Proposed Bus Changes April 2024

[Michael_N]

48 minutes ago, rogets said:

Whens Loxley going to get a decent bus service?

It will be gaining the 52A service back again from 8th April. It's a simple case of use it or lose it. Frequency will be increased by 50% of what is currently in place, but if no one uses it - it will quickly be cut back or culled altogether.

[Planner1]

1 hour ago, RollingJ said:

The points are (1 )It isn't free (2) It duplicates other routes (3) If 'the public' wanted it, why don't they use it?

There have been plenty of examples where members of the public say they need / want to keep a bus service, but the ridership figures show it isn’t well used.

 

People tend to want the bus to be there as a backup, just in case, but don’t use them very often. As others have said, use it or lose it.

 

 

[RollingJ]

1 minute ago, Planner1 said:

There have been plenty of examples where members of the public say they need / want to keep a bus service, but the ridership figures show it isn’t well used.

 

People tend to want the bus to be there as a backup, just in case, but don’t use them very often. As others have said, use it or lose it.

 

 

Exactly - they are slightly thick. Any response to points (1) &  (2)

[Planner1]

1 hour ago, RollingJ said:

Our 'elected representatives' - oh, you mean Dan Jarvis and Terry Fox - a great pair of guys.

'politicians have wanted'  - that says it all, really.

I never mentioned which politicians.

 

While I worked in South Yorkshire I heard quite a few councillors ask about the possibility of free bus services. Manchester’s was often mentioned.

Maybe their constituents ask about it or maybe they like the idea and want to say that they “delivered” it. Who knows.

 

[RollingJ]

Just now, Planner1 said:

I never mentioned which politicians.

 

While I worked in South Yorkshire I heard quite a few councillors ask about the possibility of free bus services. Manchester’s was often mentioned.

Maybe their constituents ask about it or maybe they like the idea and want to say that they “delivered” it. Who knows.

 

I know you didn't mention which politicians, but I did, because we all know who was behind the ludicrous idea.

Exactly - 'they' liked the idea, and it made them look 'caring', but they fail to think about the cost, and other factors.

[Planner1]

1 hour ago, RollingJ said:

The points are (1 )It isn't free (2) It duplicates other routes (3) If 'the public' wanted it, why don't they use it?

Maybe they don’t have enough money to make it completely free.

 

Manchesters is free. They used to fund it with contributions from developers. Not sure if that is still the case. Last I looked they had three routes around the city and of course it duplicates parts of other routes. Plenty of bus services run along the same route as another service for part of their route. 

[Planner1]

2 minutes ago, RollingJ said:

I know you didn't mention which politicians, but I did, because we all know who was behind the ludicrous idea.

Exactly - 'they' liked the idea, and it made them look 'caring', but they fail to think about the cost, and other factors.

You may feel they had dubious reasons, but we don’t really know, it’s speculation.

 

They will have known the costs, officers will have briefed them on it and a business case will have been developed.
 

Ultimately,  governance committees/boards which are made up of councillors have to approve projects / expenditure. It isn’t just down to a mayor or leader.

[RollingJ]

As no-one uses it, it is pointless running it, free or not, although it is 'free' if you have (a) a ticket from a normal service, dated that day, like you would have if you travelled into the city, or (b) if you have a concessionary pass.

 

From my knowledge of Manchester, their city is somewhat different in topography and layout - maybe because of that people do use it - I admit I don't have any details on that. Strangely enough, I know that there are duplications of routes - especially in a city centre - there are only so many roads a 36' bus can use.

10 minutes ago, Planner1 said:

Maybe they don’t have enough money to make it completely free.

 

Manchesters is free. They used to fund it with contributions from developers. Not sure if that is still the case. Last I looked they had three routes around the city and of course it duplicates parts of other routes. Plenty of bus services run along the same route as another service for part of their route. 

 

[RollingJ]

5 minutes ago, Planner1 said:

You may feel they had dubious reasons, but we don’t really know, it’s speculation.

 

They will have known the costs, officers will have briefed them on it and a business case will have been developed.
 

Ultimately,  governance committees/boards which are made up of councillors have to approve projects / expenditure. It isn’t just down to a mayor or leader.

I certainly feel they had dubious reasons, and I suspect some of those are obvious to many people - obviously not you, though.

 

Of course they SHOULD have known the costs, officers will have briefed them on it - and probably been disregarded if those briefings didn't fit their views. Not that I'm going searching for it, but it would be very interesting to see the 'business case'.

 

These committees/boards are, as you say made up of councillors, who, if they want to remain in their positions, do as they are told - rather like national parties and the tree-line whip.

[Planner1]

7 minutes ago, RollingJ said:

As no-one uses it, it is pointless running it, free or not, although it is 'free' if you have (a) a ticket from a normal service, dated that day, like you would have if you travelled into the city, or (b) if you have a concessionary pass.

 

From my knowledge of Manchester, their city is somewhat different in topography and layout - maybe because of that people do use it - I admit I don't have any details on that. Strangely enough, I know that there are duplications of routes - especially in a city centre - there are only so many roads a 36' bus can use.

 

I don’t know any details of the Sheffield one. Perhaps they have a contract in place and will review it at the end or when there is a break clause.

 

When I worked in Manchester the free bus was used. It ran from outside Piccadilly station so was useful. Bigger city, more people though.