robertclark125
Established Member
It's that time of the year where I hand out awards, in categories that the normal awards ceremonies dare not issue. Some are good, some are bad, but all could provoke debate.
Here are the categories, and the "winners"
The "you surely know which way your own bus route is going" award - Reays of Wigton
The cumbrian operator gets this award for an unusual incident, at their Carlisle office, where they told an intending passenger on their 64A service that to find out what route it took, they should contact the local council. That's despite the fact that Reays run the service commercially, without financial support from the council.
The bus does stop at intermediate points, so why not put them in the timetables on your website award - Dublin Bus
Yet again, the Irish capitals main operator cannot provide full timetables of each route, instead giving departure times from the first stop only on their website.
It may be an Irish thing, but it's certainly not something I find acceptable.
Getting everything up and running at the drop of a hat award - First Kernow and Cornwall council
Following the collapse of Western Greyhound, First Kernow and Cornwall council were very quick in getting replacement services set up, meaning that the public had nothing more than a couple of days inconvenience. It was, in essence, an almost seamless transfer, and things have settled down well.
The most turned around area of First award - First Kernow
See what happens when you let local management at a big group company do some things on their own? First Kernow is an example of that, and no doubt they were helped by the things mentioned in the previous award. Even then, the local management have tried on their own, and whilst not everything is perfect, it's an example of what happens when Aberdeen doesn't meddle as much.
The "dr Beeching you were so wrong" award - Transport Scotland
This is for the reopening of the Borders Railway, the old Waverley route, closed in 1969. Whilst only open to Tweedbank, there is a studt going on to examine extending to Hawick, and even on to Carlisle.
The only criticism to make is that a large amount of the line is single track, which does affect operational flexibility. But, if demand is there, then there is nothing to say that more of the line will be doubled in the future.
The award for the idea that an expensive London scheme will work here - Nexus
This is for their rejected QBC plans, which interestingly, suggested in analysis, by Nexus, that passenger numbers would go DOWN. Enough said.
You're the PTE, surely you have up to date timetables award - Nexus PTE
This is for something quite astounding. A friend of mine was on Tyneside, and went into the Travel office at Central Station metro, to get timetables for buses from Whitley Bay to the Metrocentre. He was given timetables for route 301, run by Go North East. Well, they did, but it last ran in 2006, and is now the 1, using special liveried buses!
When I made the same enquiry, I got told the route number to use was also 301. It doesn't instill confidence in you when the transport authority, who want you to use public transport, and who wanted to run it themselves, provide you with woefully out of date information.
Build a bus station, not offices award - Northumberland County Council
There hasn't been a bus station in Berwick Upon Tweed since 1998, but there was a plan to build a new bus and coach station, on the site of the old Kwik Save Supermarket in the town centre. Except, Northumberland County Council think that more office space is better than a central place to have buses and coaches stopping. Needless to say, locals are not happy, and I don't blame them. The town does deserve a bus station, especially for the long distance services run by Arriva.
The half hearted bus operation award - Oakwood travel for their Red Rocket express.
This so called route has took off, crash landed, and doesn't know when it wants to run.
Lastly, the award for the nice idea of choice of vehicle, but it doesn't really work award - Brighton and Hove bus and coach.
The new Wright Streetdecks were a good choice, it seemed for the route 12 to Eastbourne, but, alas, they're under powered. They're not quite, yet, suitbale for the hilly route 12, but you never know, improvements may well be made.
Here are the categories, and the "winners"
The "you surely know which way your own bus route is going" award - Reays of Wigton
The cumbrian operator gets this award for an unusual incident, at their Carlisle office, where they told an intending passenger on their 64A service that to find out what route it took, they should contact the local council. That's despite the fact that Reays run the service commercially, without financial support from the council.
The bus does stop at intermediate points, so why not put them in the timetables on your website award - Dublin Bus
Yet again, the Irish capitals main operator cannot provide full timetables of each route, instead giving departure times from the first stop only on their website.
It may be an Irish thing, but it's certainly not something I find acceptable.
Getting everything up and running at the drop of a hat award - First Kernow and Cornwall council
Following the collapse of Western Greyhound, First Kernow and Cornwall council were very quick in getting replacement services set up, meaning that the public had nothing more than a couple of days inconvenience. It was, in essence, an almost seamless transfer, and things have settled down well.
The most turned around area of First award - First Kernow
See what happens when you let local management at a big group company do some things on their own? First Kernow is an example of that, and no doubt they were helped by the things mentioned in the previous award. Even then, the local management have tried on their own, and whilst not everything is perfect, it's an example of what happens when Aberdeen doesn't meddle as much.
The "dr Beeching you were so wrong" award - Transport Scotland
This is for the reopening of the Borders Railway, the old Waverley route, closed in 1969. Whilst only open to Tweedbank, there is a studt going on to examine extending to Hawick, and even on to Carlisle.
The only criticism to make is that a large amount of the line is single track, which does affect operational flexibility. But, if demand is there, then there is nothing to say that more of the line will be doubled in the future.
The award for the idea that an expensive London scheme will work here - Nexus
This is for their rejected QBC plans, which interestingly, suggested in analysis, by Nexus, that passenger numbers would go DOWN. Enough said.
You're the PTE, surely you have up to date timetables award - Nexus PTE
This is for something quite astounding. A friend of mine was on Tyneside, and went into the Travel office at Central Station metro, to get timetables for buses from Whitley Bay to the Metrocentre. He was given timetables for route 301, run by Go North East. Well, they did, but it last ran in 2006, and is now the 1, using special liveried buses!
When I made the same enquiry, I got told the route number to use was also 301. It doesn't instill confidence in you when the transport authority, who want you to use public transport, and who wanted to run it themselves, provide you with woefully out of date information.
Build a bus station, not offices award - Northumberland County Council
There hasn't been a bus station in Berwick Upon Tweed since 1998, but there was a plan to build a new bus and coach station, on the site of the old Kwik Save Supermarket in the town centre. Except, Northumberland County Council think that more office space is better than a central place to have buses and coaches stopping. Needless to say, locals are not happy, and I don't blame them. The town does deserve a bus station, especially for the long distance services run by Arriva.
The half hearted bus operation award - Oakwood travel for their Red Rocket express.
This so called route has took off, crash landed, and doesn't know when it wants to run.
Lastly, the award for the nice idea of choice of vehicle, but it doesn't really work award - Brighton and Hove bus and coach.
The new Wright Streetdecks were a good choice, it seemed for the route 12 to Eastbourne, but, alas, they're under powered. They're not quite, yet, suitbale for the hilly route 12, but you never know, improvements may well be made.
