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Post by pub146g on Mar 17, 2024 2:28:54 GMT 1
35529, 35556 and 35537 now all repainted into LeedsCity Green. Haven't they always been green ? These three recently carried all over advertisements and have just been repainted upon removal of the vinyls.
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Post by pub146g on Sept 26, 2023 0:44:36 GMT 1
From my experience as a user of these services any growth is purely a result of Transdev picking up from Oakwood Clock inbound to Leeds, and these are mostly pass holders who would otherwise have caught a 12/13/13A if any of those had appeared first.
The notion that the good folk of Wetherby/East Keswick/Collingham are suddenly leaving their cars at home and flocking to the bus appears to me to be the usual spin, I haven't noticed any sudden uptake and passenger numbers from my observations for the bulk of the route appear similar to when First ran it with the exception that it's now picking up a few extras from Oakwood to Leeds. So yea, I suppose there has been some growth, just not the right demographic implied by Transdev.
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Post by pub146g on Aug 22, 2023 17:43:11 GMT 1
Transdev at least publish their cancellations unlike other operators. On the contrary; when cancellations were more common earlier this year most First Leeds cancellations were fed in to the Metro Next Bus system (although not 100% of them I agree) and I would say most people use that system, I certainly do rather than trawling through twitter (X) or some Company web site. To suggest that no other Company advised prospective passengers just smacks of the 'Transdev is the only operator that cares' attitude which seems to prevail on this forum.
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Post by pub146g on Aug 22, 2023 16:30:59 GMT 1
5 in the Harrogate area today. 1 on Coastliner. 5 in the York area. 2 in the Malton area. think first Leeds will beat that m8 I don't usually get involved in this sort of discussion 'cos quite honestly I've better things to do with my time but just to give a bit of balance the cancellations on First Leeds are way down on what they were a few months ago. In fact I can't remember when I last encountered a cancellation in Leeds and certainly from north Leeds where I live the only cancellations I see on a daily basis are on the 36.
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Post by pub146g on Jun 19, 2023 13:49:59 GMT 1
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Post by pub146g on Apr 18, 2023 20:03:30 GMT 1
Dear me, there are obviously folk on here who can't seem to accept anything negative said against Transdev.
The fact is that no Company is perfect for the well known reasons we know about but I don't buy the perception that First don't publish cancellations. Most of the time, (although I admit not 100% of the time) cancellations are input into the WY Nextbus system so this information is available at passengers' fingertips or on bus stop display screens and I would argue these are the systems most passengers use when checking times. Certainly everybody I know use these systems rather than messing about scrolling around in Twitter or bus company apps etc because they are simpler and quicker to use.
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Post by pub146g on Mar 22, 2023 20:05:13 GMT 1
I have no problem with 03/33, it evens out departures from bus stations for a start. It’s when they run 1003, 1033, 1104, 1135, 1205, 1236 that’s the issue Indeed but with the abundance of real time info available you could argue it's largely irrelevant what time a bus theoretically leaves a terminus point. I say theoretically because my service (2) weekdays has a few random timings in the afternoon but with congestion causing lateness etc I don't really need to know that it leaves Roundhay Pk at 1758 or 1810 because I wouldn't go catch a bus anywhere nowadays without checking the real time situation beforehand. On a similar note I've never understood the constant cry for paper timetables, to me these are as irrelevant as a cassette tape. Yes I might have a look at the timetable on either the First or Metro website but I wouldn't dream of standing at a bus stop without any form of real time info knowledge. Anyway I'd better stop here as I'm veering off topic.
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Post by pub146g on Mar 22, 2023 18:35:07 GMT 1
576 Timetable now on too, pretty much every 20 min at tea time peak! Also, looks as though the 184 arrives in Oldham at xx05, why make it depart at xx19?! Make it xx20. Same with a lot of services now, leaving at random odd minutes. New evening 576 times now leave at xx03/xx33 from Halifax... Why? It is like there is some sort of mission to make timetables as messy as ever and unmemorable. Personally I don't have a problem with it, remembering 03/33 is no more difficult than 15/45, 00/30 etc. At least to me it isn't. My local bus in Leeds, the 2 leaves Roundhay Park on Sundays at 13/43, again it's no more difficult than 15/45. From Leeds it's 12/42; I just don't see a problem; in any case I don't leave home without checking the real time on my 'phone because I want the reassurance it's not cancelled or late etc.
