joseph
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Post by joseph on Jun 30, 2023 20:55:41 GMT 1
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Post by stephen01 on Jun 30, 2023 21:17:23 GMT 1
plus given it's a Brabin idea she's partially ruined it's chances. Have TLC even got facilities to accommodate the fleet on Accessbus duties.
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Post by deerfold on Jun 30, 2023 22:12:03 GMT 1
plus given it's a Brabin idea she's partially ruined it's chances. Have TLC even got facilities to accommodate the fleet on Accessbus duties. What are you saying was her idea?
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Post by stephen01 on Jun 30, 2023 22:20:11 GMT 1
plus given it's a Brabin idea she's partially ruined it's chances. Have TLC even got facilities to accommodate the fleet on Accessbus duties. What are you saying was her idea? Flexibus.
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Post by kommie123 on Jun 30, 2023 22:35:44 GMT 1
Absolutely the worst app and service ever. Would say no availability but it would pass me with people on it. Half the time no shows. Sometimes would go on mad diversions to pick up other people. You could book it for 1700 then you would check 10 mins before and the app has changed the times completely with no notification.
So not shocked at all. Abandoned it like many others months ago.
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Post by jonny182 on Jun 30, 2023 23:14:49 GMT 1
Absolutely the worst app and service ever. Would say no availability but it would pass me with people on it. Half the time no shows. Sometimes would go on mad diversions to pick up other people. You could book it for 1700 then you would check 10 mins before and the app has changed the times completely with no notification. So not shocked at all. Abandoned it like many others months ago. I agree with you there kommie123, as a software developer myself and someone who used to schedule public transport (buses and trains), the software is absolutely appauling. It could be run much more efficiently. Times change without notice to the passenger and you end up missing the booked trip, my experience is that the concept, drivers, DRT manager at Hunslet Park and WYCA staff who administer it are very professional and friendly. The software is terrible and suggests very inefficient routings, pickups and drop offs. Recently I was on the bus for a local journey of no more and 2 and a half miles by road, instead of the software dropping me off first before picking the next person, the software suggested a 2 mile out-of-the-way trip to pick up the other person first, then drop the other person off, then drop me off less than half a mile where the other person was picked up! This service really needs a taxi-operator style manager to manually oversee bookings and some machine learning of this human intervention would make it much better. Also a text message relay service or app notification is required so that you are notified of any late running, changes to pickup time, cancellations, etc. The mapping is terrible (as it relies on Google). I use the service a lot as I have no alternative after the Thorpe Park express services were withdrawn last year! The new Arriva 164 and 165 can't come soon enough so I don't need to gamble whether my bus to work will turn up or not come the 23rd July! Also these buses should be fully tracked. For some reason, like school buses at First, all the DRT ticket machine tracking data feeds to the Dept of Transport Open Bus Data server have stopped back in March this year. I am unable to track these on my own software (similar concept to bustimes.org but I've coded it myself for personal use). I have fed back lots of software development points to the developers but only very few have been implemented. I can only think of the litfle blue bus icon overlay pops up if the driver has selected your trip as a next pickup....other than that, I don't think any of my other feedback points were ever developed, not even non-existent pickup/drop-off locations being amended. The ability to purchase a Metro Daysaver from the Flexibus ticket machine would also be a huge improvement to encourage better ticketing integration to other services. The service accepts all MCard products so it is strange for the ticket machine not to be programmed to issus MetroDaysaver tickets.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2023 23:14:55 GMT 1
plus given it's a Brabin idea she's partially ruined it's chances. Have TLC even got facilities to accommodate the fleet on Accessbus duties. It's not really Brabins idea when the UK Government have been funding new DRT schemes across the UK & when the Bus Service Improvement Plan funding was announced areas was told if they included DRT it would increase their chances of success. Having been a user of the East Leeds DRT, on the whole it is a handy thing to have but there is room for improvements - Better advertising especially over the fact M-Cards can be used on the service (given the report points out poor integration with other bus services), in the grand scheme of things it wouldn't cost much to put an advert for it on the Bus Shelters & at Cross Gates Rail Station for it plus in the supermarkets next to (or even replacing) the taxi numbers as well. Another thing would be to allow bookings via a phone call, as they have this already for Access Bus It shouldn't take too much effort to have the same team be able to book Flexibus as well.
