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Post by enviroPB on Apr 7, 2020 13:52:10 GMT
So I had an experience I was dreading would happen last night...a bus driver not deeming me worthy to stop for me. I've implied that I am a key worker in a post last week. My normal job of stock auditing was postponed almost 4 weeks ago due to the pandemic, and to help in the plight supermarkets are facing we were instead asked to help stock shelves in-store. I try to ignore that I have that little bit of freedom of movement more than most folk, as the enthusiasm in me will kick in and clearly I don't want to put myself or others at risk. With that being said, I am a key worker with no access to a car so public transport is vital to me. So after finishing work and tired as poop, the last thing I need is a N15 driver deciding to close the doors early on me cause in his head, I'm not worthy. Now I know I'm infamously talked about amongst the drivers, I can even identify myself in a local newspaper article when two RR drivers were interviewed about being a night driver. With this current coronavirus situation and the fact that the N15 is easily my most used route as I'm typically out late at night, I simply cannot fathom riding a bus for fun. And indeed I do not go on joyrides on the route as it's essential for me to get home most nights. The driver was lucky I couldn't catch up to him to make a statement. I don't need to verify to any drivers if I'm key worker at present, but if the rules change I'm happy to do so. My urge to report him is not needed in these exceptional times; also I've said it loads of times but have only reported a driver to TfL once in my life. Instead I'll withdraw my thank yous when I board and alight. Not saying he doesn't need to be respected as bus driving is a very difficult job and I am in a position with my extended knowledge to appreciate that. I'm just saying my kind manners I offer to all will be retracted with him as a reaction to his unprofessional behaviour. Welcome to the shelf stacking game my friend. It hurts but Britannia is hurting more. 😫
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Post by enviroPB on Apr 7, 2020 13:45:37 GMT
TfL can't preach simplification of the bus network and then have anomalies with night route numbering. Cases like the 47 and 148 are acceptable; in the case of the former when it gets curtailed to Liverpool Street, publicity both digital and otherwise is well advertised in lieu of blue tiles. The 65 to Chessington completely bucked that trend by placing blue tiles on stops that the day route didn't traverse. I don't know about simplification.........going back to the original point all numbering a night service on the H91 as N491 would do is cause unnecessary confusion and as somebody mentioned previously the blue 65 tiles at the Chessington end were self explanitary. Heavily disagree with that. I'm sure locals were fine with this arrangement, but that lack of a distinction did likely cause admin problems; like Tfl not stating what the last/first stop in Kingston. It could cause confusion for people not familiar with the area, which is exactly what happened to me when visiting Kingston with my family for the first time. I disagree, I don’t think 4 character route numbers are a good idea Even if you use smaller N they still end up squashed on blind display It also looks messy to have smaller N then a full size letter, and becomes hard to read It’s expensive to renumber a route (and shouldn’t be done for sake of it), but if NH91 doesn’t exist already, then same cost to add it, as adding a sensible alternative instead. If they were ever to add a 24 hour service to the H91 it will probably get renumbered. If the EL1 didn't get renumbered was created as a 24 hour route with that numbering, the H91 should certainly be fine as it is.
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Post by enviroPB on Apr 7, 2020 13:08:24 GMT
So I had an experience I was dreading would happen last night...a bus driver not deeming me worthy to stop for me.
I've implied that I am a key worker in a post last week. My normal job of stock auditing was postponed almost 4 weeks ago due to the pandemic, and to help in the plight supermarkets are facing we were instead asked to help stock shelves in-store. I try to ignore that I have that little bit of freedom of movement more than most folk, as the enthusiasm in me will kick in and clearly I don't want to put myself or others at risk. With that being said, I am a key worker with no access to a car so public transport is vital to me.
So after finishing work and tired as poop, the last thing I need is a N15 driver deciding to close the doors early on me cause in his head, I'm not worthy. Now I know I'm infamously talked about amongst the drivers, I can even identify myself in a local newspaper article when two RR drivers were interviewed about being a night driver. With this current coronavirus situation and the fact that the N15 is easily my most used route as I'm typically out late at night, I simply cannot fathom riding a bus for fun. And indeed I do not go on joyrides on the route as it's essential for me to get home most nights.
The driver was lucky I couldn't catch up to him to make a statement. I don't need to verify to any drivers if I'm key worker at present, but if the rules change I'm happy to do so. My urge to report him is not needed in these exceptional times; also I've said it loads of times but have only reported a driver to TfL once in my life. Instead I'll withdraw my thank yous when I board and alight. Not saying he doesn't need to be respected as bus driving is a very difficult job and I am in a position with my extended knowledge to appreciate that. I'm just saying my kind manners I offer to all will be retracted with him as a reaction to his unprofessional behaviour.