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Post by pub146g on Feb 25, 2023 11:51:37 GMT 1
Thank god for this thread, I was wondering how I would title such a thread so as not to sound like I was targeting Lucy P lol, thought she'd bite on the April service changes regarding all the missed journeys leading to the axing of the 319 but stupidly I never expected her to go proper off on one. Thank god this is the internet, I think I'd need security if I were to have a real conversation with her lol. The one thing I will say against Transdev under Alex is that it seems to take longer to get anywhere a distance away since he took over, take the 36, it used to quickly get you to Harrogate in just over 45 minutes on average, now the average is nearer an hour with some journeys taking more time in reality to complete the Moortown to Leeds section than the Harrogate to Moortown section. I'm not a fan of it's all stops status as it's making journeys a lot slower than they should be, add in Grammar school traffic ant Leeds to Harrogate during the morning peak can become a chore. The 60 from end to end should be quicker with use of the bypass but in reality it's no quicker than it used to be years ago, in fact slower at times. Coastliner seems to be slower and slower as the years roll by, I personally don't use it between Leeds and York regardless of how cheap it is as I find it a chore. Indeed this is true, regarding the 36 I made the same point in the X98/99 thread when they started picking up inbound at Oakwood Clock : "Finally I would reinstate the limited stop conditions between Oakwood and Leeds although I'm not sure they will, this is one aspect where I think Transdev are contributing to slower inter-urban journeys by wanting to pick up maximum number of (local) passengers. Couple of years or so ago they started picking up at all stops into Leeds on the 36 down Chapeltown Rd, a retrograde step in my view because most regular passengers from that area have some form of First pre paid ticket so the 36 is stopping to pick up (mainly) ENCTS holders to the detriment of those travelling from Ripon/Harrogate who now suffer a slower journey"Whilst some might say it's understandable from a business aspect in wanting to maximize as much revenue per trip as possible, it is in my view sort of putting two fingers up to the commuters from Ripon/Harrogate who now endure a slower journey for the sake of picking up a few ENCTS holders - I've yet to see anybody pay a fare in the Chapel Allerton to Leeds section.
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Post by pub146g on Jan 8, 2023 1:58:42 GMT 1
Huddersfield enviros have escaped onto the normal routes again… They are still dreadfully slow Had a Halifax one on the 508 a while back and we did about 6 or 7mph all the way up Leeds and Bradford Road. I felt embarrassed to call myself a bus user and haven't used the 508 since. In other words, and as quoted to me a few years ago by a senior First engineer when new buses were being procurred..."please, no more ADL crap!"
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Post by pub146g on Nov 23, 2022 11:07:32 GMT 1
Love all the wild suggestions in the basis of 1 tweet. Ah, a sensible post at last. Must admit though, some of these threads on the forum are my number one 'go to' when I'm in need of a good laugh! 😅
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Post by pub146g on Oct 21, 2022 0:32:15 GMT 1
Regarding the route within Leeds they need to ditch Roseville Road/Regent Street, more so now the lights for the right turn from Regent St into Byron Street stay red for what seems like a light year and once on green they let around two or three vehicles through at most. Far simpler and quicker would be Roundhay Rd and the North Street bus lane to Vicar Lane. Now, the question is what happens then? I am not convinced the majority of passengers would want to be taken to the bus station, the odd one maybe but most will be travelling for work/shopping/leisure etc so would rather be taken closer to where they need to be. However, the bus station makes sense as a terminal point in order to save trekking across to City Square which you could argue is also not necessary, most passengers have usually alighted by the top of The Headrow. So, providing Vicar Lane is served before the bus station I think most people could cope with that, it's no different to arriving in Leeds on a 36 where most passengers are wanting to be in the city centre so alight on Vicar Lane, very few are still on after leaving Vicar Lane.
Admittedly my suggestion would mean no bus service on Roseville Road but realistically and in my experience next to nobody boards or alights on that section, indeed I remember the old LCT 27 & 31 using Roseville Rd and not many used it then! Nor is the suggested route via St.James a good one, Beckett Street can be nose to tail in the afternoon from Lincoln Green Rd right back to Harehills Rd.
