Bee Network Service/Route Discussion

[ic31420]

There is much talk on a local Facebook group that the free bus travel for youths has lead to increased Anti Social behaviour on buses, bus stations and what not in the evenings.Wirh Bolton bus station being mentioned as particularly bad.

Can anyone vouch for this?

 

[johncrossley]

There is much talk on a local Facebook group that the free bus travel for youths has lead to increased Anti Social behaviour on buses, bus stations and what not in the evenings.Wirh Bolton bus station being mentioned as particularly bad.

Can anyone vouch for this?

A Greater Manchester based bus driver has complained about antisocial behaviour on the dedicated thread about the summer free kids bus travel offer. As I wrote in that thread, the Manchester area is particularly bad for antisocial behaviour compared to most parts of the country, even compared to London. My opinion is based on regular trips to the region over the last 30+ years

 

[Class 466]

There is much talk on a local Facebook group that the free bus travel for youths has lead to increased Anti Social behaviour on buses, bus stations and what not in the evenings.Wirh Bolton bus station being mentioned as particularly bad.

Can anyone vouch for this?

Yeah I’ve seen kids/teenagers just riding around on the back of buses all day messing about, playing stuff out loud on their phones and making other passengers feel uncomfortable. It’s the end of the summer holidays and they’re bored - September can’t come fast enough.

 

[mayneway]

There is much talk on a local Facebook group that the free bus travel for youths has lead to increased Anti Social behaviour on buses, bus stations and what not in the evenings.Wirh Bolton bus station being mentioned as particularly bad.

Can anyone vouch for this?

Yes it’s not been ideal.
To be fair anti social behaviour is nothing new with bus stations such as to Rochdale, bury and Bolton bus stations having to be manned in the evenings by external security contractors, along with various Metrolink stops, but with the new free travel scheme throughout august it’s just pushed the issue onto the buses.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Tuesday at 01:33 ==

A Greater Manchester based bus driver has complained about antisocial behaviour on the dedicated thread about the summer free kids bus travel offer. As I wrote in that thread, the Manchester area is particularly bad for antisocial behaviour compared to most parts of the country, even compared to London. My opinion is based on regular trips to the region over the last 30+ years

That would be me!
Unfortunately some commenters on that thread seemed to suggest I was exaggerating the issues I’d encountered over the last few weeks.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Has anyone sent feedback on the referred-to anti-social behaviour on these buses and the bus stations to the politicos who were instrumental in launching this idea of free bus travel for a certain age range?

 

[johncrossley]

Has anyone sent feedback on the referred-to anti-social behaviour on these buses and the bus stations to the politicos who were instrumental in launching this idea of free bus travel for a certain age range?

It's not a problem in most of the country. It would not be fair for the south of England (for example) to lose out because Manchester is so lawless.

 

[YorkRailFan]

Has anyone sent feedback on the referred-to anti-social behaviour on these buses and the bus stations to the politicos who were instrumental in launching this idea of free bus travel for a certain age range?

Antisocial behaviour in bus stations has been a problem before the free travel scheme and it will continue to be a problem once the scheme ends next week. Bus travel being free or not has no affect on kids messing around in bus stations, they can enter the bus station for free regardless of the bus fare.

 

[mayneway]

Antisocial behaviour in bus stations has been a problem before the free travel scheme and it will continue to be a problem once the scheme ends next week. Bus travel being free or not has no affect on kids messing around in bus stations, they can enter the bus station for free regardless of the bus fare.

They can yes but the scheme has encouraged more and larger numbers to congregate in bus stations.

 

[YorkRailFan]

They can yes but the scheme has encouraged more and larger numbers to congregate in bus stations.

Has it? Or is it because its the summer holidays and kids don't have much to do?

 

[johncrossley]

The Manchester style of bus station probably doesn't help. If they were just normal bus stops or open bus stations like West Croydon then kids probably wouldn't hang around there as much. West Croydon pipes in classical music to further deter loitering.

 

[mayneway]

Has it? Or is it because its the summer holidays and kids don't have much to do?

No it’s defiantly been worse.

I hate this line ‘kids have nothing to do’.

