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-Colly405-

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They are the same price, wherever you buy them off bus. A pack of 5 singles is £10.

However, there is also the option to buy a *single* ticket on mTickets at £2.07.
 

Mojo

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They are the same price, wherever you buy them off bus. A pack of 5 singles is £10.

However, there is also the option to buy a *single* ticket on mTickets at £2.07.
That was clearly a mistake. I still want to know if anyone knows why a mTicket costs more than from an iPoint!
 

-Colly405-

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Yeterday they were putting up the missing shelter at Harry Stoke northbound.

I've just gone past there and the iPoint has arrived. But the shelter has now gone!
 

Marcus Fryer

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Yeterday they were putting up the missing shelter at Harry Stoke northbound.

I've just gone past there and the iPoint has arrived. But the shelter has now gone!
The previously missing iPoints in Patchway (Fir Tree Close and Fire Station NE bound) are now in situ.
 

-Colly405-

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The previously missing iPoints in Patchway (Fir Tree Close and Fire Station NE bound) are now in situ.
So I reckon the iPoints now missing North of UWE are Aztec city-bound, Willowbrook Cribbs-bound, Webbs Wood Cribbs-bound, Great Meadow City-bound, Great Stoke City-bound and Harry Stoke City-bound.
And the only shelter missing is Harry Stoke Cribbs-bound.
 

-Colly405-

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Correction to the above, the iPoints missing north of UWE are Aztec West City-bound, Willowbrook Cribbs-bound, Great Meadow City-bound, Great Stoke City-bound, Harry Stoke City-bound.
And the Harry Stoke Cribbs-bound shelter is absent!
 

Marcus Fryer

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Our house got a welcome pack from metrobus through the mail yesterday; a timetable leaflet for the m1 and codes for four free single mtickets :)
 

Class 33

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Planning to get a full journey on the M1 on it's inuagural day of service on Sunday. On my way to Hengrove I plan to get a journey on the new(or rather renumbered 2A and 50) 91 or 92. Looking forward to it. Even though it's not really a service I would normally need to use.
 

Marcus Fryer

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Three of the new buses, including 2915/17 were at Cribbs Causeway together on driver training at about 16:15 this afternoon.
 

BBC

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Any reason why those buses don’t have first fleet numbering ? Aren’t they technically first buses ?
 

spw24

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Any reason why those buses don’t have first fleet numbering ? Aren’t they technically first buses ?
Nothing to do with First other than running the service. Buses ordered by CT Plus
 

-Colly405-

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Stoke Gifford
Had a quick look at our local metrobus stops today. Heading to town still has no iPoint; heading to Cribbs does.
There is a note printed as part of the timetable poster saying that until there is a working machine, drivers will accept payment on bus by contactless (not cash).
Unfortunately, the note is part of the poster for buses heading to Cribbs, not town...
 

BBC

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Nothing to do with First other than running the service. Buses ordered by CT Plus
Can a company that small really purchase 19+ £300,000 deckers without any help ? I’m not convinced.
 

PhilStockley

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Can a company that small really purchase 19+ £300,000 deckers without any help ? I’m not convinced.

Respectfully, it’s a £60 million turnover business with around 700 buses and 1500 staff nationwide, and recently announced a £18 million funding package for future expansion, so it shouldn’t seem that far fetched!

In any event, very few buses are bought for cash these days - most are financed/leased for cash flow reasons and these are no exception so it’s an asset finance company that has to fork out the up front capital expenditure.
 

Class 33

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I did a couple of journeys today on the new M1....

The first journey was the 0940 Hengrove Park-Cribbs Causeway service. To get to Hengrove I got the new service 92, leaving Broadmead at 0850. Which arrived at Rookery Farm on time at 0927. Had to walk quickly to Hengrove Park to hopefully get the M1 departing at 0940. Just about got there in time. Though for some reason it was a few minutes late departing there. Only a handful of people on there at first, but it got busier and busier as it worked it's way through Hengrove, Knowle West, and Bedminster. With a lot of people keen to try this new service out and take advantage of the free journeys today. Also there were two instances(one in Bamfield and another in West Street) of people at NON MetroBus stops putting their hand out to board! The driver though did kindly stop for them and the other member of staff said to them basically "This is not a MetroBus stop. There is a stop down there. But we'll let you on today...". I would expect the drivers will only do this today, as they won't be able to do this every day as that will slow the journeys down. Passengers who intend to use this service need to be aware where their nearest M1 MetroBus stops are, the M1 is a limited stop bus service and doesn't stop at every normal bus stop! Anyway, as mentioned a lot of people were boarding this particular service this morning. And after Bedminster, near enough all seats were taken. Most of the passengers were going all the way to Cribbs Causeway. Thankfully I had two seats to myself for the entire journey though. But this service wasn't running to time. It departed The Centre 14 minutes late at 1023. Then after stops in Lewins Mead and Cabot Circus, it was up the M32 onto Begbrook, UWE, Harry Stoke, Bradley Stoke and Patchway. As we were going along Highwood Road, the driver was driving painfully slow at only about 15mph. Why she was driving that slowly I don't know! Arrived into Cribbs Causeway 10 minutes late at 1102.

