SF07
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Post by SF07 on Jul 22, 2018 12:42:10 GMT 1
As we all know, if, they'd been getting daytime loads like this, most days, not just on a Saturday, then it wouldn't be finishing, would it? Doesn't necessarily follow. If the service is almost entirely used by people with free passes and only a handful of people paying fares then it is entirely possible that it isn't making money. Especially on a route like Zap where there is no real churn. Most buses have a mixture of passengers travelling the full route and travelling shorter distances, and the operators will make more money from a seat that is used for three short fares than for one long one. Was on a CityZap bus yesterday and heard the driver talking to some passengers and he said that there wasn't enough fare-paying passengers on board and it was used a lot by people with concessionary bus passes, particularly during the week. Also suggested the M62 killed the route off a bit, as it can be subject to closures and delays. Was reasonably busy on the morning journey from Manchester into Leeds yesterday with about 20 passengers on board but probably about 10 passengers on the return journey to Manchester in the evening. Did see the queues for the 0930 journey from Leeds to Manchester and it was full on departure (in fact left 5 minutes late due to the number of passengers getting on). Caught a glimpse of the vehicle used on the 0830 journey from Leeds and that was busy too. Driver was saying if the passenger loads were like that all the time then they wouldn't be scrapping the route. It looks the drivers on the route will now be redeployed onto the Mainline and Witch Way routes, while it's being suggested that the vehicles will be debranded and sent to Rosso.
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Post by SCH117X on Jul 22, 2018 13:51:03 GMT 1
X54s between Harrogate and York and X59s between Harrogate and Skipton were similarly packed at times but failed due to the appalling concessionary payments by NYCC. The WYIS fleetlist does state 1868-1871 are to be transferred to Rosso. The spare Pride of North liveried 1867 is oddly stated as to be transferred to Burnley which is obviously the only depot it cannot be transferred to.
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Post by ajw11239 on Jul 22, 2018 15:13:00 GMT 1
Loads during the day were pretty dismal too.
I think the problem with the ZAP was that the majority of bus services get very high loadings during peak times where most of the passengers are fare payers which in turn bring the money in. This then covers the later times of the day when passenger loadings are lower and more concessionary passes are used. Whenever I used the 7:00 ex Leeds (arriving Manchester 8:40 in time for work starts) it never had more than 4 people on board. I think that was because of how long the journey took - not the operator's fault but I never arrived on time into Manchester; and nobody wants a 1h40 journey compared to a 50m train commute every day.
Then there's additional drawbacks including the frequency and the extremely early last service times. I then stopped using it once the Daytripper was withdrawn from being allowed on the service. Not that some of these problems couldn't be avoided and it's a shame the service has ended, but I think it would have needed additional investment to make it work.
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Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Aug 4, 2018 20:50:36 GMT 1
Loads during the day were pretty dismal too. I think the problem with the ZAP was that the majority of bus services get very high loadings during peak times where most of the passengers are fare payers which in turn bring the money in. This then covers the later times of the day when passenger loadings are lower and more concessionary passes are used. Whenever I used the 7:00 ex Leeds (arriving Manchester 8:40 in time for work starts) it never had more than 4 people on board. I think that was because of how long the journey took - not the operator's fault but I never arrived on time into Manchester; and nobody wants a 1h40 journey compared to a 50m train commute every day. Then there's additional drawbacks including the frequency and the extremely early last service times. I then stopped using it once the Daytripper was withdrawn from being allowed on the service. Not that some of these problems couldn't be avoided and it's a shame the service has ended, but I think it would have needed additional investment to make it work. Just a thought. This Cityzap service ran from Burnley garage. So, had Stagecoach not sold this network to Blazefield in 2001 but Cityzap had still been introduced by Stagecoach instead, could they have made it prosper. It's a pity that Transdev didn't compromise and retain for example a limited Saturdays-only service.
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SF07
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Posts: 3,216
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Post by SF07 on Aug 14, 2018 20:04:33 GMT 1
May be possible that the vehicles previously used on the CityZap route could be appearing on Rosso's soon-to-be re-branded and re-numbered 484 service in Bury, which will be re-numbered Red 4 from next month. From Rosso: rossobus.com/article.shtml?articleid=8680
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SF07
Forum Member
Posts: 3,216
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Post by SF07 on Sept 2, 2018 14:43:02 GMT 1
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Post by gooderson1 on Sept 2, 2018 17:10:33 GMT 1
I thinks the comment posted on Twitter by Rosso at 0840 on 1st September "we are out in Bury markets it hour shiny new buses" is pushing it a bit far when you take I to account that they are all refurbished. Perhaps the phrase "reconditioned buses" would have been better. Just my observation.
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Post by SCH117X on Sept 2, 2018 17:42:11 GMT 1
Presumably its new in the sense of comments like "have you seen Stringers new bus" when its not new new but new to them.
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Post by britisher456 on Jan 9, 2019 10:51:26 GMT 1
cant believe this route is gone now
RIP Cityzap Manchester
the new buses are used on the Red4 which is nice
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