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Post by enviroPB on Apr 7, 2020 10:02:49 GMT
Tfl turned away from that idea when they changed the 65 into the 65 and N65. Is it that expensive to re number a route? New blinds are often needed (new buses, new routes coming into a garage) timetables are often changed and bus stop titles wear out and need updating at some point. I don't know what the rationale was behind that? A 24hr 65 with a night extension to Chessington seemed fine to me and I can't imagine most people would even notice whether there was a N prefix. That's if the correct blind is displayed anyway. I would say the only routes that need the N prefix are routes like the N5 and N20 that don't have a daytime equivalent or routes like the N136 that go a different way than their daytime equivalent. TfL can't preach simplification of the bus network and then have anomalies with night route numbering. Cases like the 47 and 148 are acceptable; in the case of the former when it gets curtailed to Liverpool Street, publicity both digital and otherwise is well advertised in lieu of blue tiles. The 65 to Chessington completely bucked that trend by placing blue tiles on stops that the day route didn't traverse.
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Post by enviroPB on Apr 2, 2020 17:38:33 GMT
That's funny, cause without a shadow of a doubt the 47 has been the most well used bus I've seen since the lockdown. The peak time of between 4 and 6am has seen buses packed, even with the 188 trailing behind/kicking its heels at the front. Oh, btw yes I'm a key worker so I didn't go out my way for this observation. Not going to entertain useful routes being hacked passing as casual conversation. Yes but many people are probably avoiding the tube at the moment. As someone mentioned previously buses from the Lewisham direction near empty out at Canada Water in normal circumstances. Cuts are planned already such as the 101 and 262 which I don't agree with although I think the Bluewater cuts are more reasonable and I suspect that they will be exacerbated by this virus so it might well be a case of.... if you want to save the 47 what do you want to cut instead? I'm just trying to show you how vital the route is even in these dire times. Just cause train links are quicker doesn't always mean they're favoured by most- do you know how many fully accessible (step free) Overground stations there are on the network? Have to reach into the ether of my memory after citing Dlaston Junction and possibly Highbury & Islington. As others have said the 47 has already had savage cuts (it may be the only zone 1 route with 3bph on Sundays) so it doesn't need another hack of the axe. Even at nights, granted capacity is a little superfluous before 4am on weeknights but the 47N is definitely needed on weekends. I'm certain there are some punters at Shoreditch who will go for the bus not only for the price saving compared to the zone 1 station, but the fact that Shoreditch High Street Station has a very inconspicuous entrance means some likely don't bother for the Night Overground at all. Sometimes overbussing is a necessary evil, and I much rather that than the days prior to September 2015 where passengers were regularly left behind by full (old) N47 buses from London Bridge southbound. As for the day service, maybe a pruning somewhere north of Lodnon Bridge; Liverpool Street or possibly Monument with buses standing at Mansion House.
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Post by enviroPB on Apr 2, 2020 16:44:33 GMT
Regardless of whether someone is left high & dry, this is exactly why people are finding other alternatives to public transport - when you take something away such as a bus service or make that journey longer by having to change, people generally decide with their feet and go elsewhere - the vulnerable and poor either end up with no such choice or if they really can make it work, find non public transport such as a mate or neighbour to give them a lift or plunge themselves into debt for private hire transport. Everybody that's commented seems to agree that the 47 has had it's day, it's a shame but such is life. Large numbers of people have switched to the train. That's funny, cause without a shadow of a doubt the 47 has been the most well used bus I've seen since the lockdown. The peak time of between 4 and 6am has seen buses packed, even with the 188 trailing behind/kicking its heels at the front. Oh, btw yes I'm a key worker so I didn't go out my way for this observation. Not going to entertain useful routes being hacked passing as casual conversation.
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Post by enviroPB on Mar 25, 2020 19:14:53 GMT
Fine here is the link, ignore this mans ignorant commentary. Mods feel free to delete if I am breaking forum rules. It's okay guys, the pandemic is over now. All we have to do is worry about this Covert 19 that this guy is harping on about and we'll be fine...
