The dreaded FIRST BUS!

Railways, trams, buses, etc.
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tyke bhoy
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Re: The dreaded FIRST BUS!

Post by tyke bhoy »

I noticed Look North mentioning Worst were putting up Ticket Prices this morning due to increased cost of operations. While I accept the payroll is likley to be their biggest operational cost and this will have been subject to a cost of living (pay rise) increase its likely their next biggest cost, fuel for the buses, has reduced by 10% towards the end of last year and at present looks more likely to reduce futher than go up.

PS Look North introduced it as a fare increase for West Yorkshire bus users. I could be wrong but I don't think Worst operates a single service in Wakefield district it doesn't operate many in Kirklees either. It probably is only responsible for about 50% of services in Bradford and Calderdale and if Centrebus continue taking over its Leeds' services it soon won't even have 50% of the Leeds routes.
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BLAKEY
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Re: The dreaded FIRST BUS!

Post by BLAKEY »

Well folks, I'll try not to rant or to repeat what I've written about at length in the past - but there can't be another bus operator anywhere so adept and skilled at throwing money down the drain :shock: :shock: - to keep "consultants" in massive fees :x :x , and to vainly try to impress a totally disinterested passenger base !! :x :x
This is not, of course, to say that wages and fuel costs don't come into it - they DO come high on or top of the list of outgoings - BUT they are two essential and unavoidable items - the few following examples are just the tip of the iceberg in the list of shocking and futile waste !!

Ridiculous complex and meaningless liveries - people want the bus, not a mobile art gallery with pictures of architectural items concealed in the lettering, and supposedly transparent windows plastered with adverts for various tickets and "contravision" speckled dots, and lets not forget the purple speckled skirts down amongst all the road muck - luckily the latter have quietly disappeared.

The "ftr" arrogant fiasco in Leeds and York where the "streetcars" were operated by "pilots" assisted, after the original intention of tickets from street machines failed to take off, by "customer service hosts." I took great exception to having my limited intelligence insulted by being told that an articulated BUS with metal "spats" oiver the wheels was a STREETCAR. :shock: :shock: The ones recently expelled from York were only five or six years old and therefore not in need of any type of refurbishment at all, but of course of too high a book value to be sold at a realistic figure even if anyone had been daft enough to buy them - So off they went to a specialist contractor in the north east where they were un-necessarily refurbished and painted in yet another blue colour scheme with barmy vynil slogans everywhere and when they returned here what to do with them ?? I don't think anyone with any knowledge of transport operation could believe what came next - they were placed on the old established 72 service from Leeds to Bradford on a 7 minute frequency , more than doubling the wages bill as they replace One Person double deckers which had provided an exemplary 10 minute service, in one form or another, for around a century. Other mad aspects of this plan included the inability of the monsters to use Leeds Bus Station and as far as I know only one at a time in Bradford Interchange - they can be seen regularly, ligthly loaded, in "trains" of two or three causing havoc in already choked city thoroughfares.

Now for the latest proposal to really shovel some more brass down the drain - if they get their way a large number of the unbelievable "toy Routemasters" requested - nay demanded and masterminded - by London's Boris will be on the streets at a cost each of 150% of the price of a sane normal double decker - you may have seen the green demonstrator in Leeds lately. Of course a "First" version will not utilise the included center doorway or open rear platform, and so they'll be delayed at every stop by the rugby scrum of those alighting and others anxious to get on - somebody please tell me that its not a bad dream !! :( :(
There's nothing like keeping the past alive - it makes us relieved to reflect that any bad times have gone, and happy to relive all the joyful and fascinating experiences of our own and other folks' earlier days.

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Leodian
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Re: The dreaded FIRST BUS!

Post by Leodian »

Well said Blakey.

The "supposedly transparent windows plastered with adverts for various tickets and "contravision" speckled dots" is one thing that particularly irritates me on some buses as I want to look out and not have my view spoiled :roll:.
A rainbow is a ribbon that Nature puts on when she washes her hair.

