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All across the Great Western territory / Fare's Fair / Re: Cash payments for transport services
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on: Yesterday at 21:08:48
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As a now ex bus driver, most of us hated cash!
Have to pay in the exact amount every night when your shift ends.
A large queue at the paying in machine many times.
On some very popular summer routes, a driver could easily pay in upwards of £500, frequently £750 plus.
Drivers didn't get paid overtime for paying in such amounts.
A few of us claimed!
They do where I am now, we can claim to the time printed on our paying in receipt. I only bother if it’s over a certain number of minutes late. It isn’t worth messing around for 1-2 minutes, especially as another day I could have a quick escape and get home a few minutes early. I run a tally in my head and know I roughly break even over a month if I didn’t claim until I hit my figure of lateness. We can go days without seeing any cash on the main service I drive, then have a shift with loads of cash. Funny old world. Unpredictable. |
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All across the Great Western territory / Buses and other ways to travel / Re: Bus Cornwall - and the environment for a cross Cornwall train service
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on: April 25, 2025, 10:57:21
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Sounds like you caught the longest bus route possible between the two. And the longest journey on the longest route  I’ve noticed in Bristol that buses say Bristol Direct. Maybe this is what is needed here for the faster routes, but would the majority still just board the first bus to Truro not knowing the next one would be Truro Direct?
There is certainly something to be said for giving a pretty hefty clue to people waiting at the bus stop when this snail comes along. "Villages service to Truro"  I’m led to believe the destination of the 85 does say Truro via… and then about 150 places scrolling along the bottom half. However this is meaningless to someone who doesn’t know the area |
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All across the Great Western territory / Buses and other ways to travel / Re: Bus Cornwall - and the environment for a cross Cornwall train service
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on: April 24, 2025, 15:47:59
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Sounds like you caught the longest bus route possible between the two.
I think the 91 or 93 are the fast buses taking well under an hour.
85 goes via a selection of small villages along the coast such as Holywell bay and Crantock,
87 goes via perranporth and St Agnes and is an anomaly as being operated by First Commercially rather than a subsidised route such as the other 3 options.
I’ve noticed in Bristol that buses say Bristol Direct. Maybe this is what is needed here for the faster routes, but would the majority still just board the first bus to Truro not knowing the next one would be Truro Direct?
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All across the Great Western territory / Smoke and Mirrors / Re: Fortuitous connections ... and an App which fails to offer the best journey
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on: April 20, 2025, 22:03:11
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Yes, understood. Why I raise this ...
a) The 14:00 Cardiff - Penzance, change into the Portsmouth train at Temple Meads, change into the Swindon train at Trowbridge WERE all running. And with in excess of the minimum connection time. Why did the App not offer this?
14:00 from Cardiff, 14:51 into Temple Meads choice of 15:03 train towards Frome, 15:40 at Trowbridge or 15:23 train towards Portsmouth Harbour, 15:54 at Trowbridge 16:29 from Trowbridge to Melksham, arrives 16:38 Bristol temple meads has a minimum connection time of 10 mins according to national rail website.
Booking systems can not sell an itinerary less than this.
Yes - but there was either 12 or 32 minutes available at Bristol Temple Meads, and the 49 or 35 minutes available at Trowbridge, so ... There's your answer right there.....
No Chris, that is not my answer as to why there was nothing offered from Cardiff between 13:30 and 16:23. All four trains listed above are in the timetable, all four ran at least the part of the route I needed, and the connections offered were way in excess of minimum time. 35 and 49 mins I believe are in excess of the rules set up for reasonable connections, |
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Journey by Journey / Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall / Re: St Erth station - facilities, footbridge, improvements, incidents and awards (merged posts)
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on: April 17, 2025, 23:06:35
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Lifts still not commissioned. Bus from down side to upside/branch has been booked for the summer season.
Do visitors not go to St Ives in the winter as well? We went there in March, and had this shuttle service existed then, our experience would have been much improved. It was quiet ... and a bit nasty with sand blowing unpleasantly on the north beach in January and passenger numbers were very well indeed within the capacity of the 2 carriage train. I'm a bit confused. Isn't this shuttle bus just taking passengers from one platform to the other, for those who cannot manage the stairs? We had heavy luggage to carry, and it was a long walk around via the road. Correct, whether it’s luggage or mobility, or pushchairs. The bus is booked May to October by GWR▸ , when I worked for the bus company it was one of their most profitable contracts. Very little diesel used. Very few miles so little wear and tear. I covered it a few times and went touting for trade on the platforms when trains arrived. Something to do! |
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All across the Great Western territory / Fare's Fair / Re: FOSS and FOSW validity - some quirks
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on: April 09, 2025, 13:09:25
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Bus or ferry links covers where you can buy a through ticket from train to bus.
There is for example a melksham to Padstow (PDT) ticket off peak single £63.70. The freedom of Southwest ticket isn’t valid for the bus link from Bodmin parkway to Padstow. Screen shot of itinerary
This is not intended to exclude rail replacement
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All across the Great Western territory / Buses and other ways to travel / Re: Extreme Day Trips
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on: April 02, 2025, 21:18:45
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I don't think I've NOT queued to get through the scanner - and if it looks to them as if you are in a hurry, you become a prime suspect for a full body search....not worth leaving it late, frankly.
I’ve flown 6 times since November, when I was deemed fit to fly after my illness of the last couple of years. My longest queue for security at Bristol has been 6 minutes. Last Tuesday it took longer to walk round all the barriers than get through the security check! |
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