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infoman
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« on: December 28, 2023, 19:17:04 » |
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1. Why do buses frequently just disappear from the display at bus stops? @Janneruk4
“This is something often referred to as ghost buses, where they appear on the app or on display screens and then suddenly disappear. There are a number of reasons this may happen; buses may suffer a fault which means they suddenly need to be taken out of service or a driver may have reported sick at short notice.
“Whatever the reason, we know how annoying this can be and we are taking steps to reduce the times that this occurs; we have hired additional staff to update the screens live and we are looking at how we can improve our technology to get information to customers as quickly as possible. But in some cases, having to take buses out of service can be very sudden and unexpected.”
2. Why is St Anne’s so poorly served by First? @PourMeAGin
“It’s sad to hear that some people think there is a poor service in this area. St Anne’s has its own dedicated service, the number 36, which offers a journey in and out of the city centre every half hour, and hourly on Sundays.”
3. How did one of your buses recently get stolen and driven all the way to Wiltshire? @char1iewatts
“That incident is currently being investigated by the police and, while I’m not trying to dodge the question, we’re restricted in what we can say while that investigation is ongoing.”
4. You’ve cut some services on the outskirts of Bristol that have meant older people have lost some independence. Do you understand what it means to them? @JaneConway18
“I completely understand how important transport routes are for those who rely on them. But, at the same time, we have to juggle the funding available to us with providing services where they are needed and will be used.
“It’s simply impossible for us to provide a bus in every neighbourhood across our area and, with limited funding coupled with lower passenger numbers post the pandemic, making decisions on routes is becoming harder.
“That said, our recent changes in the West of England, which included increasing a number of services and extending the 73 service in the north of the city after discussions with the local community, shows that we are listening and doing all we can to save routes, even if that means slightly adjusting services.
“But I have to stress that in order for these new and existing routes to work, the public has to use them to save them.”
5. Why do bus drivers think they own the road? @f19_dan
“The question sounds like it’s from someone who has had a bad experience with one of our drivers, and I apologise if that’s the case. Thankfully, complaints about our drivers are in the minority. Our drivers go on extensive training before taking to the roads in buses, and we have good processes in place to monitor how they’re doing. That said, it is important to recognise that buses are on our roads to help those who don’t have access to other modes of transport, to encourage people out of their cars, especially in cities where congestion can be a problem, and to help our natural environment by reducing our carbon footprint. It’s therefore important that motorists recognise this and, where they can, give way to bus drivers to allow them to carry out this important service.”
6. How much are you paid? @florenz0
“With the fear of sounding like a stereotypical politician, while I won’t go into the detail of my pay, let’s just say that pay for my role as a managing director, which is in charge of a £200m business, is benchmarked against other similar roles.”
7. Why is the Airport Flyer ticket so expensive? @smythonian1
“The Airport Flyer is one that is provided for and managed by the airport and we provide the bus and driver to deliver the service, so any decision on ticket prices is down to the airport.”
8. How do you get to work and what sort of car do you drive? @ranger1uk
“Like many others in this post-Covid world, some of my work can be done from home. However, because of the nature of our work and the fact I live just north of Bristol, I take the bus or train as much as I can. Like many of my colleagues, who also use our buses, this is why making changes to services or seeing buses running late or not showing up can also have a real personal effect, so we’re very often walking in our customers’ shoes.”
9. What is your favourite bus route and why? Anna Vines via email
“It has to be the 376 service, which is a great trip out to Wells, Glastonbury and Street, where there is lots to do and very scenic – in fact, it was named one of the country’s most picturesque bus routes. I’d recommend it for anyone who wants to escape the city for a bit. And also, don’t forget to take advantage of the £2 fare – the 376 is our longest route at about 30 miles, so you’d be getting the best value out of your £2, which works out at about 7p per mile.”
10. What are your thoughts on bus franchising for the South West? @Aden_Harris_
“Like my colleagues, I’m passionate about getting more people to use buses. First Bus has years of experience of running buses, so we have a deep understanding of what customers want, where routes are best placed to attract the most people and how we can get even more people to use public transport. Whichever way the authorities decide to go in the South West, we’ll use our decades of experience delivering high quality bus services to support them. In the meantime, I’ll continue working closely with local authorities and communities and remain flexible so we can meet the changing needs of our local areas.”
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