robertclark125
Established Member
It's that time of the year when I hand out the "awards" that are sometimes not handed out by other ceremonies. These are the awards that give out praise where it hasn't been given out, and give out booby prizes to the deserving. These are the categories and the "winners"
1 - The while everyone else is working in the age of the internet we're going to run on steam award - Western Greyhound
This is given to the once respected Cornish operator, not for the on the road problems they've encountered, but for their decision to make it almost impossible to contact them now, either by telephone or internet. They've shut their Facebook and Twitter feeds down, as people were using them to make complaints. Well, if you run a good service, folk wouldn't make complaints.
2 - The carrying on to do as good as you can whilst the contractors dig up all the roads around award - Stagecoach South Lancs & Merseyside and Rotala Preston Bus
Joint award here, as Preston seems to be plagued with roadworks, and more roadworks. It's caused no end of problems, especially to Rotala, yet both firms are trying to carry on as best they can, and all credit to them. They're not to blame for the buses being late due to roadworks, but they nevertheless give notice of issues caused by them, and try to take steps to alleviate them.
3 - The missing out on a bigger priority award - Nexus
The Tyne and Wear PTE is pushing ahead with its quality contracts award, at what appears to be escalating cost. Yet, would it not have been better to look at extending the Tyne and Wear Metro west of St. James?
4 - The NIMBY award - Boris Johnson
His idea of having a new airport for London, but built well away from his beloved city, in this case on an island in Kent, sums it all up.
5 - the white elephant inventor award - Boris Johnson
The New bus for London. Been tried elsewhere, recently Dundee and Arbroath, and suffered breakdowns. Now, apparently, it's not as economical as they first thought. It reminds me of when CIE decided to buy buses to their own design in the 1980s, and the factory needed to make so many a year to break even, except CIE didn't need that many a year, and worse, only one vehicle was ever exported. Perhaps the title New Bus for London is right, as no one else seems warm to it.
6 - Lifetime achievement award - Chris Green
The best chairman British rail never had. Chris Green was placed in charge of the London and South east Sector of British Rail in 1986. Within 6 months of his appointment, he created Network Southeast. The new image, livery, and standards that were expected caught the eye. This was coupled up with marketing initiatives, that in BR regional days would've been unthinkable. It created new confidence in the railways, and he later made modest achievements at Virgin Trains.
He is now honorary president of the Network Southeast Railway Society, and their website is www.networksoutheast.net
7 - Best turnaround of the year - Firstbus in Somerset and Cornwall
The change in top management at Firstbus has led to greater powers being devolved to local managers, and in Somerset, the new Buses of Somerset branding and livery is only the start of things. It's also seen Firstbus fight back against Webberbus, and succeed. It's actually similar to Network Southeast, mentioned above. It might be new labels on old bottles at first, but given time, new bottles will replace the old, and the product will be even more enjoyable. As for Cornwall, Firstbus is being more aggressive in tenders, and commercial operations, and the area is now back in the black. Again, down to local managers knowing things best.
8 - Shooting themselves in the foot award - Moffat and Williamson
The respected Fife coach operator does itself, and possibly public transport, no favours when recently asked why it didn't improve the connections or retime their route 2 and 5 between Glenrothes and Markinch station, and their route 92 from Gauldry to St Andrews, which also calls in at Leuchars station. Their response? "Train passengers might then use the bus to get into Glenrothes or St Andrews if we did."
If that's the case, why are there bus stops at the railway stations, and why do Stagecoach have no issues serving Leuchars station, and offering eight buses an hour between St Andrews and Leuchars?
9 - The it's Better Together award - Transport Scotland
They get this award, in referendum year, not for the referendum, which the Better together side won, but for their strange decision that the Caledonian Sleeper franchise be separate from the main Scotrail franchise. This could lead to a lack of promotion of the service on trains run by Scotrail, which could affect awareness of the Sleepers in the future. It also hasn't been made clear yet what will happen with regards to the down Inverness and Fort William sleepers, which beyond perth and Edinburgh also form a local service to the two terminal points; ticket availability, having to buy on the train.
10 - The we don't know what we're doing award - First in Lothian
It appears that there is no real commitment from First to either East or West Lothian. Lothian buses have expanded their east Lothian buses operation, and Stagecoach have replaced First on the South Queensferry to Edinburgh service. New vehicles have been delivered to Livingston, but the withdrawal of route 651 and changes to other routes shows that after 20 years of trying, Firstbus still can't seem to get it right in West Lothian.