Finally I would reinstate the limited stop conditions between Oakwood and Leeds although I'm not sure it will, this is one aspect where I think Transdev are contributing to slower inter-urban journeys by wanting to pick up maximum number of (local) passengers. Couple of years or so ago they started picking up at all stops into Leeds on the 36 down Chapeltown Rd, a retrograde step in my view because most regular passengers from that area have some form of First pre paid ticket so the 36 is stopping to pick up (mainly) ENCTS holders to the detriment of those travelling from Ripon/Harrogate who now suffer a slower journey.
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Post by pub146g on Oct 17, 2022 19:04:31 GMT 1
It’s out this morning on 229 Seen in person or on bustimes? I noticed 1621 in Leeds today. It was on Vicar Lane around 13:30 on 229.
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Post by pub146g on Sept 13, 2022 0:41:41 GMT 1
Anyone got list of the recent additions to Leeds' guided fleet please? 37680/683/708 are ones I've noticed fitted with guide wheels over the past month or so.
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Post by pub146g on Sept 10, 2022 23:16:11 GMT 1
Well, I gave up my car in 1998 purely because I’m a bus person through and through, even when I had the car I probably used the bus more than I used my car and in all honesty I haven’t really missed having a car. Using public transport from North Leeds I’ve never had a problem getting to wherever I need to be, whether local or afar. Yes, timetables change, routes sometimes change but do you know what? I just adapt and get on with my day. Now, I know it’s fashionable to slag off public transport and don’t get me wrong, sometimes it’s justified, but to be forever whinging as some folk do, particularly in the T & A and YEP, and on this forum I just find tedious and boring. Whilst I’m not overly familiar with the Arriva routes in question the fact is if not enough folk use the bus then the timetable will probably change and before we get on about promoting services to entice new users we have to accept that some areas are almost 100% car centric and the folk in those areas just will not use the bus, even if it stopped at their garden gate to pick them up personally. Many people won’t use the bus due to the perception of bus travel they have grown up to believe; Safety concerns, anti-social behaviour, uneasiness about sitting next to anyone they did not know, personal hygiene of other passengers etc etc. Believe me these are all reasons why many folk won’t use public transport, much research has been carried out on this and can easily be found doing a quick Google. Now, me being a seasoned bus traveller I can discount most of those perceptions but it’s a fact this is a major barrier to attracting new users. I used to use buses to get absolutely everywhere for years and a was a huge advocate of public transport. However in the past couple of years it has become too much of a hassle to get where I want to go by bus when I can just jump in the car instead and be there in half the time. For example my area used to have a direct bus to Bradford. Since it was axed, the options now are either a long walk up hill then catch 2 different buses or get a bus to Greengates and wait for a 645, which from experience fails to show up a lot of the time, especially after around 6pm. We also used to have 4 buses per hour towards Leeds. We now have 2. Whilst I know some areas would love to have a 30 minute frequency: the population of my area demands a more frequent service. It is as easy for me to jump in the car and park in town for the same price as it is to use the bus, and I can do so at my leisure. I imagine people; especially those living in Arriva land will be hesitant to commit to using the bus for work in case it changes route unexpectedly without any consultation. Ultimately you're at the mercy of a team of people who (by looking at Facebook comments) don't appear to know the demands of their own customers. I know where you're coming from, I meet up every week with a mate from Rodley for a few beers in Leeds Centre. On an evening he catches ether the 16A or a 60 to Leeds which is fine, but getting back after 23:00 is a different ball game. On Sunday evenings he catches the 23:37 50 (which only runs on a Sunday!) from Headrow to Horsforth and walks down the Ring Rd to Rodley which is about 30 minutes. Like me he's a seasoned bus traveller, but how many normal (!) folk would do that?
