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Post by cl54 on Oct 2, 2018 18:18:46 GMT
The point I made in my original post is that buses used to be favoured at the traffic lights because of the busways. This appears to have gone and hence the reason for my post. I've not been to NOG for a fair while but there has been a lot of commentary on social media about the appalling traffic conditions in and around the retail park that the 472 and 486 serve - just past where IKEA will be and before the new Sainsburys. That traffic won't be helping matters. I suspect that every bus service serving the Peninsula or touching East Greenwich / Westcombe Park will have to be rescheduled as development steps up further and IKEA opens. The traffic impact of IKEA will be horrendous as it will suck in people over a wide area. With no money for extra resources you can expect frequency cuts instead. Ironically weekends will be worse than weekdays given the "pulling power" of IKEA. And as for scrapping the busway that's mad. It was never brilliant because of the daft lack of traffic light priority but turning it into a dual carriageway is ludicrous and all because pedestrians are a bit thick and can't cope with two roads in close proximity.   It should be remembered that the Ikea is on the site of the old Sainsburys and a Comet. This used to generate a fair amount of traffic and there are options to get in and out. There is a proposal to build a new dual carriageway through the Charlton Riverside development. This would be parallel to Woolwich Road and continue from the Makro roundabout towards Woolwich. |
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Post by Eastlondoner62 on Oct 2, 2018 22:11:47 GMT
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Post by busaholic on Oct 2, 2018 23:14:36 GMT
Good question! I'm sure controllers have their own priorities and customer care isn't one of them and that is left to the driver to deal with. In general I would expect the passengers already on the bus to have some kind of priority and consideration. They have already paid their fare expecting the bus to take them to their destination. I agree with those against turns being decided en route except for exceptional circumstances. Sure stuff happens from time to time and that is when you may have those exceptional circumstances. The controller should be thinking about those already on the bus when considering a turn en route. How many passengers are on the bus, so how many might be affected by the early turn? How long will the passengers have to wait for a through bus? Allowing a through bus to pass with a long wait behind for the next one is just unacceptable. The controller should ensure passengers can transfer to the through bus before it overtakes, this is just basic customer service. I hesitate to say that in pre LRT or TfL days buses never got turned in non-emergency situations without it being clear that another bus not too far behind would take up the slack, but I would definitely say that was a guiding principle. It was perhaps the main bone of contention I came across in my few weeks of handling letters (complaints, basically) from the general public to 55 Broadway on bus matters, and, if there was sufficient detail, I'd do my best to find out what went on and, if necessary, attempt to initiate a bollocking, not for the sake of it, but to try to prevent a recurrence. Some officials put their hands up, apologised, and resolved to do better, but others argued the toss or told HQ that they should mind their own business and get stuffed. Those latter were the areas where, funnily enough, a lot of the letters emanated from (the London boroughs of Havering and Redbridge, I seem to remember,) Of course, it was all one organisation then, for better or worse, so no buck-passing to individual companies. |
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Post by snoggle on Oct 2, 2018 23:33:21 GMT
I know it may be the wording in the article but it seems rather confused. If "Mr TfL" knows the buses are busy near that school why are TfL doing another area review? Surely they did one when they decided to restructure the EL services which resulted in the EL2 reaching Becontree Heath and prior to retendering local services? I wonder whether the large scale change of operators on key routes like the 5, 103 and 175 has caused persistent problems? Seems odd that the problem only manifested itself earlier this year. (On checking I see that time has flown and Arriva and GAL took over routes about 12-15 months ago). What they really need to do is put on a couple of SDO services / journeys to cater for the worst peak. Oh dear as the school is not building 20,000 new houses on its grounds TfL can't find any money for improvements.  I note the school wants a Countdown display - TfL answer to that will be "buy your own".  I note the school wants metal railings - "we're sorry that's not the current fashion in highway design"  I note the school wants a zebra crossing - "good luck with that given the lack of money in local authorities"  |
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Post by COBO on Oct 3, 2018 15:00:20 GMT
Just seen a H17 leave Harrow packed. Bursting in fact. When ever I go to Harrow I keep seeing this. Why has the H17 never gotten double deckers or double decker journeys. The H17 keeps getting frequencies increases and they don’t work.
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Post by Eastlondoner62 on Oct 3, 2018 18:05:59 GMT
I know it may be the wording in the article but it seems rather confused. If "Mr TfL" knows the buses are busy near that school why are TfL doing another area review? Surely they did one when they decided to restructure the EL services which resulted in the EL2 reaching Becontree Heath and prior to retendering local services? I wonder whether the large scale change of operators on key routes like the 5, 103 and 175 has caused persistent problems? Seems odd that the problem only manifested itself earlier this year. (On checking I see that time has flown and Arriva and GAL took over routes about 12-15 months ago). What they really need to do is put on a couple of SDO services / journeys to cater for the worst peak. Oh dear as the school is not building 20,000 new houses on its grounds TfL can't find any money for improvements. I note the school wants a Countdown display - TfL answer to that will be "buy your own". I note the school wants metal railings - "we're sorry that's not the current fashion in highway design" I note the school wants a zebra crossing - "good luck with that given the lack of money in local authorities" After having some time to think about this I did realise that one of the biggest issues All Saints has is that a few stops prior to their stops you have other schools. The 173 tends to have St Edward's Academy students boarding at Chadwell Heath high road while the 5, 128 and 175 all have Robert Clack a stop before no doubt leading to full buses when they arrive at All Saints. I agree SDO runs starting specifically at All Saints may be the only way to combat this issue. Maybe a dedicated school bus at most. |
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Post by busoccultation on Oct 3, 2018 18:22:16 GMT
After having some time to think about this I did realise that one of the biggest issues All Saints has is that a few stops prior to their stops you have other schools. The 173 tends to have St Edward's Academy students boarding at Chadwell Heath high road while the 5, 128 and 175 all have Robert Clack a stop before no doubt leading to full buses when they arrive at All Saints. I agree SDO runs starting specifically at All Saints may be the only way to combat this issue. Maybe a dedicated school bus at most. The 150 already has a additional PM SDO journey that starts at the first stop in Becontree Heath at 1510 (Which is 20 mins after school day ends for All Saints) and that journey goes up to Gants Hill. |
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Post by ak121 on Oct 3, 2018 19:36:38 GMT
I wanted to know if anyone knew what two bus routes meet each other the most amount of times and how many times and where they meet with each other?
