The BSIP !!

Bus and Coach operations, new or changed services and timetables for First Midland Red Buses Limited or its predecessor, Midland Red West Limited.
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DD12
Posts: 1650
Joined: 19:49 Monday 4th July 2016

The BSIP !!

Post by DD12 » 21:21 Thursday 11th November 2021

https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/19 ... -services/

A glimmer of hope for the whole of Worcestershire's buses !!
:)

TimBrown
Posts: 1280
Joined: 05:59 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Worcester

Re: The BSIP !!

Post by TimBrown » 11:27 Friday 12th November 2021

I wouldn't hold your breath waiting! Ask yourself who pulled the plug on early morning, evening and weekend tendered work and a load of sparsely populated country routes- Worcestershire County Council of course, because it was costing too much money and likely to put the Council Tax up by a few %. Have the predominately well-heeled SUV owning Conservative Councillors really any idea what the inside of a bus looks like, and do they use buses to get about our City and County on Worcs. C.C. business? Thought not, leopards don't change their spots overnight.

This latest plea for Government money seems a vain effort to cover up complaints from less well off constituents with no buses or no useable services, shift the blame to HM Government. But of course we all know that Boris's promise of bus services to 'London standards' throughout the country will lead to 10 minute frequency on all our local services seven days a week with hourly night buses from 2022 anyway. Dream on!

Historically, Worcs. C.C. have a less than envious reputation on public transport, remember the promises not so long ago of 'Park and Ride' sites on all the main entry roads into Worcester - then look at what has happened with Perdiswell. The Six Ways site still remains as a glorified car park for Worcestershire Royal Hospital with the buses just shuttling between the two and never ever coming into the City. Not so long ago we had several through bus services connecting most points of the compass and a couple of circular routes connecting the hospital with many parts of the city; I realise they are not easy to operate, but they have all been replaced with stand-alone services which don't connect with their replacements in Crowngate; passengers have lost through fares as well. Joined up it ain't.

Talking about bringing in eco-buses goes against the actions of First who brought in all the old dirty Citaros and Worcester City Council's indefinite postponement of a CAZ Clean Air Zone in the city. If only they really did all pull together we might, just might, see some progress, but as I stated at the start, don't hold your breath waiting!

Reddibus
Posts: 44
Joined: 18:46 Tuesday 22nd January 2019

Re: The BSIP !!

Post by Reddibus » 12:08 Friday 12th November 2021

Just to be clear all local transport authorities have had to submit one of these plans so they are all putting in bids for lots of new buses.

Key as has been said you do need a County Council that actually has some interest in developing public transport as illustrated in the last local transport plan that centres around widening the Worcester bypass so they can build more houses and improve car journey times to the M5 junction.

Getting some of the basics right like proper timetable information in the bus stations would be a cheap start. The where to board your bus guide in Worcester bus station is several years out of date and looks like a word file printed out on plain paper. so would not take too much effort! especially as many of the services on there they pay for

bmmoboy
Posts: 549
Joined: 20:02 Tuesday 5th July 2016

Re: The BSIP !!

Post by bmmoboy » 20:10 Friday 12th November 2021

£87 million - that would buy a lot of expensive bus shelters - with no buses to use them!!!

Another thing - where are they going to find the drivers for all these new services - there aren't enough at the moment, and the situation is getting worse.

Also Tim, the Sixways park and ride site with a bus service to the hospital has not operated since the first lockdown, and as yet, there are no plans for this to be resurrected.

TimBrown
Posts: 1280
Joined: 05:59 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Worcester

Re: The BSIP !!

Post by TimBrown » 14:48 Monday 15th November 2021

I happened to drive along the A38 past the Perdiswell site of the ill-fated 'Park and Ride' for the first time today in ages and was taken aback that it is now a substantial three or four storey residential apartment block. My local Liberal Democrats, city and county council, are still sending out newsletters calling for Park & Ride set-ups in and around the City, but I noticed an article in the local press that the, admittedly useless, bus lane adjacent to Lidl's in Newtown Road was to be closed on a trial basis for two years, which indicates that the Tory majority on Worcs. C.C. have made their minds up that Worcester doesn't need a 'P & R' at all!