11 - You should know the rules award - reays coaches of Wigton
This bus and coach operator gets the award for the issue at Keswick. Booths supermarket run the bus station. Stagecoach has permission to use it, Reays used it without permission, and so back in March, the latter axed its three seasonal services due to the fact they couldn't work into the bus station anymore.
Notice they said nothing about the lack of passengers on the aforementioned services........
12 - If you want to see who's to blame, look in the mirror award - The public
Time and time again, we see issues of meetings and protests about the axing of a bus service, or a change to a service. The main reason operators make cuts is lack of use; remember buses need to make money to cover their costs. And if the people who are protesting about bus cuts are also people not using the bus, then really, it's their fault. If they used it, it wouldn't be at risk
13 - where's the improvement - Reays Coaches
They get this award for saying their route 75 in Carlisle is expanded from 3rd September. It's not, as the evening and Sunday subsidised service is now withdrawn, and the service, which Reays won on tender in 2010, and which they then operated without a subsidy, due to it being so busy, is now cut back.
And as for their improved 64A? Well, nothing improved, just an hourly frequency still.
14 - Proof that park and ride can be successful without a special park and ride bus service - Ferrytoll and Halbeath park and rides, Fife
The Ferrytoll P&R opened in 2000, and relied on normal Stagecoach bus services calling in to it, as opposed to a dedicated bus service. It meant more folk used the existing buses, and saved the local authorites money on subsidising a new service.
Same has now happened at Halbeath, and judging by the amount of cars being parked at both, it's fair to say both are matching expectations, and have been very successful.
And lastly, number 15 - the why do people need to go into town, at extra cost, to get the money back you owe them award? - Rotala Preston Bus, Cardiff Bus, Dublin Bus.
These three operators get the award, for the ludicrous idea that a person can only cash in their credit ticket at either head office or travel office in the city centre
All three use exact fare, so no change is given. All three say that if a person overpays, they will get given a credit ticket, which can be exchanged for cash, but only at their head office or main travel office. This means that a person heading away from the city centre has to pay more, to go back into the city to get their money back.
There's an easy solution; allow people to use their credit tickets as part or full payment on another fare.
So that's the awards and their "winners". I hope the they appreciate them(!)
1 - The while everyone else is working in the age of the internet we're going to run on steam award - Western Greyhound
This is given to the once respected Cornish operator, not for the on the road problems they've encountered, but for their decision to make it almost impossible to contact them now, either by telephone or internet. They've shut their Facebook and Twitter feeds down, as people were using them to make complaints. Well, if you run a good service, folk wouldn't make complaints.
2 - The carrying on to do as good as you can whilst the contractors dig up all the roads around award - Stagecoach South Lancs & Merseyside and Rotala Preston Bus
Joint award here, as Preston seems to be plagued with roadworks, and more roadworks. It's caused no end of problems, especially to Rotala, yet both firms are trying to carry on as best they can, and all credit to them. They're not to blame for the buses being late due to roadworks, but they nevertheless give notice of issues caused by them, and try to take steps to alleviate them.
3 - The missing out on a bigger priority award - Nexus
The Tyne and Wear PTE is pushing ahead with its quality contracts award, at what appears to be escalating cost. Yet, would it not have been better to look at extending the Tyne and Wear Metro west of St. James?
4 - The NIMBY award - Boris Johnson
His idea of having a new airport for London, but built well away from his beloved city, in this case on an island in Kent, sums it all up.
5 - the white elephant inventor award - Boris Johnson
The New bus for London. Been tried elsewhere, recently Dundee and Arbroath, and suffered breakdowns. Now, apparently, it's not as economical as they first thought. It reminds me of when CIE decided to buy buses to their own design in the 1980s, and the factory needed to make so many a year to break even, except CIE didn't need that many a year, and worse, only one vehicle was ever exported. Perhaps the title New Bus for London is right, as no one else seems warm to it.
6 - Lifetime achievement award - Chris Green
The best chairman British rail never had. Chris Green was placed in charge of the London and South east Sector of British Rail in 1986. Within 6 months of his appointment, he created Network Southeast. The new image, livery, and standards that were expected caught the eye. This was coupled up with marketing initiatives, that in BR regional days would've been unthinkable. It created new confidence in the railways, and he later made modest achievements at Virgin Trains.