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Post by enviroPB on Mar 11, 2020 14:23:58 GMT
Buses are only losing time due to the right turn only out of Aldgate bus station. I'm certain the route would cope fine if it could hook a left instead of have to turn around via Duke's Place and Houndsditch. Seriously doubt the 343 could be curtailed back to City Hall, it could never stand successfully with 2 or 3 buses on Queen Elizabeth Street without blocking through traffic and backing up onto Tower Bridge Road. The 343 should only be pulled back to Tower Gateway, otherwise the shambolic halfway house of culling the RV1 and pulling the 40 out of Aldgate in place of extending the 343 would have been for nothing. If I was the one making changes in TFL I would try to fix the Aldgate issue ever since the 40 was removed. The 344 I would withdraw between Monument & Liverpool Street and send up the old 40 to Aldgate. This would be a much better route to send up there and could always stand on the 40s old stands instead of the bus station. That's what I thought should've taken place. I wouldn't send the 344 to Aldgate. A route that goes deep into south London (going past Elephant & Castle) is what's needed for this slice of the City. The 343 is a little indirect to attract passengers at Aldgate I feel. Usage will remain somewhat stable but will drop significantly at nights if the 344 was pulled away from Liverpool Street. Would it be so difficult for a set of lights to allow a filter for just the 343 to turn left out of Aldgate bus station? I know the 154 has a right turn in Carshalton whereas cars can only go straight on or left by the Windsor Castle pub. TfL looks like they're reluctant to modify the Aldgate junction for the 343 so as to allow for less waiting time for traffic. There is only one pedestrian crossing which is to the west of the bus station, and should they modify it that'll mean an increase in idling for through traffic as an additional phase has to be introduced; separate from buses leaving the bus station.
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Post by enviroPB on Mar 8, 2020 17:52:08 GMT
Idk how much truth to it there is, but heard canteen rumor there may be changes to 343, possibly back to City Hall only, with buses losing 15-20 mins coming out of Aldgate stand. Buses are only losing time due to the right turn only out of Aldgate bus station. I'm certain the route would cope fine if it could hook a left instead of have to turn around via Duke's Place and Houndsditch. Seriously doubt the 343 could be curtailed back to City Hall, it could never stand successfully with 2 or 3 buses on Queen Elizabeth Street without blocking through traffic and backing up onto Tower Bridge Road. The 343 should only be pulled back to Tower Gateway, otherwise the shambolic halfway house of culling the RV1 and pulling the 40 out of Aldgate in place of extending the 343 would have been for nothing.
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Post by enviroPB on Mar 7, 2020 14:35:43 GMT
I don't understand why there's a need for the new electric to trial a low sounding fog horn to warn pedestrians and the like of its presence on the road. The drivers still has his horn don't they? If I was cycling I'd be more distracted by the noise instead of the bus whizzing past me which it to be expected. This is why some people who live near main roads say they can't fall asleep without the sound of sirens and vehicular traffic; we pump too much noise pollution on our city's streets and it's ironic now given the 444 uses zero emission buses. Hope this new sound goes the way of 'this bus is ready to depart' trial, ending rather swiftly.
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Post by enviroPB on Mar 2, 2020 15:52:09 GMT
So my weekend was productive as an enthusiast... went up to Manchester for the weekend. Before I got there I was on the coach going through Birmingham, and NE's Midland Buses were using the iBus system on their fairly new MMCs! It was a welcome surprise the successful system made it that far north. Then I got to Manchester, went to a pub in the town centre to see my mate and afterwards opted for the only proper 24 hour bus in Manchester, the 43. It used diesel MMCs for the night service so I completely forgot about the electrics until the next day! They were great to see as the livery was fantastic, hard pressed to find the Stagecoach logo or fleet number though. You'll definitely remember the bus with the image etched in your memory. The insides were a little more energised I'd say with the blue and orange leather seats and the abysmal charge from the ports, which to be fair did give me a 5% charge in 50 minutes. Better than I was expecting. There was also an audio visual display which bounced between next stop and [next stop here] with the time & date and route number & destination flashing every few stops. What I want to bring to the fore is how bus companies can attract more custom with some personalised liveries and a little bit of investment. Other cities like Birmingham and Manchester lack the technological advancements we take as commonplace such as the audio-visual friendly iBus that they're now catching up with, but plain red in London is getting a bit boring and lacklustre. Those electrics on Manchester route 43 (and another in central Manchester but don't know no. and company) add attraction and intrigue to try the bus. When I got back to London and looked at the electric bus on the 94 last night, it just didn't do it for me.
