'Sheffield buses 'are now on time' - Sheffield Star fiction

[dutch]

What's that got to do with buses?

 

Unless he's going to become a coach.

 

12 million, waiting a long time for that one to come

[Manlinose]

What's that got to do with buses?

 

Unless he's going to become a coach.

 

Well I thought it was funny!

[Touchwood]

I'm more limited in the jobs I can take now. I went for an interview at Woodseats, but now that there is no 53 to take me directly there, it took an hour and 40 minutes! I won't accept the job if it's offered to me.

 

It's hard for me to get to the hospital for x-rays and appointments, as well. They've taken the 97 and 98 from us (Colley Road) and the 83/83A leaves me at the top of the hill with a walk down and then having to walk up the hill to get a bus home. I find this very difficult since I have a problem with my feet. Also, the 83/83A is not as frequent as it used to be. I have suffered from two viruses and a chest infection since the bus changes and I think it's partly due to the extreme crowding (everyone coughing and sneezing on you) and the fact that I've spent over twice as long waiting out in the cold and rain for a bus, now having to use stops in the city centre that don't have protective covers like the stops I used previously. I never even had to go to city centre before! What a farce.

[Ghozer]

My bus was reduced from 3 (no more than 7 mins between, supposibly) to 2 busses, with anything from 12-35 minutes between...

 

it's stupid, especially since it's a hostpital route too...

[Andy C]

Parsons Cross has routes 7,8,8a,20,32,35,83,83a,97,98

 

Woodseats has routes 18,20,24,25,43,43a,44,75,76,X17

 

Both surely still comprehensively served. Connections available. Try the journey planner at http://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com.

 

I think a number of people at the Woodseats side are glad to see the back of the 53 given that the buses always dissapeared in North Sheffield traffic when Wednesday were at home, only complaint is the 43/43a/44 doesn't offer as good a link to the railway station as the 53 did.

Edited February 29, 2016 by Andy C

[Ghozer]

It hasn't worked...

 

 

we knew it any way...

[Sheff2006]

I knew the 'monitor performance' line would be in the Facebook statement somewhere! Its ok monitoring performance but this doesn't solve the problems with delayed/missing/regular bunching up of buses etc.

[Andy C]

I knew the 'monitor performance' line would be in the Facebook statement somewhere! Its ok monitoring performance but this doesn't solve the problems with delayed/missing/regular bunching up of buses etc.

 

The problem is the bigger picture needs to be looked at and that involves the council as the managers of the road system taking some responsibility as well as bus operators.

 

The questions have to be WHY are buses getting delayed, going missing or bunching up? WHAT needs to be done to solve that?

[Sheff2006]

The questions have to be WHY are buses getting delayed, going missing or bunching up? WHAT needs to be done to solve that?

 

From my own experience, here are possible problem areas:

 

High frequency routes. Once a bus gets delayed then the next one soon catches up and so the bunching up starts. Too many buses on the same route when other areas of Sheffield need more buses.

 

City centre bus stops and routes. Given the large amount of buses using the West Street, Leopold Street, Pinstone Street, Arundel Gate area to get out of the city, this means more delays are likely due to the number of buses all in the same areas. Haymarket is even worse as there are also buses coming up from the Wicker area e.g the X78.

[Andy C]

From my own experience, here are possible problem areas:

 

High frequency routes. Once a bus gets delayed then the next one soon catches up and so the bunching up starts. Too many buses on the same route when other areas of Sheffield need more buses.

 

City centre bus stops and routes. Given the large amount of buses using the West Street, Leopold Street, Pinstone Street, Arundel Gate area to get out of the city, this means more delays are likely due to the number of buses all in the same areas. Haymarket is even worse as there are also buses coming up from the Wicker area e.g the X78.

 

Clearly buses missing or bunching is a result of delays and disruption, the crux of the issue that needs dealing with is the cause of delay in the first place.

 

Now sometimes it is higher than normal passenger numbers, technical faults or driver issues, however it is more often down to things like roadworks, traffic congestion, road closures, traffic light faults, obstructed bus lanes/stops etc all which are outside the bus operators control and fall into the responsibility of the council. The council is a member of the bus partnership - they should accept the need to change things too.

 

The City Centre bus stop issue has been addressed to some extent - the only buses that are allowed to use High Street/Church Street are principally those that are heading to West Street or Abbeydale Road. The Chesterfield Road buses go from Arundel Gate and Ecclesall Road buses go from Snig Hill. Buses bunching on 52/52a and 120 can cause issues overwhelming the stops on Church Street/High Street but the buses only run as frequent as they do because they are so busy.

Edited March 1, 2016 by Andy C