Looking on the Web it appears that Shrewsbury has three 'Park and Ride' sites operating on a 20 minute frequency from 07-20 to 18-20 weekdays and from 08-00 on Saturdays.
Stratford-upon-Avon has one 'Park & Ride' operating from 07-30 to 18-45 Monday to Saturday on a 15 minute to 30 minute frequency. Where did the faithful City go wrong?

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AdamH
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Joined: 12:17 Sunday 3rd July 2016
Location: Worcester
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Re: The BSIP !!

Post by AdamH » 17:27 Wednesday 17th November 2021

DD12 wrote:
21:21 Thursday 11th November 2021
https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/19 ... -services/

A glimmer of hope for the whole of Worcestershire's buses !!
:)
I've not read the document in minute detail, but the bits I did read didn't seem to offer much of a glimmer to me. The rate of passenger decline is shocking and way worse than those in all the bordering counties. I have read the equivalent document from Gloucestershire County Council and that outlines clear upgrade paths for the future, with progress paths and expected completion dates. This is something that is lacking or vague in the WCC document and suggests they don't really have any firm plans at all.

DD12
Posts: 1650
Joined: 19:49 Monday 4th July 2016

Re: The BSIP !!

Post by DD12 » 21:02 Wednesday 17th November 2021

AdamH wrote:
17:27 Wednesday 17th November 2021
DD12 wrote:
21:21 Thursday 11th November 2021
https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/19 ... -services/

A glimmer of hope for the whole of Worcestershire's buses !!
:)
I've not read the document in minute detail, but the bits I did read didn't seem to offer much of a glimmer to me. The rate of passenger decline is shocking and way worse than those in all the bordering counties. I have read the equivalent document from Gloucestershire County Council and that outlines clear upgrade paths for the future, with progress paths and expected completion dates. This is something that is lacking or vague in the WCC document and suggests they don't really have any firm plans at all.
I should not be worried by the current situation, and the prospects for the future of bus services in south Worcestershire, - - but I am !!

I think this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to "build back better", but there are several serious problems to address, and there's the risk that a huge amount of government £ ( - our £), will not achieve a sustainable improvement in our area.

I'll just keep my fingers crossed for all the people who need a frequent + reliable bus service in Worcester, - which after-all is just a small city or big town !!

..... and the people depending on buses in Pershore, Malvern, and Droitwich (etc) all need their buses to be able to get through Worcester's congestion !!

DD12
Posts: 1650
Joined: 19:49 Monday 4th July 2016

Re: The BSIP !!

Post by DD12 » 12:59 Friday 26th November 2021

https://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/BSIP

I've only just discovered the above link.

I believe that south Worcestershire will need all the funding promised by the government, but unfortunately the article in the link below suggests it wont be enough £ to achieve the sustainable objectives !

https://www.route-one.net/news/cpt-rese ... ambitions/

bmmoboy
Posts: 549
Joined: 20:02 Tuesday 5th July 2016

Re: The BSIP !!

Post by bmmoboy » 16:20 Sunday 28th November 2021

In the latest edition of Buses magazine, there is an article about Devon County Council and their ambitious plans. It all looks good on paper, with communities of over 500 receiving at least 4 buses a day, increased frequencies on all services, and night buses on some routes. But I ask this question once again - where are they going to find the drivers! Its very short sighted by the Government, in a similar fashion to electric cars - no-one has thought about where all the electricity is going to come from, where all the charging points are going to be located, and the fact that the Government have only just realised that they are going to lose billions every year in no fuel tax. I hope to be proved wrong, but I think that BSIP will just fade away quietly over the next few months.

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