He is now honorary president of the Network Southeast Railway Society, and their website is www.networksoutheast.net
7 - Best turnaround of the year - Firstbus in Somerset and Cornwall
The change in top management at Firstbus has led to greater powers being devolved to local managers, and in Somerset, the new Buses of Somerset branding and livery is only the start of things. It's also seen Firstbus fight back against Webberbus, and succeed. It's actually similar to Network Southeast, mentioned above. It might be new labels on old bottles at first, but given time, new bottles will replace the old, and the product will be even more enjoyable. As for Cornwall, Firstbus is being more aggressive in tenders, and commercial operations, and the area is now back in the black. Again, down to local managers knowing things best.
8 - Shooting themselves in the foot award - Moffat and Williamson
The respected Fife coach operator does itself, and possibly public transport, no favours when recently asked why it didn't improve the connections or retime their route 2 and 5 between Glenrothes and Markinch station, and their route 92 from Gauldry to St Andrews, which also calls in at Leuchars station. Their response? "Train passengers might then use the bus to get into Glenrothes or St Andrews if we did."
If that's the case, why are there bus stops at the railway stations, and why do Stagecoach have no issues serving Leuchars station, and offering eight buses an hour between St Andrews and Leuchars?
9 - The it's Better Together award - Transport Scotland
They get this award, in referendum year, not for the referendum, which the Better together side won, but for their strange decision that the Caledonian Sleeper franchise be separate from the main Scotrail franchise. This could lead to a lack of promotion of the service on trains run by Scotrail, which could affect awareness of the Sleepers in the future. It also hasn't been made clear yet what will happen with regards to the down Inverness and Fort William sleepers, which beyond perth and Edinburgh also form a local service to the two terminal points; ticket availability, having to buy on the train.
10 - The we don't know what we're doing award - First in Lothian
It appears that there is no real commitment from First to either East or West Lothian. Lothian buses have expanded their east Lothian buses operation, and Stagecoach have replaced First on the South Queensferry to Edinburgh service. New vehicles have been delivered to Livingston, but the withdrawal of route 651 and changes to other routes shows that after 20 years of trying, Firstbus still can't seem to get it right in West Lothian.
11 - You should know the rules award - reays coaches of Wigton
This bus and coach operator gets the award for the issue at Keswick. Booths supermarket run the bus station. Stagecoach has permission to use it, Reays used it without permission, and so back in March, the latter axed its three seasonal services due to the fact they couldn't work into the bus station anymore.
Notice they said nothing about the lack of passengers on the aforementioned services........
12 - If you want to see who's to blame, look in the mirror award - The public
Time and time again, we see issues of meetings and protests about the axing of a bus service, or a change to a service. The main reason operators make cuts is lack of use; remember buses need to make money to cover their costs. And if the people who are protesting about bus cuts are also people not using the bus, then really, it's their fault. If they used it, it wouldn't be at risk
13 - where's the improvement - Reays Coaches
They get this award for saying their route 75 in Carlisle is expanded from 3rd September. It's not, as the evening and Sunday subsidised service is now withdrawn, and the service, which Reays won on tender in 2010, and which they then operated without a subsidy, due to it being so busy, is now cut back.
And as for their improved 64A? Well, nothing improved, just an hourly frequency still.
14 - Proof that park and ride can be successful without a special park and ride bus service - Ferrytoll and Halbeath park and rides, Fife
The Ferrytoll P&R opened in 2000, and relied on normal Stagecoach bus services calling in to it, as opposed to a dedicated bus service. It meant more folk used the existing buses, and saved the local authorites money on subsidising a new service.
Same has now happened at Halbeath, and judging by the amount of cars being parked at both, it's fair to say both are matching expectations, and have been very successful.
And lastly, number 15 - the why do people need to go into town, at extra cost, to get the money back you owe them award? - Rotala Preston Bus, Cardiff Bus, Dublin Bus.
These three operators get the award, for the ludicrous idea that a person can only cash in their credit ticket at either head office or travel office in the city centre
All three use exact fare, so no change is given. All three say that if a person overpays, they will get given a credit ticket, which can be exchanged for cash, but only at their head office or main travel office. This means that a person heading away from the city centre has to pay more, to go back into the city to get their money back.
There's an easy solution; allow people to use their credit tickets as part or full payment on another fare.
So that's the awards and their "winners". I hope the they appreciate them(!)
