MidlandRed.net

Announced on First's website... https://news-wew.firstbus.co.uk/news/wo ... s-benefits

Shame nothing coming up ombersley road way still, could do a circular service going up to the northern link road come off at Blackpole go into Warndon Villages, hospital down ronkswood into shrub hill and the reverse

marck wrote: ↑

19:49 Monday 24th July 2023

Shame nothing coming up ombersley road way still, could do a circular service going up to the northern link road come off at Blackpole go into Warndon Villages, hospital down ronkswood into shrub hill and the reverse

I reckon First Bus have abandoned any ideas of running up Ombersley Road apart from that morning and afternoon school bus 32S. The same happened to the 41 and 43 buses which operated over Hollymount Road, Tunnel Hill, Troutbeck Drive and Ambleside Drive. That area hasn't had a bus for at least 10 years, probably more, and at the other end of the route there still isn't a bus connecting Ronkswood with Tesco supermarket in the Lyppards. The 36 is a feeble hourly 9-30 am to 14-30 pm attempt to provide a service from Bilford Road and Warndon to the Worcestershire Royal Hospital on weekdays with a slightly extended timetable on Saturdays, but a shadow of the 31A / 31C which provided a direct early bus to the Warndon Trading Estates and the Hospital from Droitwich Road and Warndon, plus from Newtown Road and Warndon Villages to the Trading Estate in the other direction.

I see two main problems to any new service starting up and eventually succeeding; the ticket machine tells the operator exactly where the passengers are using the service and how much revenue is generated i.e. the money hot spots, note; not where they need to provide a service. Secondly Worcestershire County Council seem totally unconcerned at the lack of early morning, evening and Sunday buses and no longer subsidise less profitable routes (look at the dreadful Malvern services now!) which has the affect of reducing the daytime services even more as there is no incentive for passengers to use late afternoon journeys because there is no return bus in the evening. County Council Authorities in other areas such as Herefordshire and Gloucestershire seem more public transport orientated going by several reports recently on this website forum.

On this basis it hurts me to say "Sorry Marck but unless there is a major swing towards public transport with our local authorities, I don't think we will ever see a 37 running along Ombersley Road again, only scruffy battered Diamond 303's; I worry that even that hourly service is at risk of curtailment due to lack of patronage too!

I am wondering of the U1 has received some funding from the University? I find that their staff and students usually have a generally more appreciation of "green" travel methods.

As others have say in the lack of support from local authorities, it's useful to grab funding from other sources!

First Bus has tried wooing the scholars and staff at Worcester University over the last ten or more years, early on with part or full adverts on those awful cramped ex-Park and Ride Caetano Darts with the 31 series of services, then there was a dedicated 31U for a couple of years circa 2017; did those ever do any good because the 31's have suffered severe cuts during and since Covid?

Whenever I have gone to North Quay to photograph steam trains traversing Worcester railway bridge across the Severn there seem to be a multitude of young adults walking along the river bank and I always assumed they had come from the campus on foot via the Sabrina foot and cycle bridge en route to other University venues scattered around the City Centre. I guess success of any new service will depend on the frequency and low fares especially to cash-strapped students.

Will these changes mean that more buses will be required ? Or just that the bus rotas get jiggled around ?

I don’t think that these changes will mean a large influx of vehicles, but a couple may be needed. However 32645 and 37147 will be withdrawn soon on expiry of their MoT’s, to be replaced by 2 Streetdecks from an unknown source.

https://www.firstbus.co.uk/worcestershi ... ed-changes

This link is for changes from 3rd September.

The new U1 service starts on the 18th.

Anyone want to hazard a guess which type of buses will be used on the U1 when it starts and if it will have it's own branding or not I'd guess Unibus livery

I would guess that the two E200s will be used on this service.

With regards to the comments about the Council's involvement with public transport, I agree wholeheartedly with Tim that there is very little interest in buses (and trains) in the County. A good example of this is the X50, which leaves the City Centre and gets to Parkway just as the Paddington service is departing. Hardly a co-ordinated service.

A few weeks ago, I was on a training course at Padmore Street, the first question was: "what is First's purpose" - I replied that it was to make money for shareholders, using vehicles and staff in the most efficient way possible, and not as it should be, providing a public service, for passengers, when and where they want/need them. My fellow delegates agreed with me, so the trainer quickly changed the subject!!!