West Country Independents

[swifty]

Re the Thornbury locals 613 and 614.

Does anyone know what licence they are run on? I can't find them on VOSA anywhere.

Traveline says they are run by Four Towns Vale Link, but is that the Severnside licence, or do they have their own?

They did have their own licence but it's been surrendered. The Seernside licence doesn't have the registrations lodged against it either.

 

[Marc]

I dont think the 614 operates as a bus service now only as a community bus. 614 has run as a pree-booked community bus service for several years anyway and has never been a severnside route like the other local stuff.

613 and 614 do not appear on the AvonRider map from late last year at all, which i think means they are not considered as bus routes these days.

 

[Martin1988]

Am not sure if this is the right place to post this but I've come up with a new idea for a Yate Local Link service. The basic idea for the route being Yate Shopping Centre-Yate Station via Church Road, Brimsham Park, Wellington Road

The basic route would be something like this:

Yate Shopping Centre
The Lawns
Churchfarm Close
Rectory Close
Dorset Way
Carmarthen Close
Hampshire Way
Gravel Hill Road
Barkers Mead
Lower Moor Road
Peartree Hay
Randolph Avenue
Longcroft
Sturmer Close
The Farmhouse
Cheshire Close
Templar Road
Cranleigh Court Road
Windsor Drive
Cranleigh Court Road Shops
Longs Drive
Yate Station
Stover Road(E-Bound)

The bus could then turn round on Stover road and do the same route in reverse

The idea of this service would basically be to provide a link from North Yate to the railway station,provide an extra service to Yate Shopping Centre and provide a means of making connections with other bus services at Yate Shopping Centre and Yate Station.

What do people think of this idea?

 

[g4mby]

The basic route would be something like this:

Yate Shopping Centre
The Lawns
Churchfarm Close
Rectory Close
Dorset Way
Carmarthen Close
Hampshire Way
Gravel Hill Road
Barkers Mead
Lower Moor Road
Peartree Hay
Randolph Avenue
Longcroft
Sturmer Close
The Farmhouse
Cheshire Close
Templar Road
Cranleigh Court Road
Windsor Drive
Cranleigh Court Road Shops
Longs Drive
Yate Station
Stover Road(E-Bound)

That sounds like bits of the 46, X46 and the former X27 joined up to create something that sounds useful but how many people would actually use it? And if people did use it, wouldn't that route take away some passengers from the existing 46 and X46 which often run nearly empty as it is around North Yate and Brimsham Park during the day?

I'd rather see a service linking Brimsham Park/North Yate and South Yate, something that has, I think, only existed at peak times, on Sundays or on infrequent services in recent years.

 

[Martin1988]

Thanks for your input. The points you raised do make a good deal of sense.
Out of interest, do you think there would be much demand for a route linking North-South Yate? I think the only route that currently links North and South Yate is the 680 service to Filton College and that only runs in one direction each way, runs on college days only and doesn't serve the Wellington Road/Greenways Road area.

The X27 did originally extend to South Yate before it became a council supported service and before it stopped operating last year, so did the 329.

 

[g4mby]

Out of interest, do you think there would be much demand for a route linking North-South Yate?

I certainly have a need for one. I miss Wessex's 329 on Sundays

The X27 did originally extend to South Yate before it became a council supported service and before it stopped operating last year, so did the 329.

And just look at how First's X27 covered more and more bus stops over the years. My journey time almost doubled before I had to start commuting by train. Not due to traffic but due to constantly changing the route and making it longer. So passenger numbers dropped. By the time the X27 reached Yate there was virtually no-one on it. No wonder it was not viable and Wessex took it over but they removed all the unnecessary mini-tours of Winterbourne and Frampton Cotterell and it reverted to what it was intended to be - a relatively fast service to Bristol for North Yate and parts of Winterbourne and Frampton Cotterell - just like the present X46.

Anyway, I digress. Any additional services around Yate need to be carefully thought out. Should First add them to complement what they already operate or should another operator with suitably small vehicles compete?

As a matter of interest take a look at http://bvbg.org.uk/Routes 1985.htm - routes 1, 2 and 3 were operating around Yate in 1985. By 1988 - http://bvbg.org.uk/Routes 1988.htm - they had stopped. I seem to remember that at the time Badgerline cancelled the services as they thought that they were merely duplicating the main services within Yate. The local residents loved the 18 seater minibuses which probably always ran to time with the same drivers each day that everyone got to know well.