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Post by pub146g on Sept 10, 2022 1:40:36 GMT 1
What do people want from a bus route? I imagine that a solid service and network that doesn't change at the drop of a hat will be somewhere near the top of the list. It's now beyond me why anyone who has access to a car would choose to use a bus anymore. Well, I gave up my car in 1998 purely because I’m a bus person through and through, even when I had the car I probably used the bus more than I used my car and in all honesty I haven’t really missed having a car. Using public transport from North Leeds I’ve never had a problem getting to wherever I need to be, whether local or afar. Yes, timetables change, routes sometimes change but do you know what? I just adapt and get on with my day. Now, I know it’s fashionable to slag off public transport and don’t get me wrong, sometimes it’s justified, but to be forever whinging as some folk do, particularly in the T & A and YEP, and on this forum I just find tedious and boring. Whilst I’m not overly familiar with the Arriva routes in question the fact is if not enough folk use the bus then the timetable will probably change and before we get on about promoting services to entice new users we have to accept that some areas are almost 100% car centric and the folk in those areas just will not use the bus, even if it stopped at their garden gate to pick them up personally. Many people won’t use the bus due to the perception of bus travel they have grown up to believe; Safety concerns, anti-social behaviour, uneasiness about sitting next to anyone they did not know, personal hygiene of other passengers etc etc. Believe me these are all reasons why many folk won’t use public transport, much research has been carried out on this and can easily be found doing a quick Google. Now, me being a seasoned bus traveller I can discount most of those perceptions but it’s a fact this is a major barrier to attracting new users.
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Post by pub146g on Sept 8, 2022 18:31:08 GMT 1
Leeds has too many new buses, they should have gone Bradford, Halifax or Huddersfield. Neither of those areas have had much investment over the recent years. Maybe not Bradford maybe it should be Halifax or Huddersfield. Instead send some B9s over to Leeds. Totally agree, send these awful vibrating rattly things elsewhere in West Yorkshire and share the suffering around! Well, you're entitled to your opinion but I much prefer Streetdecks to anything from ADL or Optare (Switch). I agree some of the earlier 16 plate examples can be hit & miss but generally I find them pleasant vehicles.
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Post by pub146g on Aug 27, 2022 22:51:18 GMT 1
Doesn't appear to have been reported on here yet 69419 is now in Leeds from Huddersfield, it was on 33 on Thursday evening. I suspect this replaced 37721 which went the other way.
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Post by pub146g on Aug 22, 2022 19:45:24 GMT 1
37701 & 37712 returned to Halifax, whilst 37716 is also now shown as operating for Halifax. Meanwhile HD Connect liveried 37706, is now showing as operating from Hunslet I noticed this morning that 37706 was showing as being on Leeds service 74 so I got the camera out just in case Bustimes, or more correctly the ticket machine was actually right but sadly it wasn't. I got myself down to Great Wilson Street about 12:50 but when the alleged 37706 appeared it turned out to be newly transferred 69330! Photo attached. Ah well, notwithstanding all this someone has already moved 37706 to Leeds on Bustimes. Attachments:
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Post by pub146g on Aug 9, 2022 1:06:44 GMT 1
That was one of the 6 operated by CT Plus Yorkshire ... this was discussed long time before they went bang? that's incorrect. The one's CT Plus trialled up here were 59 plates and the 6 were: LK59 CWP LK59 CWU LK59 CWX LK59 CWN LK59 CXA LK59 CWV But if we're talking about the original 37773 (new to Centrewest) coming to Halifax then this is LK59 CWN.
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Post by pub146g on Aug 8, 2022 11:14:42 GMT 1
You must mean 66999. For some reason it's been on the same Monday to Friday running board on 2/3/3A/12/13/13A for the past month or so. I see it daily (Mon-Fri) on the 17:58 2 from Roundhay Park.
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Post by pub146g on Jul 18, 2022 0:52:30 GMT 1
But what are people wanting really? I mean tonight (Sunday) I've been in Leeds for a few beers with friends; they caught their last 50 at 23:37 from headrow (35622), I caught the last 2 to Moortown from Vicar Lane at 23:40 (35541). Ok, the Sunday night services are a bit different to the bulk of the week in that there's usually later buses than a weekday but really, I don't have a problem with the local (Leeds) services.
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Post by pub146g on Jul 15, 2022 2:18:28 GMT 1
Someone recently said if everyone demanded big pay rises then inflation will rocket, about time the government stepped in with laws what limit pay rises to 2% otherwise at this rate with all the pay demands this country will be Thomas Cooked! Wow. Now that'd be an authoritarian government. You realise that the current inflation has very little to do with wage rises? Except that, increasingly, people can't afford things. Thomas Cook's problems weren't caused by staff wage rises. Knowing Josephs colourful way with words I would suggest that the comment about the country being 'Thomas Cooked' should be read in the context of Cockney Rhyming Slang rather than a direct reference to the problems at Thomas Cook
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Post by pub146g on Jul 15, 2022 1:56:16 GMT 1
Not wanting to derail the ‘Spotted’ thread with my response to Josephs, err quite colourful post regarding vandalism I decided to post it here. Anyway the mod stepped in before I had chance to anyway.
