Autumn 2018 service changes/cuts

[marck]

It's ridiculous for the service 37! My mum catches the 1750 bus from bus station to Northwick to get home from work, do people like this not deserve a service? Maybe not putting a double decker on this service would be good idea at those times as they are never needed

[bmmoboy]

If the service revisions have been submitted on July 5, how can they be amended if the council comes up with more money?

[AdamH]

Local Authortiy can overrule the normal waiting period.

[Noggin1]

The expression 'designed by a committee' used on this board elsewhere comes to my mind in regard to the Fifties. What Pershore needs, and its population justifies it, is a reasonably direct half hour service to Worcester. A half hour service is a really convenient service and encourages passengers.
Pershore has two buses an hour but it doesn't feel like it. From Worcester there's no point in catching the 52/53 because the following X50 will get you there about the same time. From Pershore, better catch the X50, else 13 minutes later get the slow one, half the time via Pinvin Xroads, the length of Drakes Broughton, Wadborough, Littleworth and St Peters. What is just about a commercial service should be in the structure, else when the Northamptonshire moment comes, the situation will be worse. Once the 51 type service gets to Pershore, it can go on a subsidised merry go round of villages, but keep the roughly half hour timing combination with the X50 in both directions.

[TimBrown]

It's ridiculous for the service 37! My mum catches the 1750 bus from bus station to Northwick to get home from work, do people like this not deserve a service? Maybe not putting a double decker on this service would be good idea at those times as they are never needed

I would agree with you entirely, and I hadn't clocked that the 1750 from Crowngate was withdrawn too. What a @*$%ing disgrace, so the last Firstbus working out of the City is now 17-15.

WE RESIDENTS ON OMBERSLEY ROAD MUST NOW RELY ON THE DIAMOND 303 AT 17-35 AND 18-35 TO GET HOME IN THE LATE AFTERNOON,.

IS FIRST TRYING TO COMMIT FINANCIAL SUICIDE?

PAYING CUSTOMERS WILL TRANSFER THEIR ALLEGIANCE TO ROTALA, IF THEY HAVEN'T ALREADY DONE SO.

My cousin in London can't believe how the service in Worcester has deteriorated in the last 15 years since he lived here and casually reminds me that in the Capital (Greater London) they have buses, trains, and underground running 24/7 - night services at a premium fare though. Government austerity measures never applied in London despite it being at the heart of the 2008 banking toxic loan scandal, but hit North of Watford very hard; we seem to be paying for their profligacy.

[DD12]

What Pershore needs, and its population justifies it, is a reasonably direct half hour service to Worcester...………….. Once the 51 type service gets to Pershore, it can go on a subsidised merry go round of villages, but keep the roughly half hour timing combination with the X50 in both directions.

Something like that could be "in the pipe-line" (?)
When a few of us met the MD a couple of years ago, he said he would like the X50 to be half-hourly ( - If I remember correctly) !
I don't know whether that would be justified between Pershore and Evesham though.

I would guess that the county council will be VERY reluctant to give First any additional subsidies for the "fifties", but maybe a temporary one (while things get sorted-out) (?) -- for example, to give LMS , Astons, Cresswells, Whittles/Johnsons, etc, enough time to get vehicles and drivers sorted.

[DD12]

It's ridiculous for the service 37! My mum catches the 1750 bus from bus station to Northwick to get home from work, do people like this not deserve a service? Maybe not putting a double decker on this service would be good idea at those times as they are never needed

I would agree with you entirely, and I hadn't clocked that the 1750 from Crowngate was withdrawn too. What a @*$%ing disgrace, so the last Firstbus working out of the City is now 17-15.

WE RESIDENTS ON OMBERSLEY ROAD MUST NOW RELY ON THE DIAMOND 303 AT 17-35 AND 18-35 TO GET HOME IN THE LATE AFTERNOON,.

Isn't it time for a proper Ombersley Road city service to be subsidised ?
- - For the time-being, Diamond operate the 303 along here without subsidy, I believe, -- but for how much longer ? --
When the time comes, how about giving a good quality operator a subsidy to work the 303 to a timetable that enables them to provide a mix of 37 / 303 ?

- and possibly adding the subsidised 294 / 296, and 302 college service to the mix !

Also, is First (only) going to be getting a grant for operating this REDUCED 37 service through the new housing at the top of the Ombersley Road ??

[Noggin1]

DD12
I'm pleased to hear that there was some thinking along these lines at least in the past. I think the X50 was a bit of a copy of Stagecoach's X18 between Stratford and Evesham - a river valley with the difficulty of both sides of the river needing a service. The Stratford bus used to be hourly and meander over the river to Welford, then cross back over at Bidford. Stagecoach cut out Welford and made it half-hourly, and a success. Why, it even has a commercial Sunday service! The X50's rationale is that passengers from Evesham don't want to go on an excursion via Fladbury and Pinvin. The X50's journey times compare quite well with the railway. Pershore station is not convenient for most of Pershore, and indeed Evesham station is not particularly convenient for its population south of the river. It's just odd that Evesham has a better service to Stratford than to its own county town. (Encouragement Note to First: Stagecoach is not a low cost operator)

I don't advocate yet a half hourly service to Evesham, but Pershore is already getting two buses an hour, just not well delivered. Yes it would be best if First and the Council could agree what should be subsidised and what commercial. The 564/565 and 566 services could be better used. But I don't understand the Council. First cut back the then 551 to Lower Moor off-peak and the 382 lost almost all its off-peak. It took a year for the Council to do anything and the Fifties appeared. Do they think that what passengers there were had not made alternative arrangements? I think it's too late to save the service in its current form.

[MattW]

WE RESIDENTS ON OMBERSLEY ROAD MUST NOW RELY ON THE DIAMOND 303 AT 17-35 AND 18-35 TO GET HOME IN THE LATE AFTERNOON,.

God help you then!
It's a good job you've got a decent car Tim, but that of course doesn't apply for everyone. When I used to live in a flat by Turbo Spares there seemed to be a regular bus service. Ok that was the best part of ten years ago, but even so!

[Noggin1]

There is now more detail on the rural routes on the First website -scroll down past the City services detail.
https://www.firstgroup.com/worcestershi ... -september

I suspected it was bad, but I am gutted. Perhaps the Council will help a little - particularly on the 363.
Any driver who moved to the Herefordshire rota made a wise move!
At least the statement about 'minor adjustments' on the City services has gone.