Was it really what I hinted at in my previous post I wonder? The success of the minibuses just reduced the number of passengers using the main services around Yate.

And keeping this post on topic for the thread - it would be a very brave operator, Wessex or otherwise, that introduced local Yate services in competition with First!

 

[carlberry]

Fosseway did run some Yate local services later on in the 1990s. I dont know what the actual start/end dates are but Fossway had started by 1993.

An incomplete history based on timetable leaflets is here:
http://bristol-re.co.uk/bvbg/routes.asp?opt=s&IL1=6157&IL8=A

 

[Martin1988]

You do make some sensible points there g4mby. I thought the X27 didn't exist until 2008 and other than the South yate extension, followed the same route around North Yate and Winterbourne through to Bristol until its withdrawal.

Thanks to yourself and Carl for providing me with those links

 

[freetoview33]

There was going back the x30 and x40 serving yate, not completely sure the route they took

 

[Marc]

There was going back the x30 and x40 serving yate, not completely sure the route they took

The Yate services have been recast several times since deregulation. None of the networks ever seem to have captured the imagination on the public. At one point there was a half hourly service to Brimsham Park, with the X29 and (then hourly) 680 on Monday to Fridays and X29,X30 on Saturdays.

My travels around there makes me think there is very low uisage of local journeys around Yare and Chipping Sodbury. The town has been layed out to be perfect for private transport - lots of culdesacs, distributer roads and main thoroughfares. There are no areas of particularly high population densety which make them a real target for bus services, but a lot of well spaced and affluent housing with tons of parking. Bradley Stoke is much the same. Commuter towns layed out in this manner are never going to generate high levels of bus usage, especially on local journeys around the town.

 

[vicbury]

For the last few days Bath Bus Company have been using T455PRH on the A4. It's in a livery for St Fagans National History Museum, as seen here:

Source

I'm guessing something is wrong with one of the usual double deckers?

 

[matt_splat]

I will keep a eye out on the dart

I was told the deckers have been un relibile a friend of mine had suggested from info he had been told two of the ex London duel door deckers Wessex had are they MCVs not sure may have been acquired along with 3 brand new deckers but not 100% sure

also I note a timetable change and a route change has been registered for the A4 from March I wonder what that involves

 

[swifty]

I was told the deckers have been un relibile a friend of mine had suggested from info he had been told two of the ex London duel door deckers Wessex had are they MCVs not sure may have been acquired along with 3 brand new deckers but not 100% sure

Yes the two MCV deckers are due for the A4, both are currently going through Hants & Dorset Trim along with a few others.

https://twitter.com/HDTrim/status/560469391863975937/photo/1

 

[vicbury]

Yes the two MCV deckers are due for the A4, both are currently going through Hants & Dorset Trim along with a few others.

https://twitter.com/HDTrim/status/560469391863975937/photo/1

Thanks for the update. Interesting that newer buses are due for the A4 although I note the photo is of a Gemini rather than an MCV? The service must be doing fairly well then to justify newer buses.

 

[matt_splat]

I think its a case that the old ones are doing them no favours I do wonder where the older ones will go next

 

[vicbury]

I think its a case that the old ones are doing them no favours I do wonder where the older ones will go next

The last thing you want on an airport route is unreliability! Do Bath Bus Company do much work other than the tour buses in Bath and the A4?

 

[matt_splat]

nope it has been suggested before by people in bath they could well be intrested in having a dabble in the university routes of course that would mean one company more than likely would need to leave the university or get kicked out

 

[THarris123]

nope it has been suggested before by people in bath they could well be intrested in having a dabble in the university routes of course that would mean one company more than likely would need to leave the university or get kicked out

Wessex maybe? It's happened in Bristol, why not Bath?

 

[vicbury]

nope it has been suggested before by people in bath they could well be intrested in having a dabble in the university routes of course that would mean one company more than likely would need to leave the university or get kicked out

Yes the interchange at the University of Bath congested enough as it is! I wonder if a bigger interchange might be built as it is pretty lacking compared with facilities at other campus universities. I can't comment on Bath Spa as I haven't been to the Newton St Loe campus since I was about 10..

And I guess it means Wessex would pull out? Do they have a good reputation on the university routes?

 

[Marc]

I dont know about the reputation of Wessex on the Bath Uni routes, but they do offer some different routes to First which gains them patronage - U10 runs down Englsihcombe lane and Coronation Avenue to Moorland Road - it mirrrors first 10 to Pines Way Sainsbuerys and carries reasonable loads. U10 and its companien route X18 run via Widcombe to the university, missing out the city centre and usually providing a faster journey.