After a much needed toilet stop, and then going into B & M Homestore to get a few bits of shopping, I decided to get another journey on the M1 today. This time though only as far as Cabot Circus. I was intending to get the 1140 Cribbs Causway-Hengrove Park service. I got back to the bus stop about 1135. I could see there was a MetroBus parked in the middle of the bus station, which I assumed would be working the 1140 service. But apparantly not, as an inbound M1 from Hengrove Park then arrived just after 1140. This would then work the 1140 service to Hengrove Park. Though it departed a few minutes late. I noticed a few people on the front top of the bus didn't depart from the inbound journey, and just stayed on going back to wherever they were going. Probably about a dozen people boarded at Cribbs Causeway. Then as the service worked it's way through Patchway, Bradley Stoke, and Harry Stoke it was getting busier and busier. And at a stop around Bradley Stoke/Harry Stoke, I then unfortunately no longer had the comfort of two seats to myself. There was a guy sat next to me, which wasn't very comfortable as I didn't have much space! At a certain stop in Harry Stoke, a few people were left behind at the bus stop as the bus was full(with a few people standing upstairs). And the same happened at UWE. Anyway, arrived into Cabot Circus pretty much on time at about 1220. Slightly surprisingly most people still remained on the bus. I guess they may well have been going all the way onto Hengrove Park to make the most of trying out this new service!

Not too bad a new service really. Not really a service I would need to use very much though. Living in Redland, it's of no real use to me! Though it will be particularly beneficial for people living in places like Bradley Stoke, Harry Stoke, Knowle West and Hengrove.

I may get another journey on it in the near future for something to do, though at off-peak times when it won't be very busy and I can get two seats to myself!
 
Last edited:

Marcus Fryer

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27 Dec 2014
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887
I did a couple of journeys today on the new M1....

The first journey was the 0940 Hengrove Park-Cribbs Causeway service. To get to Hengrove I got the new service 92, leaving Broadmead at 0850. Which arrived at Rookery Farm on time at 0927. Had to walk quickly to Hengrove Park to hopefully get the M1 departing at 0940. Just about got there in time. Though for some reason it was a few minutes late departing there. Only a handful of people on there at first, but it got busier and busier as it worked it's way through Hengrove, Knowle West, and Bedminster. With a lot of people keen to try this new service out and take advantage of the free journeys today. Also there were two instances(one in Bamfield and another in West Street) of people at NON MetroBus stops putting their hand out to board! The driver though did kindly stop for them and the other member of staff said to them basically "This is not a MetroBus stop. There is a stop down there. But we'll let you on today...". I would expect the drivers will only do this today, as they won't be able to do this every day as that will slow the journeys down. Passengers who intend to use this service need to be aware where their nearest M1 MetroBus stops are, the M1 is a limited stop bus service and doesn't stop at every normal bus stop! Anyway, as mentioned a lot of people were boarding this particular service this morning. And after Bedminster, near enough all seats were taken. Most of the passengers were going all the way to Cribbs Causeway. Thankfully I had two seats to myself for the entire journey though. But this service wasn't running to time. It departed The Centre 14 minutes late at 1023. Then after stops in Lewins Mead and Cabot Circus, it was up the M32 onto Begbrook, UWE, Harry Stoke, Bradley Stoke and Patchway. As we were going along Highwood Road, the driver was driving painfully slow at only about 15mph. Why she was driving that slowly I don't know! Arrived into Cribbs Causeway 10 minutes late at 1102.

