"along the Salt Road" !

Bus and Coach operations, new or changed services and timetables for First Midland Red Buses Limited or its predecessor, Midland Red West Limited.
Matt
Posts: 47
Joined: 22:17 Tuesday 26th June 2018

Re: "along the Salt Road" !

Post by Matt » 22:39 Wednesday 23rd October 2019

AdamH wrote:
19:37 Tuesday 9th October 2018
marck wrote:
18:55 Tuesday 9th October 2018
What does it do?
Well they didn't warn the drivers the system was live so on the first day it was quite successful in giving one driver the shock of his life! It uses the GPS signal from the ticket machine to work out which stop is next and announce the names of the bus stop as the vehicle approaches. So one dark, wet morning a driver of an empty bus suddenly heard a female voice saying "the next stop is..." 😲

Luckily he managed to compose himself and keep it on the road, otherwise it would have been a very interesting conversation with the Staff Manager explaining the crash... "It's the voices in my head, they made me do it!" 😱
Do I get the feeling this plan was abandoned, given I used the 144 the other day and none of my 3 journeys included any announcements? :lol:

ANDREW
Posts: 765
Joined: 00:38 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Bromsgrove.

Re: "along the Salt Road" !

Post by ANDREW » 10:55 Thursday 24th October 2019

I do not think I have ever heard these announcements. :?

MattW
Posts: 979
Joined: 20:42 Sunday 3rd July 2016
Location: Cornwall

Re: "along the Salt Road" !

Post by MattW » 16:34 Thursday 24th October 2019

I remember hearing some when driving the 144 years ago, but that was a blind lady who had an app on her phone to tell her the same sorts of things as she was travelling along. Was actually pretty impressive!

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SEVERNLINK
Posts: 112
Joined: 14:44 Thursday 27th October 2016
Location: Bromsgrove

Re: ...... "along the Salt Road" !

Post by SEVERNLINK » 19:01 Saturday 26th October 2019

ANDREW wrote:
10:37 Saturday 30th June 2018
SEVERNLINK wrote:
05:39 Friday 29th June 2018
Spotted the man with his ladder yesterday :o I was driving up Broad Street and noticed a new sign then drove a but further and saw him about to do the one by Sainsburys.

I see one has gone up on Crabtree Lane by the multistory car park.I know there's a bus stop marked on the road there or atleast buses only as its where the likes of Cofton and MRD sometimes park up but never seen a sign.
Have just checked traveline and it is indeed shown as a stop am pretty sure that this is new :?:
Not aware of it ever being an official bus stop before , but in the town area , many of the local services can give the impression of operating a "hail and ride" service. :(
The road markings have now moved further down Crabtree Lane so if yer man still has his ladder handy :lol: For some reason they've put a refuge in the middle of the road I did notice a bit of tree debris on the ground and wondered if a DD had been along on a 144a and dislodged a bit of foliage as traffic is now forced nearer the kerb :?

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SEVERNLINK
Posts: 112
Joined: 14:44 Thursday 27th October 2016
Location: Bromsgrove

Re: "along the Salt Road" !

Post by SEVERNLINK » 19:06 Saturday 26th October 2019

Matt wrote:
10:42 Wednesday 10th October 2018
Looks like the stop flag man missed one, there is still an old first stop flag at rock hill, Brecon road stop towards bromsgrove :shock:
Still the old style sign.The hedge has grown around it and a conventional ladder wouldn't reach it.I wonder if the sign is languishing in a storeroom somewhere gathering dust :?:

ANDREW
Posts: 765
Joined: 00:38 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Bromsgrove.

Re: "along the Salt Road" !

Post by ANDREW » 09:51 Tuesday 29th October 2019

Noted a "Nimrod" in Bromsgrove bus station around 13.30 yesterday. :P

ANDREW
Posts: 765
Joined: 00:38 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Bromsgrove.

Re: ...... "along the Salt Road" !

Post by ANDREW » 10:43 Wednesday 30th October 2019

ANDREW wrote:
19:47 Wednesday 23rd October 2019
At some stage [ no pun ] during today , the road markings for this stop have moved around 70 yards in a westerly direction. I guess the flag sign will do the same in due course. :) :geek:
There was a new bus stop sign and post erected within a couple of days. I would assume that the County Councils highway contractors - Ringway - did the work as they installed the infrastructure for the pedestrian crossing. ;)

Matt
Posts: 47
Joined: 22:17 Tuesday 26th June 2018

Re: "along the Salt Road" !

Post by Matt » 22:47 Wednesday 6th November 2019

Observations of 144 today when I’ve seen buses both while I was in Birmingham and on my way after work between Bromsgrove and Droitwich.

A spare bus (didn’t see fleet number) seen on Bristol St Birmingham going out of town at around 13.40

On my way home, an empty 33405 only just leaving Bromsgrove after S23 at 17.40 (very late?)
I was surprised to see 3 none salt road vehicles on 144/a services around 1740-1800
32066 on the short marlbrook 144A
Unidentified streetlight on 144 to B’Ham
66695 on 144A to Worcester


Does that mean there are green buses elsewhere once again making a point that route branding isn’t worth it, esp. if they don’t stick to route! ;)

chason
Posts: 242
Joined: 14:24 Friday 22nd July 2016
Location: Bromsgrove

Re: "along the Salt Road" !

Post by chason » 08:04 Thursday 7th November 2019

Matt wrote:
22:47 Wednesday 6th November 2019

Does that mean there are green buses elsewhere once again making a point that route branding isn’t worth it, esp. if they don’t stick to route! ;)
Is there any evidence that it is actually worth doing- in terms of increased passenger numbers? As others have said, surely what they need is a comfortable bus running at times they want it and at a reasonable fare and that pretty colours are irrelevant.

Brendan
Posts: 28
Joined: 22:29 Tuesday 11th December 2018

Re: "along the Salt Road" !

Post by Brendan » 00:40 Friday 8th November 2019

From a Marketing perspective, for a new customer unfamiliar with Bus travel or the area it builds an affiliation to a route through recognition of a colour scheme. What it doesn't do well is communicate that the vehicle is part of a larger fleet that you can use a zonal ticket on. "Valid on all First Busses" well is it a First Bus? At first glance, no. Same for the Nimrod and Salt Road and don't get me started on Spare Bus.

So when you associate your route as a customer with the blue Riversider and a Salt Road turns up will you board it?

All these things only work if there is consistency and adhearance to a brand guideline which basically means keeping those vehicles on the correct route.

The other thing is that a shiny paint job is worth nothing if the interior is not touched also. That's not a slight on the guys that look after and keep these vehicles going more an observation that the company needs to invest in the whole product as a package and not a quick fix. My personal preference would be a uniform colour scheme for the entire fleet and build a corporate image.

Not since MRW have we had busses all the same colour in Worcester. Then we have had every colour combo under the sun and many attempts at route branding (Overground anyone?) You knew it was a bus, a bus you normally caught, you cod pick it out half a mile away in the rain and you knew your Rover or Severncard was valid (and yes I still remember buying mine every week at the travel centre at Foregate)

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