Can’t speak for your local uni, but Falmouth uni is reporting highest numbers of new students for several years expected with full onsite lectures
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- Thread starter Busaholic
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I think the only people who are doing well out of this disaster are the manufacturers of the red tape that is being applied to so many of the TFC vehicles.
They’ve run out of red now... white and black now! All jokes aside the motor factors in Newquay had every colour except red in stock last week
Yet no evidence of TFC servicing that first one
Because that’s what citybus have always done. WatchEd their Facebook for years Always changing timetables citing traffic!
I thought there was a standard DfT design for bus stops, but thought it had to be black, including the bus. Is a red bus design permitted?
Citybus are unreal they change timetable every few months. Not known any operator like it.
My thoughts too. Most operators have a Easter and September/October change and maybe an uplift for June-August in tourist areas.
The frequent changes show poor timetable planning As a decent timetable will only need summer/winter changes and uplifts for summer in tourist locations
Busaholic
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Do we know that it wasn't Cornwall Council who requested/required this?
Goldfish62
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Given that the DfT design is a rare sight these days I think we can safely assume any colour will do.
It’s very much a pcb trait. But there is that possibility
markymark2000
On Moderation
Most big operators do changed 5 times per year but the changes are a little bit more contained to areas with big changes to an areas services only happening about 3 times per year.
September is commonly the big change date, minor changes in November, January is bigger changes normally in some way related to the September big changes to try and make things more viable. Easter is the summer tourist bus startup, July is then metropolitan areas summer reduction timetables and also some summer services get a boost. then back to September.
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
The DfT design is not mandatory. It doesn't even have to have a pictogram on a stop now https://www.flickr.com/photos/124908173@N05/20170726894
Indeed, many operators will have potentially three changes per year for the reasons you say. In First West of England land, there's the new academic year so a change in September, the new year, and another change about Easter to introduce the seasonal services and to trim the uni services as the student requirements change. Even then, there are sometimes other little tweaks because of council or other stakeholder requests.
Goldfish62
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TfGM has an agreement with the multitude of operators in Greater Manchester for three coordinated timetable changes a year. Obviously that's out of the window at the moment.
Busaholic
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I don't honestly think one can treat the current situation re timetables with anything in 'normal' years. I'm all for beating the relevant authorities with big sticks, metaphorically speaking, where they deserve it, but let's not bring the big sticks out for every little thing. I suspect they might be needed to be brought out in due course, but that point has not been reached yet.
Yes. The other operator in the city, Stagecoach only change twice a year, normally May and September, perhaps minor adjustments in Jan . First when they operated in Plymouth before selling to Stagecoach also changed twice per year but pcb must be 5 times a year I would say
Covid or not this is a citybus trait. That’s the point we are making. They run their timetables tight to the second and then as soon as there is seasonal traffic, or roadworks etc their timetable doesn’t work and they need to make short notice changes. First and stagecoach run tables with slack that means no need for short notice changes the second roads are busy
Precisely. It also means when there are temporary issues such as roadworks, Citybus services end up late or cancelled whilst Stagecoach seem to carry on ok.
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
Depending on the nature of the contract and who assumes the revenue risk, the revenue is guaranteed (save for any penalties for non operation). The issue would be if the cost base is substantially higher. That might be the case if they are resorting to a higher than projected level of agency drivers etc and the level of accident damage as a consequence. In terms of the revenue risk, I would be surprised if it sits with the operator if only because there are so many new and apparently pointless routes with no historical data, I don't know how they would achieve that. Unless the operator makes the assumption of zero revenue, and so there's actually no risk.
However, until someone actually sees an official P&L, we don't know what the financial performance is.
I note the earlier comments criticising Go Ahead for drafting in older vehicles (a couple of X reg deckers but mainly vehicles 54-58 plate in a range of liveries) for use in Plymouth to allow the temporary release of vehicles to Cornwall whilst new vehicles are built. Not much mention of the influx of W reg and 51 plate deckers arriving for First in Cornwall though.
Assigned schools/colleges only not public service being the difference, and also to note the 51 plates have usb and WiFi!
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
I know the 51 plates have USBs and alleged wifi and indeed, they were refurbished a couple of years ago although retaining the rock hard seats of that period.
I admire your commitment to the cause but with mmcs away at SPS and indeed, many 54 plate Geminis and even 02 plate Tridents out in full service for FK, I wouldn't put it past some 51 plates appearing out on the road. In fact, they are probably better than the Tridents that are currently being employed!
Goldfish62
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Overall, it's not a great look for an operator that has worked hard to expunge its image of being the bus graveyard for all the junk no one else wanted. Let's hope it really is temporary!
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
I'm sure it is and there are perfectly understandable and sensible reasons for it, in much the same way as older vehicles were drafted into Plymouth by Go Ahead.
The blue ones aren't bad machines cosmetically; they had a spruce up when they were Uni-fied and haven't had the hardest of lives in Bath. The purple pair (and 30877) are a lot more ragged round the edges.
At least Cornwall knows what it's getting with 30877. It's about two years ago it waved it away on it's last journey to Barnsley!
Lizard1324
Member
Tfc 515 - WF63LYZ had a accident with a house today in mullion, unknown of the damage but got replaced with a another double decker.
Rich McLean
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With operators changing timetables all the time, PCB (and Go Cornwall for that matter) do not like adding additional buses to up the PVR during peak periods. They do however change the timetables on routes effected by roadwords by upping the PVR and extending the travel time to counter the traffic. but it often takes them weeks and months to get round to this, by which time the roadworkds are nearlly finished. Then to save miliage, a few weeks later, the timetables change again so vehicles can be moved around to other problem areas.
SC in Plymouth at least, especially on the 1, will slot in buses at Royal Parade to form a RT departure if the inward workings are delayed. The late arrival then just picks up the following working. When circuits are running to time again, buses are then pulled from the circuit. Yeah it can mean buses are late and journy times are extended due to traffic, but the frequency remains almost the same. With PCB if a bus is delayed on an inward working, then a circuit is missed with a gap in the timetable.
Operators like NXWM & SC are well rehearsed in adding and removing vehicles from services throutgout the day to maintain frequency (while admittadly, not running to a timetable), about time Go-Ahead took note.
SC in Plymouth at least, especially on the 1, will slot in buses at Royal Parade to form a RT departure if the inward workings are delayed. The late arrival then just picks up the following working. When circuits are running to time again, buses are then pulled from the circuit. Yeah it can mean buses are late and journy times are extended due to traffic, but the frequency remains almost the same. With PCB if a bus is delayed on an inward working, then a circuit is missed with a gap in the timetable.
Operators like NXWM & SC are well rehearsed in adding and removing vehicles from services throutgout the day to maintain frequency (while admittadly, not running to a timetable), about time Go-Ahead took note.
Drive through