1 'meet up' could include a bus stop or the two bus routes sharing a section of road (for example: at a junction with the routes crossing over each other)
One pair I can think of is the S4 and the 154:
1. Roundshaw, Mollison Drive
2. Woodcote Road and Stafford Road junction
3. Stanley Park Road (before S4 Stanley Square)
4. Stanley Park Road (after S4 Stanley Square)
5. Sutton Town Centre
6. Benhill Avenue
7. St Helier Station
That's 7 times! Can you think of anymore?
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Post by DT 11 on Oct 4, 2018 16:54:34 GMT
So today was out on the B15s a day of people taking the mick.
A man who was smoking asks me how long until I leave. I say 1 minute (I was at Horncastle Road stop where there is a two minute gap between trips), he then taps his oyster on the reader and there is no money on his pass and I told him you can't travel and this was the second person in this trip. The B15 gets a lot of people trying to get free journeys in Horn Park. He tried to pay with a £20.00 Note and I said we don't take cash, started running his mouth and refused to get off. A passenger already on decided to pay for him and he didn't even say thank you instead sat near the front and still running his mouth. I asked him to stop running his mouth and he stopped talking as he was still making noise even though someone paid for him. Overall my thoughts you can buy cigarettes but not enough for bus fare?
Next A woman was about to board and asked me to wait 5 minutes for her friend who she was on the phone to and tried preventing me from closing the door. I said I cannot do that I'm due to leave now and took me a few attempts to ask her to leave. I really find it funny she expected me to wait for someone who is still in there house, if I could see the person coming thats a different story does anyone really expecting a bus to wait 5 minutes for someone who isn't there answer no, then when the bus is held for service regulation that is the same kind of person who would complain and start muttering... continued....
When driving towards the next stop no one was there until I noticed two ladies running and hailing the bus, so I stopped for them at the stop and they said "Thank You".
.... I find the 229 passengers will come up and start asking "why are we waiting here" when I already explain over the PA that the bus will be held here for a few minutes. Once after a short diversion via the A206 because West Street was closed, I was due to come off so I had to wait at Erith Station for a few minutes. Someone came up to me and asked me "Why are we waiting here I'm already late". So I said "I did say this bus is on diversion and the next stop will be Erith Station where the bus will be waiting because the bus needs to be on time". He then said "You shouldn't have gone on diversion then and driven through the road closure". I couldn't even respond to that because clearly it was closed off by Police.
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Post by 15002 on Oct 4, 2018 17:01:02 GMT
For the first experience, I know that it must of been a horrible experience but whoever paid for that mans transport is a wonderful person. I rarely see passengers doing that and to see someone doing that for a person that was holding up the bus and was unpleasant is class.
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Post by busaholic on Oct 4, 2018 21:26:32 GMT
For the first experience, I know that it must of been a horrible experience but whoever paid for that mans transport is a wonderful person. I rarely see passengers doing that and to see someone doing that for a person that was holding up the bus and was unpleasant is class. Maybe he'd already reached the cap limit.  |
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Post by Pilot on Oct 4, 2018 22:15:30 GMT
Should have taken the £20 quid mate Sometimes I feel like drivers should have few pre-paid oyster cards or at least with emergency fare in them and sell it to the idiots who pretend forgot their 'card' or got 'cash' only...it's best trick in the book back when buses used to take cash, you'd get few people a day with £50 notes expecting you to just let them on for free because you won't be arsed to give change to that. |
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Post by bottomless on Oct 4, 2018 23:20:07 GMT
Remember a person that used to get on the 65 by Kew Gardens for a 30p bus ride to Kew Bridge, £20 note every morning. Friday morning issued him a ticket, took 30p out of a bag of 10p coins, and gave him his change in coins of no more than 10p. Gentleman first refused change, which was then put back in my pocket. He then said he would pick it up from the garage, until he was informed that the garage in question was Leatherhead. Gentleman then took change with very bad grace, but I did inform him that he had at least had the right money for his bus fare for the next couple of months. Person was not amused!!!
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Post by DT 11 on Oct 5, 2018 5:44:47 GMT
Should have taken the £20 quid mate Sometimes I feel like drivers should have few pre-paid oyster cards or at least with emergency fare in them and sell it to the idiots who pretend forgot their 'card' or got 'cash' only...it's best trick in the book back when buses used to take cash, you'd get few people a day with £50 notes expecting you to just let them on for free because you won't be arsed to give change to that. You have an interesting point, but why should we carry prepaid oysters, people should make sure they have credit on the Oysters and money in their accounts. No I won't take the £20.00 because then that is called stealing buses are fitted with CCTV and If I don't have change then they will want change. I do carry an Oyster Card for whenever I use National Rail. On two occasions I have had people on my 269, explaining they have no money on their card and offer to pay cash, I ask do you have £1.50 in cash. I took the money and paid with my spare Oyster. |
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Post by snowman on Oct 5, 2018 6:29:06 GMT
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