Municipals Take First and Second

[Mutant Lemming]

Nottingham City Transport named UK Bus Operator of the Year and Reading take second spot.


http://www.busandcoach.com/

 

[bb21]

Municiples have a very good record at the UK Bus Awards so it comes as no surprise. Well done though. This is the second time they have won it iirc.

 

[tom1649]

Great news. Well done NCT! Having spent several years living in Nottingham and travelling on their services, I believe their network is one of the best in the country. Also thanks are due to the City Council for not selling it off to make a fast buck like so many other authorities have done.

They first won it in 2004.

 

[Stonesourscotty]

I thought NCT was part 18% Transdev? if so is that a Municipal?

 

[Deerfold]

I thought NCT was part 18% Transdev? if so is that a Municipal?

The majority of it is municipal-owned.

 

[Stonesourscotty]

I wonder if With the Purchase of First Chester/Wirral Stagecoach will try to buy Halton???

 

[LexyBoy]

Doesn't stop people whinging: http://www.getreading.co.uk/business/s/2124808_two_golds_and_a_silver_for_reading_at_bus_awards

Honestly, I wonder if some of the complainers have ever travelled on buses outside Reading (I'm sure Nottingham gets the same). Fares are higher, service less frequent and often the things some of those commenters complain about not working aren't there at all! How many other operators have screens showing the next stop, something Reading has had for years? (I only know of NCT and TfL).

Well done I say!

 

[Deerfold]

How many other operators have screens showing the next stop, something Reading has had for years? (I only know of NCT and TfL).

There's a handful more listed at https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/supportus/campaigns/talkingbuses/which-places-have-talking-buses/

 

[LexyBoy]

There's a handful more listed at https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/supportus/campaigns/talkingbuses/which-places-have-talking-buses/

Thanks! Wonder if there's more which don't talk but only show information on-screen.

In my opinion this must be one of the biggest changes which led to the increases in London's bus passenger numbers. Without it many people wouldn't be confident enough to use buses in an unfamiliar area, the chance of getting hopelessly lost seems too much.

 

[Deerfold]

Thanks! Wonder if there's more which don't talk but only show information on-screen.

In my opinion this must be one of the biggest changes which led to the increases in London's bus passenger numbers. Without it many people wouldn't be confident enough to use buses in an unfamiliar area, the chance of getting hopelessly lost seems too much.

Except that there was a massive increase before the screens were installed.
An increase in the bus fleet of over a third with a large number of increased frequencies and several new routes certainly helped (along with the improvement in Night routes (over 100 services), below average fare rises - despite what the Evening Standard may think)

It certainly helps though - especially people in groups that may be unsure about travelling alone (and I know I like it when in an unfamiliar area).

 

[LexyBoy]

Except that there was a massive increase before the screens were installed.

Why spoil a good argument with facts?

 

[PrestonPark]

Brighton & Hove have automated bus stop announcements on their Volvos, usually seen on routes 1, 6, 7 and coming in on the 49 route. They also announce stops if these buses are running on other routes

 

[MCR247]

Trent Barton will introduce on-bus audio announcements for all their commercial routes into Nottingham by 2014.

https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/supportus/campaigns/talkingbuses/which-places-have-talking-buses/
Interesting

 

[Eagle]

Thanks! Wonder if there's more which don't talk but only show information on-screen.

Morebus, formerly Wilts and Dorset, do on their newer (since 2004) buses in Poole and Bournemouth. I've also seen them on Arriva in Leicester.

 

[radamfi]

Obviously next stop announcements have been standard in most of Europe for at least 10 years. Certain cities in Europe have taken it to the next level. I have been to various places in the Netherlands and Switzerland recently and they have monitors showing not only the next stop and the arrival time there, but also the arrival time at the next few stops and the arrival time at the destination.

As you approach an interchange point, it tells you what bus, tram or train services you can transfer to. Not only service numbers and destination points, but also real time departure times.

 

[34D]

Morebus, formerly Wilts and Dorset, do on their newer (since 2004) buses in Poole and Bournemouth. I've also seen them on Arriva in Leicester.

Another early system was Arriva Yorkshire with low floor spectras on route 110 Leeds-Wakefield-Hall Green-Kettlethorpe. I believe they had screens upstairs and down. Not sure about voice though.

 

[BuhSnarf]

Morebus, formerly Wilts and Dorset, do on their newer (since 2004) buses in Poole and Bournemouth. I've also seen them on Arriva in Leicester.

Arriva used to on *some* vehicles and First Leicester on nearly all. However, the system was turned off and now none do.

They also removed all the real time info at stops. Seems we go backwards in Leicester!

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[bb21]

It was the same system that was used across Leicester, Nottingham and Derby by Arriva, First and Wellglade subsidiaries. It was one of the first systems introduced in the UK however it is not really compatible with the latest technology so it was switched off pending the introduction of a new system, the progress of which seems to have stalled.