South Yorkshire Bus Service Needs Improvement

[Guest]

7 hours ago, Resident said:

There are already moves being made so that this is no longer the case given that it's been proven to work so saying it won't happen is false hope. 

 

The industry is pushing for it & in a probable first, the majority of all parties (management, union & drivers) are in agreement. 

It may well happen but that doesn't mean it will be a success no matter who agrees.

They all agree because it makes the job easier for them   -   the important ones ( or should be ),  are the passengers.

If passenger numbers fall instead of rising, what happens then?

 

[RollingJ]

27 minutes ago, Organgrinder said:

It may well happen but that doesn't mean it will be a success no matter who agrees.

They all agree because it makes the job easier for them   -   the important ones ( or should be ),  are the passengers.

If passenger numbers fall instead of rising, what happens then?

 

From my  extensive experience of travelling by bus in many areas of the UK, I can't see this happening. I would say 95%+ passengers use either debit/credit cards or passes.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, RollingJ said:

From my  extensive experience of travelling by bus in many areas of the UK, I can't see this happening. I would say 95%+ passengers use either debit/credit cards or passes.

The biggest problem with buses in recent times is not  "how you pay"   and the need is to get passenger numbers up.

It may just be, that the discussion is heading in the wrong direction.

I am just a casual observer with little experience of travelling by bus in many areas of the UK,  but a smattering of common sense.

[RollingJ]

7 minutes ago, Organgrinder said:

The biggest problem with buses in recent times is not  "how you pay"   and the need is to get passenger numbers up.

It may just be, that the discussion is heading in the wrong direction.

I am just a casual observer with little experience of travelling by bus in many areas of the UK,  but a smattering of common sense.

The problem is, buses, by their very nature, do not always go where you want, when you want, so people use their cars.  Had life not played a trick on me 50 years ago, I would (possibly) be a motorist today.

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, RollingJ said:

The problem is, buses, by their very nature, do not always go where you want, when you want, so people use their cars.  Had life not played a trick on me 50 years ago, I would (possibly) be a motorist today.

Agreed.  That and frequency plus reliability is what needs addressing. 

[RollingJ]

6 minutes ago, Organgrinder said:

Agreed.  That and frequency plus reliability is what needs addressing. 

Therein lies the problem. If they are not used, they will not be provided - simple economics. They will not be run if they are going to be carrying fresh air for 90% of their running time, and the volume of other traffic on our roads means reliability cannot be guaranteed. There are other factors also, but they have been done to death on this, and similar, topics.

[Jeffrey Shaw]

Also: remember that First vehicles often move around its national fleet.

So ticket-machinery operative in one part of GB may appear in another part if the bus is relocated.

It doesn't necessarily mean that the machinery actually works in the bus's new home town.

[RollingJ]

3 minutes ago, Jeffrey Shaw said:

Also: remember that First vehicles often move around its national fleet.

So ticket-machinery operative in one part of GB may appear in another part if the bus is relocated.

It doesn't necessarily mean that the machinery actually works in the bus's new home town.

But - First use Ticketer terminals on its national fleet, and they can, and do, remove/add peripherals as required.

[Guest busdriver1]

11 hours ago, Resident said:

There are already moves being made so that this is no longer the case given that it's been proven to work so saying it won't happen is false hope. 

 

The industry is pushing for it & in a probable first, the majority of all parties (management, union & drivers) are in agreement. 

The only way it could happen is in a situation like London where the TC powers get delegated, that came from the TC's offices. The natural flow is away from cash (apart from a few dinosaurs) so I really dont think its worth getting to bothered about. 

 

Saying that, the reason it is currently illegal is because BSOG is paid to PUBLIC services and not Private services. If any sort of pre qualification is required i.e. pass, debit card, oyster card etc the service becomes a private service in the eyes of the TC. 

 

Thought exercise.

If buses in South Yorkshire went cashless then the BSOG money would be withheld.

THE PTE / SYMCA currently retain this money instead of passing it on to the operators so it is they that would lose out! 

[Jeffrey Shaw]

On 06/06/2023 at 16:31, RollingJ said:

Therein lies the problem. If they are not used, they will not be provided - simple economics.

True. But so is the converse: if they are not provided, they will not be  used.