Early Days of Worcester Citibus

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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Early Days of Worcester Citibus

Post by AdamH » 10:28 Thursday 22nd November 2018

Some time ago on a different thread, DD12 posted this...
DD12 wrote:
12:13 Friday 24th August 2018
...is there any chance you could add the original Citibus (21?) timetable ?
and I replied with this...
AdamH wrote:
12:30 Friday 24th August 2018
The earliest Citibus timetable I have is from late 1986 as the original ones were printed on small cards designed to fit into your wallet, and not many have survived. Even when they have, most just said “at frequent intervals” so don’t really give much away.
Anyway, since then I have managed to find an early Citibus 21 timetable on eBay, so here it is. There is no date printed on it so I'm not 100% sure it's from the introduction of the service in 1985, but you will notice the map on the back shows that it doesn't run via the estate, so it is a very early example.

citibus21_front.png
Early Citibus 21, front.
citibus21_back.png
Early Citibus 21, back.

DD12
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Re: Early Days of Worcester Citibus

Post by DD12 » 10:50 Thursday 22nd November 2018

Thanks very much Adam -- -- I'm sure "our Tim" will also be interested, -- although it will also aggravate his annoyance at First's minimum service level along the Ombersley Road.

TimBrown
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Re: Early Days of Worcester Citibus

Post by TimBrown » 11:08 Thursday 22nd November 2018

DD12 wrote:
10:50 Thursday 22nd November 2018
Thanks very much Adam -- -- I'm sure "our Tim" will also be interested, -- although it will also aggravate his annoyance at First's minimum service level along the Ombersley Road.
It is interesting to look back to the days when a timetable was hardly necessary between 8 am and 5 pm because of the excellent frequency; you could come home on a split shift with no fear of not making it back in time for the second part of the turn! Now it only needs one bus to be missing and there is a gap of an hour, not to mention the 95 minute peak period gap in the current timetable from Green Lane to Crowngate between 0755 and 0930.

Being disabled, I find that a car is essential now if you live in this area as it is too far for me to walk into town. Sadly I don't think we have reached the bottom yet, and I fear the current limited service will drive many back into their cars (despite having concessionary passes) and lead to more cuts in the very near future. Wouldn't surprise me if it went to hourly on a part time basis like the 36 'service'.

All the heavy marketing money seems to be going into routes that are profitable, i.e. 35, 44 and 144 for example and hang the rest!

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AdamH
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Re: Early Days of Worcester Citibus

Post by AdamH » 12:13 Thursday 22nd November 2018

A bit more digging shows the 21 was cut back to every 10-minutes from 30th August 1986 - it may have been earlier but as I said above, the cards didn't come with date printed on them!

However, from that time the route ran around the housing estate giving much more access to many people, and Service 21A appeared which ran around the loop at Gilmour Crescent on the other side of Ombersley Road. As this also ran every 10-minutes, the section of the route from the junction of Beckett Road to the City Centre had a minibus every 5-minutes between approx 08:00 in the morning to 17:40 in the afternoon.

I think there is no co-incidence that this was the last service change before deregulation and privatisation on 26th October and 23nd December respectively. After that and under private ownership the service frequency on all Citibus routes started to slide.

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AdamH
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Re: Early Days of Worcester Citibus

Post by AdamH » 12:22 Thursday 22nd November 2018

AdamH wrote:
12:13 Thursday 22nd November 2018
I think there is no co-incidence that this was the last service change before deregulation and privatisation on 26th October and 23nd December respectively. After that and under private ownership the service frequency on all Citibus routes started to slide.
And before you all start shouting at me... Yes, I do realise that it was the threat of competition from other operators, made possible by the pending deregulation, that promoted Midland Red (West) to launch Citibus in the first place. Without Deregulation Day I'm sure the old "W"-prefix routes run by Leyland Nationals would have continued for many more years!

MattW
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Re: Early Days of Worcester Citibus

Post by MattW » 18:16 Thursday 22nd November 2018

I love the way the leaflet shows it's age by referring to all drivers as 'he', but then goes all up to date by showing some rather 'plus' sized passengers :lol:

Like the whitewall tyres too. ;)

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AdamH
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Re: Early Days of Worcester Citibus

Post by AdamH » 15:51 Friday 23rd November 2018

Just realised... 33 years ago today!

MattW
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Re: Early Days of Worcester Citibus

Post by MattW » 16:42 Friday 23rd November 2018

AdamH wrote:
15:51 Friday 23rd November 2018
Just realised... 33 years ago today!
When we was young! :shock:

No wonder I like that 'Citibus Takes To The Hills' leaflet so much, reminds me I was young once!

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AdamH
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Re: Early Days of Worcester Citibus

Post by AdamH » 16:44 Friday 23rd November 2018

I have recently acquire a copy of that leaflet, in mint condition too... Raided out of the company archive!

MattW
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Re: Early Days of Worcester Citibus

Post by MattW » 18:35 Friday 23rd November 2018

AdamH wrote:
16:44 Friday 23rd November 2018
I have recently acquire a copy of that leaflet, in mint condition too... Raided out of the company archive!
Cool. I'll look forward to a viewing!

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