Possible Non-Runners (?)

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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AdamH
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Re: Possible Non-Runners (?)

Post by AdamH » 17:04 Thursday 26th January 2017

Very odd today. I was sent out to show a new driver the 365 route so expected to be late back because it's not an easy one to learn. However, there was no traffic anywhere so the bus was only 5 minutes late into Crowngate and the 32 ran on time. Still no traffic, even at the St. Peter's roadworks, so now - to my amazement - I'm sat WAITING TIME at the St. Peter's terminus!! :shock:

This would be an easy job if it was always like this.

DD12
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Re: Possible Non-Runners (?)

Post by DD12 » 19:56 Thursday 26th January 2017

AdamH wrote:
17:04 Thursday 26th January 2017
Very odd today. I was sent out to show a new driver the 365 route so expected to be late back because it's not an easy one to learn. However, there was no traffic anywhere so the bus was only 5 minutes late into Crowngate and the 32 ran on time. Still no traffic, even at the St. Peter's roadworks, so now - to my amazement - I'm sat WAITING TIME at the St. Peter's terminus!! :shock:

This would be an easy job if it was always like this.
- CLUE - ...... I didn't go out in my car today, because it was too cold !
...... shall catch-up with my shopping tomorrow !

(I'm very glad to hear that no-one was left in the cold waiting for the 17.05 from St.Peters!) - THUMBS-UP !

DD12
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Re: Possible Non-Runners (?)

Post by DD12 » 18:27 Monday 30th January 2017

Missing again today !
- but nobody waiting along the route, for the 17.05 "return" to Crowngate.

The solution looks obvious to me (but I don't have access to all the necessary info).
- Remove the 16.45 32 from Crowngate (and it's return) from the timetable !

When did it become an option for First to run certain journeys only "when they feel like it" ? - while leaving a small number of customers waiting 40 -50 minutes for a ghost bus ("Spooky isn't it") ?

All this is on a route that has growth potential !

IF, it's commercially desirable to have these buses shown on the timetable at around 16.45 from Crowngate and 17.05 from St.Peters, why not change
the 16.30 333 departure from Crowngate to 16.40 ?

and why not make the 16.46 departure of the 32 from Baynhall, 5 or 10 minutes later so as to provide a bus from St.Peters at 17.00 or 17.05.

I realise that in both of these examples, it may mean that the NEXT duty of the vehicle when it gets back to Crowngate, will need to be 5 or 10 minutes later also -
and, IF needing the same driver, he or she may have run-out of hours/shift.
!

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AdamH
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Re: Possible Non-Runners (?)

Post by AdamH » 20:30 Friday 10th February 2017

Ran this tonight with 33403 which was sooooo much better than 33067. I managed a steady 18-20 mph up Little Malvern which is about FIVE TIMES faster than normal!

The 32 and short 144 both ran on time.

DD12
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Re: Possible Non-Runners (?)

Post by DD12 » 19:09 Saturday 11th February 2017

AdamH wrote:
20:30 Friday 10th February 2017
Ran this tonight with 33403 which was sooooo much better than 33067. I managed a steady 18-20 mph up Little Malvern which is about FIVE TIMES faster than normal!

The 32 and short 144 both ran on time.
IF that is all it takes to fix the missing bus problem, then perhaps the faster 'deckers should always be allocated to that duty if possible (?)

Have you compared a StreetDeck on that duty yet Adam ? - one that didn't break down I mean :)

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AdamH
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Re: Possible Non-Runners (?)

Post by AdamH » 21:04 Saturday 11th February 2017

Vehicle speed isn't the only problem, but a quick bus certainly helps. Traffic is probably the biggest problem and also the number of kids using the bus fluctuates a lot. Some days there are around 90 of them and you have to stop at every single stop on the route and wait for them to fight their way through the crowd to get off, while other days there are only 60 or 70 so some stops are missed, and without people standing on the lower deck they get off much quicker. We need more after-school clubs!

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AdamH
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Re: Possible Non-Runners (?)

Post by AdamH » 21:10 Saturday 11th February 2017

DD12 wrote:
19:09 Saturday 11th February 2017
Have you compared a StreetDeck on that duty yet Adam ? - one that didn't break down I mean :)
I did it with a StreetDeck a few weeks ago but there were roadworks in Malvern and Worcester which made me late to the school, on the route and getting back to Worcester. Not a fare comparison.

DD12
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Re: Possible Non-Runners (?)

Post by DD12 » 13:04 Sunday 12th February 2017

Thanks Adam!

DD12
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Re: Possible Non-Runners (?)

Post by DD12 » 18:57 Monday 13th February 2017

Today, the 17.05 32 from St.Peters did run -
there was a youth sat in the shadows at a bus stop, and the driver couldn't see him until the last moment, and so the driver had to do a very rapid stop -

- only thing was, the youth didn't want the bus, - he just wanted to use his smart-phone !

I don't know whether to :lol: or :cry: .

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AdamH
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Re: Possible Non-Runners (?)

Post by AdamH » 20:51 Monday 13th February 2017

What vehicle did they use today? I was finished and home by then but I did have to go out in the car and I'm sure I saw the slow Volvo heading up London Road to do one of the S1-S4 services.

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