Did you know TFGM are involved in a charity that has a number of mobile youth clubs? Stagecoach donated a Dennis dart many years ago and it was converted into a pretty smart mobile youth club that goes round the bus stations in Manchester on a weekly basis. Whenever I see it in the bus stations I work out if I never see anybody using it.

Kids don’t hang around in bus stations because they have too, they choose too!

 

[mangad]

Did you know TFGM are involved in a charity that has a number of mobile youth clubs? Stagecoach donated a Dennis dart many years ago and it was converted into a pretty smart mobile youth club that goes round the bus stations in Manchester on a weekly basis. Whenever I see it in the bus stations I work out if I never see anybody using it.

Kids don’t hang around in bus stations because they have too, they choose too!

I have a teenage son (who isn't hanging around bus stations) but I have to say this is the first I have ever heard of mobile youth clubs. Which begs the questions of: How many are there? How are they promoted? What do they do? How often are they at a particular bus station? What are the teenagers going to be doing on the times the mobile youth club isn't at their local bus station? And how many are there compared to the number of teeangers around?

And there's a lot. My son's high school has an intake of 300 a year. There's fifteen state high schools in the borough...

 

[mayneway]

I have a teenage son (who isn't hanging around bus stations) but I have to say this is the first I have ever heard of mobile youth clubs. Which begs the questions of: How many are there? How are they promoted? What do they do? How often are they at a particular bus station? What are the teenagers going to be doing on the times the mobile youth club isn't at their local bus station? And how many are there compared to the number of teeangers around?

And there's a lot. My son's high school has an intake of 300 a year. There's fifteen state high schools in the borough...

The scheme is called Foundation 92 and it’s advertised around the bus stations and I’ve seen it pop up previously on the bee network feed etc.

I would imagine IF the scheme saw usage increase they would increase visit's and maybe look at permanent facilities.

 

[YorkRailFan]

No it’s defiantly been worse.

I hate this line ‘kids have nothing to do’.

Did you know TFGM are involved in a charity that has a number of mobile youth clubs? Stagecoach donated a Dennis dart many years ago and it was converted into a pretty smart mobile youth club that goes round the bus stations in Manchester on a weekly basis. Whenever I see it in the bus stations I work out if I never see anybody using it.

Kids don’t hang around in bus stations because they have too, they choose too!

(My bolding)

So what do you expect kids to do for the rest of the week? Bus stations have always been free to access, this scheme hasn't magically opened them up to kids! They're places for people to wait and meet up from different areas and use different buses, natural hubs if you will. This has been happening for years, its nothing new.

The scheme is called Foundation 92 and it’s advertised around the bus stations and I’ve seen it pop up previously on the bee network feed etc.

I would imagine IF the scheme saw usage increase they would increase visit's and maybe look at permanent facilities.

Its a charity, they're dependent on donations to create a permanent facility and more visits.

 

[mangad]

The scheme is called Foundation 92 and it’s advertised around the bus stations and I’ve seen it pop up previously on the bee network feed etc.

I would imagine IF the scheme saw usage increase they would increase visit's and maybe look at permanent facilities.

I don't want to denigrate the work they do in any way - nor the hard work of lots of other individuals and organisations who do great work in this space. But they have - as far as I can tell - one bus. And there are thousands of teenagers out there across Greater Manchester. But is is a bit drop in the ocean, isn't it?

And to scale up you need funding. And I would put money on that being the biggest of all challenges.

 

[Bungle965]

Remember the thread title please, happy for you to discuss the matters in a new thread

 

[tomoufc]

At risk of infuriating Bungle. I’ll just say this and shut up: remember it was antisocial behaviour on a bus (teenagers messing around and playing music) that led to the formation of the Beatles.

 

[Darren Hayward]

I wonder when will the Salford Small come up for retender

 

[Statto]

We already have an existing thread to discuss free travel for young people here;

Free Bus Travel for young people: Soon to be in England.

There has been two other thread over the past 5 years as seen here, so lets not repeat ourselves too much: * https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/free-bus-travel-for-under-22s-in-scotland.201086 *...

www.railforums.co.uk

Could the MODs can move that discussion to that thread as they sometimes do with other posts?