Bracken
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Re: The dreaded FIRST BUS!

Post by Bracken »

More wasted money examples which have occured are the extended bus stops markings etc that were put in place when the FTR was on the number 4 service in Leeds which is now a normal bus service now.Also what about the raised kerbs near Pudsey Civic Hall and Pudsey Police Station where buses pass with the very limited number 8 service but the bus stops are no longer used.I wonder how much these raised kerbs cost.

Riponian
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Re: The dreaded FIRST BUS!

Post by Riponian »

It's not so much Worst as Metro in charge of some of the silly decisions. I see the FTR fiasco as many have - as a diversion from tram/trolleybus development. They've not quite commited to things like they have done down in the smoke such as not being able to pay cash of the bus, although I'd watch this space when the PAYG M-Card is launched later in the year.
I lament the loss of the "Green Zone" as I'd only be doing a relatively short distance, and don't need to travel all over the city, and the single fare over this distance is silly (over £2). First wonder why they lose passengers, maybe they ought to ask those who've stopped using them over the years.
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Uno Hoo
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Re: The dreaded FIRST BUS!

Post by Uno Hoo »

PS Look North introduced it as a fare increase for West Yorkshire bus users. I could be wrong but I don't think Worst operates a single service in Wakefield district it doesn't operate many in Kirklees either. It probably is only responsible for about 50% of services in Bradford and Calderdale and if Centrebus continue taking over its Leeds' services it soon won't even have 50% of the Leeds routes.[/quote]

H'mm, First is one of the biggest, if not THE biggest bus operator in Huddersfield, the capital of Kirklees. It has well over 50% of Bradford. Seems to have the lion's share of Calderdale as well. Arriva is certainly top dog in Wakefield, but I would imagine First is the recognisable image in West Yorkshire overall.
The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, moves on; nor all thy Piety nor all thy Wit can call it back to cancel half a Line, nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.

Bracken
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Re: The dreaded FIRST BUS!

Post by Bracken »

Is it just me or does anyone else think those double deck Eclipse Gemini buses that have those pink Pulse stickers on look horrible.It just defaces what is a good looking bus.

BLAKEY
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Re: The dreaded FIRST BUS!

Post by BLAKEY »

I couldn't agree more Bracken - in fact I loathe the entire "First" image of meaningless white, lilac, purple exteriors, and even more purple and pink or turquoise handrails within ,oh and those endless ticketing adverts in and on the windows. As you say, the purple "Pulse" nonsense all over the front and side windows is just the last straw, although no doubt their "consultants" will already be cooking up something even worse and a more expensive total waste of money in which the travelling public are either unaware or totally disinterested. Don't get me started please on the "72" lunacy - where the century old facility of normal double decker vehicles, tram and bus, has served well, only to be replaced by the purple (of course) articulated horrors on an unnecessary increased frequency and at double the wages bill - admittedly yes this provides employment but times have changed of necessity and nowadays such a large proportion of passengers prepay.
Running from Hunslet Depot at present are two shining examples of what dignified buses should look like - these vehicles being the "heritage livery" ones in Yorkshire Rider and West Yorkshire Road Car Co. Ltd. liveries.
There's nothing like keeping the past alive - it makes us relieved to reflect that any bad times have gone, and happy to relive all the joyful and fascinating experiences of our own and other folks' earlier days.

raveydavey
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Re: The dreaded FIRST BUS!

Post by raveydavey »

I'd like to pass okn a huge vote of thanks to the Worst drivers who added to the near gridlock of the city centre on Thursday evening by deliberately blocking the box junction where the Loop crosses Albion Street.
A truly selfish and totally unnecessary action by supposedly professional drivers blocking one of the few routes that could have been moving..
Speaking the Truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act – George Orwell

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Leodian
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Re: The dreaded FIRST BUS!

Post by Leodian »

Regarding the Pulse stickers on the buses I find that they are distracting and so make it difficult to read the destination/number until the bus is quite close.
A rainbow is a ribbon that Nature puts on when she washes her hair.

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