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Post by enviroPB on Mar 2, 2020 13:48:39 GMT
It goes a little way to stemming cuts, but what's more favourable & financially lucrative are things like Crossrail being operational and increased patronage on buses in particular which is tumbling like mountain rocks. What TfL is doing to have bus usership increase in 2021-22 as per their business plan without relying on Crossrail remains to be seen; but when for example they push forward with plans to decimate the 25 losing millions of journeys for the sake of saving circa 20 buses off a PVR is silly to me. Real bus priority is making bus lanes operational for a longer time and not killing valuable links that generate patronage, such as the 53 picking up at Whitehall instead of County Hall. Why don't TfL take a book out of Go Ahead's Brighton division and name buses in London after notable people in the capital? I'd open the floor for individuals who are alive as well as deceased, and have Joe & Jenny Public vote for their choices which will get users more involved with the bus network. Saving 20 buses will be a saving of around £4m a year ... and besides you can't look at the 25s passenger numbers in isolation without looking at the 425s. If they could do anything to get Crossrail open any sooner I imagine they would. Surely it is down to operators if they wish to name vehicles ... not TfL? As you've requested, I've had a look at the patronage figures and I still won't accept 5 million less passengers since the City Thameslink cull on the 25 has transferred into a 2 million increase on the 425 during the same time. All the 3 million displaced didn't suddenly hop onto the 8, barely 250,000 increase in 18/19. I don't know how much each bus passenger journey costs on average but I do know all those displaced passengers will not wilfully jump on the already packed Tube services because TfL chop up useful bus services. Let's be honest, most of those passengers have found alternatives to the transport network altogether, namely cycling and private hire cars such as Uber. Omitting maybe the 301 and the decking of the 178 as they haven't had associated Crossrail cuts to introduce them, TfL should've held up on all Elizabeth Line changes (particularly in west London) as they're ruining bus services and ultimately losing money for the sake of saving a few bob from PVR cuts. It just doesn't make sense.
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Post by enviroPB on Feb 29, 2020 8:47:37 GMT
This sponsorship deal does nothing to add value to the network already in place apart from add a couple million to the piggy bank. It'd be an acceptable argument if TfL said it wanted to increase contactless payments on the cusp of closing ticket offices perhaps, but that event has happened years ago. There's nothing to suggest either that this partnership with Google can potentially improve ticket barrier technology already in place across the Tube network. All this article says is "Hey, why don't we use the yellow reader as advertising space", nothing to shout about really. Surely it is better than saying we have to find another £2m of cuts. It goes a little way to stemming cuts, but what's more favourable & financially lucrative are things like Crossrail being operational and increased patronage on buses in particular which is tumbling like mountain rocks. What TfL is doing to have bus usership increase in 2021-22 as per their business plan without relying on Crossrail remains to be seen; but when for example they push forward with plans to decimate the 25 losing millions of journeys for the sake of saving circa 20 buses off a PVR is silly to me. Real bus priority is making bus lanes operational for a longer time and not killing valuable links that generate patronage, such as the 53 picking up at Whitehall instead of County Hall. Why don't TfL take a book out of Go Ahead's Brighton division and name buses in London after notable people in the capital? I'd open the floor for individuals who are alive as well as deceased, and have Joe & Jenny Public vote for their choices which will get users more involved with the bus network.
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Post by enviroPB on Feb 28, 2020 16:43:14 GMT
This sponsorship deal does nothing to add value to the network already in place apart from add a couple million to the piggy bank. It'd be an acceptable argument if TfL said it wanted to increase contactless payments on the cusp of closing ticket offices perhaps, but that event has happened years ago. There's nothing to suggest either that this partnership with Google can potentially improve ticket barrier technology already in place across the Tube network.
All this article says is "Hey, why don't we use the yellow reader as advertising space", nothing to shout about really.
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Post by enviroPB on Feb 25, 2020 10:33:17 GMT
I agree - Some depots may have just given up and not run the last service, at least they got it going, as faults do happen. At least its not First Essex who on several occasions were not operating the last few services on Route 100 around Grays/Lakeside, where it is especially important, being more of a rural community with less links etc. I remember Ensign actually stepped in and operated the last few services on the 100 a couple times (For free may I add). On other forums First Essex seem notorious for being disliked for stuff like this as well as all their cuts/cheapness. Though I've never used them so can't give my opinion on that. That reminds me of the time in 2012 when I got on a 58 when the bus really wasn't for for service, back door not operational and an incessant pitching noise which I assume was related to the former. What made that trip exceptional was it was the last 58 service to Walthamstow, and given the driver was about 5 minutes late I assume he was trying to fix the problem on his own. He likely called the controller and he was advised to stick it out, and I was appreciative of that. Ain't no way First was going to get a bus to East Ham from LI at 12:45am on such short notice!
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