Anyway, the Wigan-Bolton routes, it is annoying the 615 isn't included in the 575 timetable, as looking at the timetable, looks like both routes will interwork with each other as the 615 arrives at Wigan at xx23 & xx53, but departs Wigan at xx16 & xx46, with the 575 arriving in Wigan at xx10 & xx40, then departs Wigan at xx01 & xx31, can't see both routes having around 20 to 25 minute layover, & they both go from the same stand at Wigan?

 

[mangad]

This comment is specifically Bee Network Free Bus Travel for Under 16s so I believe belongs here and not in the generic thread.

Earlier today I received an email survey from TfGM asking about experiences using the free travel - how much it was used, how much travel there was before it came it. It said the data will go into informing the new Mayor's promised policy of free travel that was promised during the election. (Realistically I suspect it will go into the marketing of the launch of the policy!)

 

[mayneway]

I wonder when will the Salford Small come up for retender

There’s rumours amongst drivers that it’s already done and dusted and that stagecoach have won the majority of the work and will operate out of little Hulton.
Again I stress its rumours at this moment in time.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Wednesday at 19:30 ==

This comment is specifically Bee Network Free Bus Travel for Under 16s so I believe belongs here and not in the generic thread.

Earlier today I received an email survey from TfGM asking about experiences using the free travel - how much it was used, how much travel there was before it came it. It said the data will go into informing the new Mayor's promised policy of free travel that was promised during the election. (Realistically I suspect it will go into the marketing of the launch of the policy!)

I do agree it’s more specific to Manchester and the Bee Network, more so as the scheme does return in some form from January.

Some serious anti social behaviour in Ashton and oldham over the last few days has led to private security being brought in to keep things safe.
Ashton interchange is also being locked up every night with late night/early morning journeys being moved to the outside stands. TFGM , claim it’s to prevent rough sleepers and also anti social behaviour when there’s nobody official on site.

 

[tomoufc]

I’m interested to know more about the effects of free travel on the Bee Network and its services.

 

[M60lad]

What are the Salford Small services? If its the ones run by Diamond out of Eccles I had a Diamond Driver the other week asking me online whether I had heard anything about them (Diamond Northwest) losing more work? It was news to me at the time but having read this it does seem that they might have lost work.

 

[Leedsbusman]

What are the Salford Small services? If its the ones run by Diamond out of Eccles I had a Diamond Driver the other week asking me online whether I had heard anything about them (Diamond Northwest) losing more work? It was news to me at the time but having read this it does seem that they might have lost work.

Fantasy. TfGM hasn’t invited bids for any work since the Bolton and Leigh area work recently won by Go Ahead.

 

[MCRTransitYT]

What are the Salford Small services? If its the ones run by Diamond out of Eccles I had a Diamond Driver the other week asking me online whether I had heard anything about them (Diamond Northwest) losing more work? It was news to me at the time but having read this it does seem that they might have lost work.

29 65 66 70 72 74 79. It would only require around 10 buses + spares, and the current service frequencies, to move over if Diamond have lost them, but we will need to wait for an official announcement.

 

[JasonL]

I know I may get criticised or shot down for asking this but I wonder if a bus route from Bolton to St Helens will ever be reinstated in future or have the 559 extended?

 

[Statto]

I know I may get criticised or shot down for asking this but I wonder if a bus route from Bolton to St Helens will ever be reinstated in future or have the 559 extended?

Doubt it, no real need for such a route, the only route i could see such route working is by extending the 34 to Bolton, the 582 did have an evening & Sunday extension to Newton Le Willows in the late 80s, but that didn't last long

 

[JasonL]

Doubt it, no real need for such a route, the only route i could see such route working is by extending the 34 to Bolton, the 582 did have an evening & Sunday extension to Newton Le Willows in the late 80s, but that didn't last long

I don't think they will extend the 34 to Bolton as there's the 582 that runs in the evening as well.

 

[Statto]

Like i said, i don't think there is a need for a direct St Helens-Bolton service, most passengers from St Helens end most likely use it to Ashton, & the 559 is used more for local journey's on the route rather than anyone going end to end.

 

[M60lad]

Obviously a sign of things to come but all workings on 184 Oldham-Huddersfield at the moment are in the hands of electrics, I might be wrong but this is the first time that I know of that all 3 buses on the route have been electrics.