Normally I just gloss over the usual anti First drivel that gets posted on this forum and the general tone of Josephs posts is that it’s always First’s fault no matter what he’s discussing and this is where I disagree. Vandalism on buses has become increasingly present and visible over the past 35 years or so, maybe earlier if you include the felt tip pen brigade scribbling all over the bus seats and backs that we saw in the 70’s & 80’s. Then in the late 90’s early 00’s we had scratching, scribing, and etching windows, usually in the form of tagging which the perpetrators saw as a form of self and public recognition and I remember in Leeds almost all the 04 plate Gemini B7TLs and some ALX’s had the tag ‘Barry’ in a stylised font etched into the upper saloon rearmost nearside window causing permanent damage. Etching mainly died out, at least in Leeds over 10 years ago so I don’t know where Joseph has seen it recently, I certainly haven’t.
Another form of vandalism on the increase is the “little darlings” throwing stones/rocks at buses, potentially putting lives at risk and this might get councillors and police involved but the problem is always ever present in some location. Just a few random headlines from recent local news publications emphasises this :
1. Buses cut off Leeds Swarcliffe estate as yobs terrorise drivers
2. Keighley yobs caught on video laughing as they smash bus shelter to pieces
3. Bricks and stones thrown at buses in fortnight of "mindless vandalism" endangering drivers and passengers in Halton Moor and Middleton
4. Leeds estate where residents are left in fear of gangs of thugs attacking buses (Whinmoor)
5. Vandals who smashed the window of a primary school bus in Harrogate are being hunted by police
Now, you may wonder why I’ve mentioned all this and it’s because some of what Joseph says I actually agree with in terms of certain areas of Leeds but here’s the rub; how do you stop it? Vandalism, bus or any other is a national problem of wider society and yet Joseph says simply “the bus company should super clamp down on them by banning them”. Easy as that eh? How would that be effected? In the case of say somebody breaking a USB socket first of all they would need to be challenged and identified – not easy. A national study of perceptions of anti-social behaviour on public transport in England conducted for the DfT in 2008 found that 76 per cent claimed to have witnessed anti-social behaviour/vandalism on public transport but failed to report it for fear of what the perpetrator/s might do. I dare say that if somebody is successfully identified they could be banned from buying a mobile ticket but how could you stop them paying a cash fare? Are you suggesting something like a rogues gallery attached to the Ticketer?
Having said all this, the suggestion that Leeds is overrun with vandalised buses is a vast exaggeration, I’m retired now but still use buses daily, mostly Hunslet Streetdecks on 2/3/12 etc and I haven’t seen scratched windows, burnt seats (although I think he means seat backs) or smashed USBs. Not saying there aren’t the odd one or two but not this idea that it’s every bus. Regarding stained seats the only ones I’m aware of are some of the Geminis but this is down to their age and the well discussed lack of midlife refurbishment so not really relevant to this.
Finally, don’t think this is just a local issue – just do a Google search on Bus vandals and you will find stacks of similar cases from north of Scotland to the South of England indicating it’s not as easy to address as suggested.
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Post by pub146g on Jul 8, 2022 20:00:53 GMT 1
Happens almost every day. And to top it off, the PR1 buses are usually out on other routes. I believe they are doing this so the Park and Ride buses eventually blend in with the rest when fully released to normal duties, e.g. burnt seats, scratched windows, smashed usb points etc. I've also been told that normal tattydecks are being used so that when the new buses finally come onto the park and ride, the passenger will REALLY know they're on a new bus. I get bored reading nonsense such as this but feel I've got to respond to it: Scratched windows, nowadays - Really? Burnt seats - Really? Smashed USBs - if there are any then that's down to 'Joe public'. I know at one time it was fashionable to moan and whinge about anything to do with First, and a few people are still clinging on to that notion, but quite honestly it's just boring. Incidentally, most P&R customers just board the bus and settle in their seats, unconcerned if the bus is a dedicated Park & Ride bus or not.
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