Worcestershire's future passenger transport

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

Worcestershire's future passenger transport

Post by DD12 » 16:10 Saturday 1st June 2019

https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/17 ... stershire/

There's an opportunity coming along for us bus enthusiasts and Worcestershire bus users to have an input on this, - albeit bearing in mind the chronic shortage of money, and failing local + national politics !!

:|

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

Re: Worcestershire's future passenger transport

Post by TimBrown » 16:59 Saturday 1st June 2019

DD12 wrote:
16:10 Saturday 1st June 2019
https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/17 ... stershire/

There's an opportunity coming along for us bus enthusiasts and Worcestershire bus users to have an input on this, - albeit bearing in mind the chronic shortage of money, and failing local + national politics !!

:|
I think the building of a primary school on the Perdiswell Park and Ride site sums up the Worcester City Council and Worcestershire County Council attitude towards public transport - if you haven't got a car and don't live on the 35, 44 or 144 route - tough! The 'public say' is just window dressing for an elected councillor to stand up at some time in the future and claim the travelling public were consulted. Whatever is suggested will surely be rejected for lack of funds or 'not commercially viable'. Please, please prove me wrong - but don't worry, I am not holding my breath waiting.

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

Re: Worcestershire's future passenger transport

Post by MattW » 19:44 Saturday 1st June 2019

If I'm still in the area when this consultation comes out I'll happily give my limited input, but I suspect Tim has got it on the nose here....

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

Re: Worcestershire's future passenger transport

Post by DD12 » 21:26 Monday 10th June 2019

https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/17 ... ointments/

This is fairly interesting article for those of us who are interested in Worcester having more than just a skeleton bus service in the future.

Apparently a certain Rob Hughes is now head of operations at First Worcester -- what happened to Sarah East ?

My reading of the article is that First (or successor) could consider pulling out of the Ronkswood Hill services completely IF things are as bad as claimed, and if the appropriate people don't do what they should to help.

There's the "usual mix" in the comments section, but a useful one in particular gave this link to a 2008 worth looking at !!!
https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/22 ... red-lines/

ex MRW
Posts: 8
Joined: 09:43 Wednesday 12th September 2018

Re: Worcestershire's future passenger transport

Post by ex MRW » 08:03 Tuesday 11th June 2019

Sarah East has moved on and is now Head of Operations at National Express West Midlands.

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AdamH
Posts: 2044
Joined: 12:17 Sunday 3rd July 2016
Location: Worcester
Contact:

Re: Worcestershire's future passenger transport

Post by AdamH » 08:08 Tuesday 11th June 2019

Many people have left Worcester in the last 12-months. I think if I walked into Padmore Street depot today the only people I would know would be the engineers!

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

Re: Worcestershire's future passenger transport

Post by DD12 » 11:00 Tuesday 11th June 2019

ex MRW wrote:
08:03 Tuesday 11th June 2019
Sarah East has moved on and is now Head of Operations at National Express West Midlands.
Thanks "ex MRW", she's done well then !

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

Re: Worcestershire's future passenger transport

Post by bmmoboy » 11:08 Tuesday 11th June 2019

Adam - I'm still here

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

Re: Worcestershire's future passenger transport

Post by bmmoboy » 11:12 Tuesday 11th June 2019

DD12 - usual the Council are working "flat out" with the scheme to reduce congestion. That article wasn't worth the paper it was printed on - Worcester's officials are pathetic and haven't got the balls to do anything. The Worcester News (if it still exists by then) could simply print exactly the same story in 2108 because nothing will have changed!!!
The current transport review will be just another waste of time.

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

Re: Worcestershire's future passenger transport

Post by TimBrown » 12:38 Tuesday 11th June 2019

bmmoboy wrote:
11:12 Tuesday 11th June 2019
DD12 - usual the Council are working "flat out" with the scheme to reduce congestion. That article wasn't worth the paper it was printed on - Worcester's officials are pathetic and haven't got the balls to do anything. The Worcester News (if it still exists by then) could simply print exactly the same story in 2108 because nothing will have changed!!!
The current transport review will be just another waste of time.
Worcestershire County Council was almost bankrupt in 2018 - see attached link;

https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/s ... r-finances

I would agree with bmmoboy and add that the local councils seem to be cash-strapped and therefore unable to do anything other than tinker with trivia as far as traffic management is concerned. One way which would cost very little would be to register the bus lanes under Civil Parking Enforcement Orders as a legal entity so that the Police can do the job of policing them at frequent intervals, assuming the West Midlands Constabulary and or Traffic Wardens are sufficiently financed!

As for the Worcester area bus services, it has been widely documented by many enthusiasts about the diminishing early morning and non-existent early/late evening services on our already skeletal network. For my money the Warndon services should rely more on the other routes than the 35 with reintroduction at least two, or three, circular routes which take in Bilford Road, Warndon trading estates and or Tunnel Hill, the Hospital and Ronkswood with proper early morning services and evening runs as well. Where will the money come from? The kind of marketing we have seen to promote the 35 in the past, lower fares, better frequencies and emphasis on clean green buses (not dirty Citaros). Sorry folks, I have just woken up from an idealogical dream and realised I live in abysmal Worcester not 24/7 London!

Here's a public transport conundrum for a non-car owner.

How do you get from Green Lane, Ombersley Road, Worcester to Kidderminster General Hospital for an 08-15 AM appointment by public transport? Well, you can't use the 303 because the first bus courtesy of Diamond 303 doesn't leave Crowngate until 08-30 AM! The first 37 into Worcester from Green Lane isn't until 07-25 and arrives too late to make a meaningful connection with the train from Foregate Street to Kidderminster railway station (which in any case is about two miles from the hospital). The only way I could find was to walk from home leaving at about 05-20 AM to Checketts Lane to catch the 144 leaving Crowngate at 05-55 AM, arriving Bromsgrove 06-29 AM. Then catch a Diamond 42 at 06-50 AM arriving at Kidderminster Hospital at 07-27 AM - apart from the uncertainty of buses actually running, I don't know what it would cost, probably in excess of £7?

In the end I opted for a journey by car, about 25 minutes for the 13 miles and managed to agree an overnight stay on a ward, but the car parking fee (even for patients) is £7-50 for 24 hours - welcome to joined up caring England.

Incidentally, I would be hard pushed to make it to Worcestershire Royal Hospital by public transport if the appointment had been there instead at 08-15 AM, because that first 37 mentioned above often doesn't make Crowngate for the advertised 07-38, making it tight for the 07-50 AM number 38 which arrives at the Hospital 08-07 AM. The next X38 at 08-10 AM arrives too late at 08-22 AM. When the 31A was in operation I could walk to Bilford Road and have choice of three or four early buses (all reasonably loaded!) which arrived before 08-15 AM, now the first 36 isn't until 09-40 or thereabouts - useless for early appointments. First have certainly 'transformed transport' in this area - for the worse, useless for early morning and evening travel.
Look at that, I managed this rant without a four-letter expletive, there's restraint for you.

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