You Wait Ages For A Bus

jim · Post by **jim** » Thu 26 Jul, 2012 10:46 pm

I live on the 16 route, which shares a fair proportion of the "slug's" route. They are both supposed to run to a ten minute headway. Today I waited for thirty-five minutes for a bus at the bus stop on Boar Lane, which eventually turned up at 15.15. Since sending two successive letters of complaint to the bus company I have been recording the waiting times for my last sixteen journeys. (all took place on weekdays between 12.00 and 1600) On five occasions a bus arrived within ten minutes of my arrival at the stop. The other eleven cost me waits varying more or less evenly spaced for periods between fifteen and thirty-five minutes. The same time keeping problems occur on the number four route.I began idly taking note of the No 7 bus services along the same stretch of road travelling towards the railway station. They run almost like clockwork every five minutes. When they reach Wellington Street they wait to return for periods which allow the driver to have a reasonable respite..........and I have never counted more than ten passengers on any of them.The 4 and 16 buses are often full to bursting, prams and even wheelchairs are regularly having to wait for later (and even later) vehicles. Can anyone tell me why the 7 service is so free from problems and running on uneconomic passenger loadings, whilst the cross-city 4 and 16 services are such an appalling mess?

Suvi · Post by **Suvi** » Thu 26 Jul, 2012 10:55 pm

don't even get me started never a 3, 3a, 13, or 13a, but to a posh area where they all have cars 2 and 12 not a problem

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Fri 27 Jul, 2012 12:22 am

tyke bhoy wrote: Blakey will be pleased.............NOT. We have read about it on here for a couple of months but, until today, I hadn't seen confirmation from the horse's mouth ( I nearly wrore official sources but to me Blakey, BigN and others are more official than Worst and Mytow)A link pasted on the Metro Facebook account I am too furious almost to moderate my response to this incredible farce - I thought that at least the existing "slugs" would simply be put on the 72 route as they are, and not refurbished in any way so soon in their existence - money down the drain, consultants everywhere, and all for "comic cuts" results.Here is my reply to all the splash on their publicity - I don't suppose it will be printed in its entirety, or at all, but I'm past caring !!"This incredible nonsense simply beggars belief !! The Leeds - Bradford corridor is already excellently served by proper buses with plenty of seats and very adequate service frequencies.Many people who object to being treated like unintelligent twits are fed up to the back teeth of the "First" spin thinking they can convince us that an articulated bus with metal spats over the wheels is a streetcar - a streetcar is an American tram and always will be.The rich blue livery is a pleasing colour, and would be far better applied to all "First" buses instead of the existing funereal lilac, white and pink/mauve nonsense. The phenomenal area and municipal benefits which are promised from this expensive farce are quite simply a paper dream - for Pity's sake bring a halt to it now before it starts and consign it to the waste paper bin where it belongs."

Post by **mhoulden** » Fri 27 Jul, 2012 1:47 am

Over on Facebook I wrote this: Quote: First have been casting around trying to find a use for these things for ages. They were originally introduced as a spoiler for the Supertram scheme but they were taken off their original Leeds route because they couldn't cope with the twisty roads near St James's Hospital, and they were removed from York after pressure from the council. Because of their massive size and very poor maneuverability it takes very careful planning to find suitable routes for them. A lot of Metro's bus stations are drive in/reverse out, which means they're off limits unless you've got a bloke with a red flag to guide it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPO6024YKOU Could be amusing seeing how they'd cope with the roundabout on the Lea Farm estate on the 50 route, or the turnaround on the Westfield estate just by Yeadon.

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Fri 27 Jul, 2012 2:21 am

Suvi wrote: don't even get me started never a 3, 3a, 13, or 13a, but to a posh area where they all have cars 2 and 12 not a problem You hit the nail on the head there, you can see three buses pass you by on the 'posh area' number 2 &12's to Roundhay while your waiting for the Brackenwood bus, that is without fail.The amazing thing is if you look on the timetable they are supposed to run at the same frequency. So how does that work?And another thing....Reinventing those purple slugs? It's called digging a hole for yourself, instead of admitting you made a mistake and cut your losses, you carry on to try save face. What is wrong with public transport in this City??? First bus are becoming like Tesco's taking over Britain like greedy megalomaniacs. I wish they'd get out of Leeds, they've done more damage to this City than the Luftwaffe managed during W.W.2...GRRR!

dogduke · Post by **dogduke** » Fri 27 Jul, 2012 2:21 am

somme1916 wrote: tyke bhoy wrote: Blakey will be pleased.............NOT. We have read about it on here for a couple of months but, until today, I hadn't seen confirmation from the horse's mouth ( I nearly wrore official sources but to me Blakey, BigN and others are more official than Worst and Mytow)A link pasted on the Metro Facebook accounthttp://www.passengertransport.co.uk/2012/07/fi ... etcar/Note creative branding, customer service training fir highest standards of customer service.Well at least there's free wi-fi which will provide a local hot spot when they get jammed in and/or breakdown Aaaarrgghhhhhh...................... Talk about the 3 Stooges !One thinks itOne writes the chequeThe third tries to justify it with the worst attempt at 'Spin Doctoring'in living memory.The mind truly boggles.

