to compensate for the reduced service due to eng works or just an attempt to get more seats in use at a quiet time, I don't know.
 

Logged
plymothian
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 822


View Profile
« Reply #14 on: December 25, 2018, 11:37:09 »


Interestingly, rail journeys I looked at  for 27th December on GWR (Great Western Railway) were off peak all day. Whether that is to compensate for the reduced service due to eng works or just an attempt to get more seats in use at a quiet time, I don't know.
 

Generally during "Christmas week" (usually the Monday before Christmas Day until 1 January inclusive) on the railways all ticket restrictions are lifted. Some exceptions apply. Minimum railcard fares still apply Mon - Fri excluding bank holidays.
Logged

Please be aware that only the first 4 words of this post will be platformed on this message board.
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: [1] 2
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules (email link to report). Forum hosted by Well House Consultants

Jump to top of pageJump to Forum Home Page