 

[matt_splat]

I believe Wessex were not flavour of the month a little while back and certainly seem quitter then ever these days

remember the old days of the BBC uni routes U6 / U7 i'm really supprised Wessex or first have not used these old routes because they covered different areas

 

[Mr Manager]

Now this is interesting

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/frustrated-mum-bills-bus-company-for-wasted-time-151053295.html#iaZlbMS

 

[Marc]

Whilst passing through Bath this afternoon, i didn't get a good look at the front of it, but i'm sure Wessex were running one of their van converted sprinter minibuses on the 12. This service seems capable of turning up anything from this to a dart, or a wide solo.

 

[Colly405]

OK, query I've had for a while...

Why do the Wessex Scania saloons emit a loud 'clunk' from mid-way down the bus, nearside, about every 15 seconds? I've noticed this since they were new on the 15, and it is still happening.

Mind you, they also still advertise the 15 and "new" 15A on the screens inside...

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

OK, query I've had for a while...

Why do the Wessex Scania saloons emit a loud 'clunk' from mid-way down the bus, nearside, about every 15 seconds? I've noticed this since they were new on the 15, and it is still happening.

Mind you, they also still advertise the 15 and "new" 15A on the screens inside...

Venting of the hydraulic system?

 

[freetoview33]

New 637 Keynsham - Hengrove (Hourly) by Wessex

 

[Colly405]

Proposed changes currently out for consultation by South Glos Council...

624 Service Severn Beach – Bristol City Centre

The cost of this service is currently £26,126 per annum, it provides one journey in each direction during the morning/evening peak. Due to low usage within South Gloucestershire it is proposed to withdraw this service and instead offer an extra peak journey on the 625 service between Severn beach and Parkway via Cribbs Causeway. Those wishing to travel onto Bristol would be able to interchange at Cribbs Causeway.

625 Severn Beach – University of the West of England (Frenchay Campus)

The cost of this service is £142,630, it operates an hourly service Monday to Saturday. It is proposed to retain this service with some minor variations to route and timings which will result in additional journeys in the morning/evening peak and terminating the route at Bristol Parkway, as there are a number of services already operating between Bristol Parkway and University of the West of England (Frenchay Campus).

79 Marshfield - Bath

The cost of this service is currently £62,000 per annum, it provides one journey in each direction Mon – Sat with an additional 2 journeys on a Friday. Due to low usage within South Gloucestershire it is proposed to withdraw this service and instead improve the interchange option at Wick for residents of Marshfield and Cold Ashton to connect with the 620 service for onward travel into Bath, by doing so residents will have more journey opportunities available to them.

 

[Martin1988]

Thanks for sharing this with us.

My personal view is that making people change buses to complete their journey is a bad idea. In the case of the 624, is the route taken between Cribbs Causeway and The Centre shorter than the routes taken by the other services running between Cribbs and The Centre? If so then wouldn't increasing the journey times by making passengers change buses ultimately put people from Severn Beach off of making the journey at all?

In addition as Wessex Connect operate the 625 and all the services between Bristol and Cribbs are run by First, that would ultimately push up the cost of traveling. Similarly wouldn't passengers changing buses in Marshfield have to switch between a First and a Wessex bus if these proposals are implemented?

 

[matt_splat]

you are correct martin but I wouldn't be at all surprised first will sniff around this work and have ideas on how to make it pay in some way the 625 tbh could run with one bus doing Cribbs - Seven Beach perfectly fine then some juggleing about with other routes they could cover small sections missed out of the 625 between UWE and Cribbs

the 620 I feel using solos could run hourly and just run Yate or maybe Sodbury to Bath Riverside it could then replace service 2 in Bath and still use the same number of busses.

 

[freetoview33]

you are correct martin but I wouldn't be at all surprised first will sniff around this work and have ideas on how to make it pay in some way the 625 tbh could run with one bus doing Cribbs - Seven Beach perfectly fine then some juggleing about with other routes they could cover small sections missed out of the 625 between UWE and Cribbs

the 620 I feel using solos could run hourly and just run Yate or maybe Sodbury to Bath Riverside it could then replace service 2 in Bath and still use the same number of busses.

I think the best thing would be as follows although it would require a lot of cooperation!

Reroute one of the 18's every hour from Lawrence Weston to Hallen (Instead of Henbury).

Not that I get how cutting the 625 from U.W.E to Parkway would help much in saving on PVR, just making it a bit more reliable