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Fri 27 Jul, 2012 8:33 am

dogduke wrote: [Talk about the 3 Stooges !One thinks itOne writes the chequeThe third tries to justify it with the worst attempt at 'Spin Doctoring'in living memory.The mind truly boggles. What a great relief to read on here such commonsense and non-hysterical comments and opinion from so many folks.I have to say, dogduke, that your "3 stooges" summary tells the whole story magnificently and concisely in just a few short and uncluttered words - a classic comment which should go down loud and bold in the archives !!

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Fri 27 Jul, 2012 8:12 pm

Just to return to the Worst press release..."The local authorities are also supporting the project and at a recent West Yorkshire ITA meeting an initial £74,000 was earmarked for improvements to street infrastructure on the route. Future phases of the project will consider the feasibility of new bus priority schemes to speed up and reduce the variability of journey times on this important transport corridor and First has committed to reinvest any surplus resources as a result of these developments into further frequency and network enhancements."So, not content with the £millions that they've had out of Metro / Leeds City Council for infrastructure improvements on the number 4 route they are now pulling these buses off, they're not tapping up the public purse for a further £74,000, plus the potential to tap up council tax payers for a bit more as and when they see fit.Plus no mention of the conductors - sorry "customer service hosts". Are these poor unfortunates now to be surplus to requirements with passengers paying as they board at a machine, as in York - one of the reasons they were so unpopular there?Is there no end to the idiocy we have foisted on us in Leeds under the banner of 'public transport'?And one final though - Worst already operate the X6 limited stop service betwixt Leeds and Bradford (and on to Huddersfield) - what of that now the 72 is being re-branded as the top line service?

somme1916 · Post by **somme1916** » Sat 28 Jul, 2012 12:11 am

raveydavey wrote: Just to return to the Worst press release..."The local authorities are also supporting the project and at a recent West Yorkshire ITA meeting an initial £74,000 was earmarked for improvements to street infrastructure on the route. Future phases of the project will consider the feasibility of new bus priority schemes to speed up and reduce the variability of journey times on this important transport corridor and First has committed to reinvest any surplus resources as a result of these developments into further frequency and network enhancements."So, not content with the £millions that they've had out of Metro / Leeds City Council for infrastructure improvements on the number 4 route they are now pulling these buses off, they're not tapping up the public purse for a further £74,000, plus the potential to tap up council tax payers for a bit more as and when they see fit.Plus no mention of the conductors - sorry "customer service hosts". Are these poor unfortunates now to be surplus to requirements with passengers paying as they board at a machine, as in York - one of the reasons they were so unpopular there?Is there no end to the idiocy we have foisted on us in Leeds under the banner of 'public transport'?And one final though - Worst already operate the X6 limited stop service betwixt Leeds and Bradford (and on to Huddersfield) - what of that now the 72 is being re-branded as the top line service? Aaarrgghh, "First has committed to re-invest any surplus resources as a result of these developments into further frequency and network enhancements" !Without swearing.....this is a pile of **** As we all know,this will never happen.First "commit" ???? Complete joke....and just WHO is going to be monitoring all this rubbish ????Can anybody tell us ?Beggars belief they expect us to believe this pile of s***e.Sorry,but I am very,very ****** off with First and it's useless promises and expectations.They are the worst bus outfit in the country.

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Sat 28 Jul, 2012 8:21 am

Suvi wrote: don't even get me started never a 3, 3a, 13, or 13a, but to a posh area where they all have cars 2 and 12 not a problem You might be interested in some of these cartoons I came across whilst browsing google search the other day Suzi. I thought this one was very apt depicting the bus driver smoking, and reading the paper holding up passengers. We discussed the attitude of some First Leeds drivers on S.L recently. This is the Brackenwood number 3 bus stood at the terminus at the top of the hill. The bloke who does them is an illustrator who lives in Brackenwood, he's done many illustrations of his bus trips to town, you might recognise some folk on them herehttp://www.ayearofbustrips.co.uk/a_year_of_bus ... ...htmlHis full blog is here which is well worth looking at.http://standingstillinamovingplace.blogspot.co.uk/He's drawn many of the houses around the area herehttp://2012houseprintproject.blogspot.co.uk/Number 1 Roper Avenue, he's drawn that whilst sitting on the bench near the phone box opposite the Chandos Gardens shops. some of his stuff is very good. Many of the illustrations are instantly recognisable, this is the bus stop at Brackenwood Green. He draws many of the characters on the bus trips he makes, I've not seen Paranoid Dave depicted filling the air with expletives yet.But I did come across this illustration simply captioned 'Some bloke getting off the bus' You know when you have this strange feeling it might be you?I'm not sure why, possibly the hair I think Oh yeah and the way I carry my rucksack slung over one shoulder with one strap only ha ha.Take a look at his stuff, see if you recognise anyone