I was intending to get the 1140 Cribbs Causway-Hengrove Park service. I got back to the bus stop about 1135. I could see there was a MetroBus parked in the middle of the bus station, which I assumed would be working the 1140 service. But apparantly not
I also had a few trips on the m1 today. First I walked up Bradley Stoke Way to Willow Brook, and noted several customers at Webbs Wood and Willow Brook waiting for the southbound buses; clientele seemed a wide cross-section of ages, with several families with young children. Not so many takers for the northbound journeys, although perhaps a bit early as the Mall doesn't open until 11am. I caught the 11:12 southbound from Willow Brook, which was quite full.
My next journey was the 13:57 from Great Stoke; this was also busy, with no window seats available until we reached Cabot Circus. I rode all the way to Hengrove Park, by which time most passengers had alighted. Most from Bradley Stoke had left the bus at one of the city centre stops.
I then caught the 15:20 back from Hengrove Park to Bedminster. This ran about 15 minutes late; up to then the buses I caught had been more or less on time, although I had noticed some late running, and buses running in pairs (although I think BCT might have been running duplicates).
I finished up with the 16:29 from Queen Square to Great Stoke. This ran about 10 minutes late, but we had a spirited run up the M32, overtaking an m3 on the way! We caught up with another m1 at Great Stoke, which I assume must have been an extra starting from the Centre.
I was told by a driver at Hengrove Park that BCT had placed standby vehicles at Hengrove Park, Centre and Cribbs Causeway. Also, CT Plus have drafted in drivers from other areas, e.g. London for a couple of months.
In South Bristol, I think all inbound stops have iPoints, but after West Street the only outbound stop so far to have one is Filwood Broadway.
From observation and with the help of 'bus lists on the web', I think the batch is numbered 2913-2933 (YN68 DXJ-P/R-T, YN68 EUP/R-Z, YN68 EVB-D).
 

Marcus Fryer

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one bus missing is 2922 which is YN68DXU.
Thanks - 'Bus Lists on the Web' only have 20 registrations; they don't list that one, and don't list YN68 EUS/T either, so I was doing a bit of interpolation.
FWIW, I can confirm the following:
2914 - YN68 DXK
2915 - YN68 DXL
2918 - YN68 DXP
2923 - YN68 EUP
2927 - YN68 EUW
2929 - YN68 EUY
2932 - YN68 EVC
This suggests the batch is, in order, YN68 DXJ-P/R-U, YN68 EUP/R/U-Z, YN68 EVB-D
 
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-Colly405-

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I also did a few trips on the m1 today because it's my local route (not because it was free!). Things I learned:

Timings
Accepting that in the daytime the bus was full with hoards of free passengers, hopefully the timetable will settle down quickly;
- The 1257 at Great Stoke (northbound) was 10 late.
- The 1257 at Great Stoke (southbound) was 15 late.
- The 1550 at UWE (northbound) was 10 late.
- The 2132 from Cabot Circus (northbound) left 5 minutes EARLY. That is, it left Cabot before it was timed to leave the Centre. Unacceptable.
- Let's hope the weekday timetable is more achievable.

Exit doors
- the exit doors make a good place to put 2 open buggies when there are 4 of them on the bus. Just don't try to alight from those doors!
- Drivers really need to remember that the bus won't pull away with the rear door open!
- Equally, they need to decide whether we are supposed to exit through the rear doors, or front - I had both.

Driving
- you might surprise the driver if you want to board or alight at Harry Stoke southbound. We swept into the outside lane at the traffic lights before the stop, sailed past it in the outer lane (of three) before heading back left again to get into the Bus Lane at the lights to join the Ring Road.
- unsure why that is a Bus Lane (about 10 yards long) as it immediately joins a 2+ lane. Would make more sense if it was 2+ too.
 

carlberry

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3,169
They're doing a wonderful job selling this! The https://metrobusbristol.co.uk website still regards the m1 as 'coming soon' and if you click on the 'view route and timetable online' link it takes you to a place where you can select a route number (to achieve this you need to understand that M1 comes after Y1 of course) and, having done this, it says it 'could not get route'. I suspect the information must be of use to spys in some way!
 

spw24

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been for a couple of short rides toady saw all bar 3 out of 21 buses and noted that 2933 is registered EUB not EVD as expected.
 

carlberry

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19 Dec 2014
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3,169
They're doing a wonderful job selling this! The https://metrobusbristol.co.uk website still regards the m1 as 'coming soon' and if you click on the 'view route and timetable online' link it takes you to a place where you can select a route number (to achieve this you need to understand that M1 comes after Y1 of course) and, having done this, it says it 'could not get route'. I suspect the information must be of use to spys in some way!
They might be a bit dozy when it comes to updating websites however they don't half react to emails quickly! Half an hour after I'd emailed them they'd replied and updated the site. The links still don't work however that's the usual issues with the design of the Travelwest/Traveline website.
 

TheGrandWazoo

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They're doing a wonderful job selling this! The https://metrobusbristol.co.uk website still regards the m1 as 'coming soon' and if you click on the 'view route and timetable online' link it takes you to a place where you can select a route number (to achieve this you need to understand that M1 comes after Y1 of course) and, having done this, it says it 'could not get route'. I suspect the information must be of use to spys in some way!

No, that will be the D1 - in fact the Discover leaflet mentions

"Salisbury Cathedral was built between 1220 and 1258, although the spire was added in the early 14th century. Piercing the Wiltshire sky at 404ft, it is the tallest in the land."

Just no mention of the clock....
 

matt_splat

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19 May 2012
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899
I did a couple of journeys today on the new M1....

The first journey was the 0940 Hengrove Park-Cribbs Causeway service. To get to Hengrove I got the new service 92, leaving Broadmead at 0850. Which arrived at Rookery Farm on time at 0927. Had to walk quickly to Hengrove Park to hopefully get the M1 departing at 0940. Just about got there in time. Though for some reason it was a few minutes late departing there. Only a handful of people on there at first, but it got busier and busier as it worked it's way through Hengrove, Knowle West, and Bedminster. With a lot of people keen to try this new service out and take advantage of the free journeys today. Also there were two instances(one in Bamfield and another in West Street) of people at NON MetroBus stops putting their hand out to board! The driver though did kindly stop for them and the other member of staff said to them basically "This is not a MetroBus stop. There is a stop down there. But we'll let you on today...". I would expect the drivers will only do this today, as they won't be able to do this every day as that will slow the journeys down. Passengers who intend to use this service need to be aware where their nearest M1 MetroBus stops are, the M1 is a limited stop bus service and doesn't stop at every normal bus stop! Anyway, as mentioned a lot of people were boarding this particular service this morning. And after Bedminster, near enough all seats were taken. Most of the passengers were going all the way to Cribbs Causeway. Thankfully I had two seats to myself for the entire journey though. But this service wasn't running to time. It departed The Centre 14 minutes late at 1023. Then after stops in Lewins Mead and Cabot Circus, it was up the M32 onto Begbrook, UWE, Harry Stoke, Bradley Stoke and Patchway. As we were going along Highwood Road, the driver was driving painfully slow at only about 15mph. Why she was driving that slowly I don't know! Arrived into Cribbs Causeway 10 minutes late at 1102.

After a much needed toilet stop, and then going into B & M Homestore to get a few bits of shopping, I decided to get another journey on the M1 today. This time though only as far as Cabot Circus. I was intending to get the 1140 Cribbs Causway-Hengrove Park service. I got back to the bus stop about 1135. I could see there was a MetroBus parked in the middle of the bus station, which I assumed would be working the 1140 service. But apparantly not, as an inbound M1 from Hengrove Park then arrived just after 1140. This would then work the 1140 service to Hengrove Park. Though it departed a few minutes late. I noticed a few people on the front top of the bus didn't depart from the inbound journey, and just stayed on going back to wherever they were going. Probably about a dozen people boarded at Cribbs Causeway. Then as the service worked it's way through Patchway, Bradley Stoke, and Harry Stoke it was getting busier and busier. And at a stop around Bradley Stoke/Harry Stoke, I then unfortunately no longer had the comfort of two seats to myself. There was a guy sat next to me, which wasn't very comfortable as I didn't have much space! At a certain stop in Harry Stoke, a few people were left behind at the bus stop as the bus was full(with a few people standing upstairs). And the same happened at UWE. Anyway, arrived into Cabot Circus pretty much on time at about 1220. Slightly surprisingly most people still remained on the bus. I guess they may well have been going all the way onto Hengrove Park to make the most of trying out this new service!

Not too bad a new service really. Not really a service I would need to use very much though. Living in Redland, it's of no real use to me! Though it will be particularly beneficial for people living in places like Bradley Stoke, Harry Stoke, Knowle West and Hengrove.

I may get another journey on it in the near future for something to do, though at off-peak times when it won't be very busy and I can get two seats to myself!


Was on the same bus as you from Hengrove..... the best moment i found was when we got off the M32 and the driver went to turn left and head for Frenchay, I agree it was very slow but most services seemed to be delayed also lots of people waiting on the wrong side of the road in places
 
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