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Post by jonny182 on Jun 30, 2023 23:22:28 GMT 1
plus given it's a Brabin idea she's partially ruined it's chances. Have TLC even got facilities to accommodate the fleet on Accessbus duties. It's not really Brabins idea when the UK Government have been funding new DRT schemes across the UK & when the Bus Service Improvement Plan funding was announced areas was told if they included DRT it would increase their chances of success. Having been a user of the East Leeds DRT, on the whole it is a handy thing to have but there is room for improvements - Better advertising especially over the fact M-Cards can be used on the service (given the report points out poor integration with other bus services), in the grand scheme of things it wouldn't cost much to put an advert for it on the Bus Shelters & at Cross Gates Rail Station for it plus in the supermarkets next to (or even replacing) the taxi numbers as well. Another thing would be to allow bookings via a phone call, as they have this already for Access Bus It shouldn't take too much effort to have the same team be able to book Flexibus as well. I note from the report that "zero trips connect to the park & ride site" at Temple Green. This is a load of rubbish as I frequently go there and Skelton Lake by Flexibus! Somebody isn't looking at the data properly as I have definitely frequently booked a start/end journey to Temple Green!
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Post by kommie123 on Jun 30, 2023 23:50:14 GMT 1
Agreed. Also you would give feedback on the app and never get a response. The drivers are indeed friendly but the pick up points were never consistent. A real shame.
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joseph
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Post by joseph on Jul 1, 2023 6:53:01 GMT 1
Another big fault was the closeness and practicality of pick up points to where you were, one person I know was given a pick up point half a mile away from where they were setting off and down a hill, they had a wheelchair user, they didn't use the service after noticing this and haven't used it since.
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Post by kommie123 on Jul 1, 2023 8:35:03 GMT 1
Yes all my neighbours coukdnt use it cos they insisted on a calling point up a hill. Fed it in countless times and nothing.
Some drivers had some common sense, others didn't.
Makes me cross because this might have worked if they listened!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2023 13:24:10 GMT 1
It's not really Brabins idea when the UK Government have been funding new DRT schemes across the UK & when the Bus Service Improvement Plan funding was announced areas was told if they included DRT it would increase their chances of success. Having been a user of the East Leeds DRT, on the whole it is a handy thing to have but there is room for improvements - Better advertising especially over the fact M-Cards can be used on the service (given the report points out poor integration with other bus services), in the grand scheme of things it wouldn't cost much to put an advert for it on the Bus Shelters & at Cross Gates Rail Station for it plus in the supermarkets next to (or even replacing) the taxi numbers as well. Another thing would be to allow bookings via a phone call, as they have this already for Access Bus It shouldn't take too much effort to have the same team be able to book Flexibus as well. I note from the report that "zero trips connect to the park & ride site" at Temple Green. This is a load of rubbish as I frequently go there and Skelton Lake by Flexibus! Somebody isn't looking at the data properly as I have definitely frequently booked a start/end journey to Temple Green! I Guess it depends what the data classes as connecting. The wording they used was 'there was zero trips to connect with P&R Sites' rather than to the P&R, so i'm assuming their data shows there was trips to the P&R Site but none that connected to the P&R services into the City Centre (although that shouldn't be surprising as most places it would be easier to connect at York Rd or St James) I Agree with others that the pick up/drop off points could be improved as well, alongside the description of the pick up/drop off points for main destinations (St James being described as 'near the roundabout off Beckett Street' for one) Hopefully improvements can be made what should help increase passenger numbers.
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Post by jonny182 on Jul 1, 2023 17:35:37 GMT 1
I note from the report that "zero trips connect to the park & ride site" at Temple Green. This is a load of rubbish as I frequently go there and Skelton Lake by Flexibus! Somebody isn't looking at the data properly as I have definitely frequently booked a start/end journey to Temple Green! I Guess it depends what the data classes as connecting. The wording they used was 'there was zero trips to connect with P&R Sites' rather than to the P&R, so i'm assuming their data shows there was trips to the P&R Site but none that connected to the P&R services into the City Centre (although that shouldn't be surprising as most places it would be easier to connect at York Rd or St James) I Agree with others that the pick up/drop off points could be improved as well, alongside the description of the pick up/drop off points for main destinations (St James being described as 'near the roundabout off Beckett Street' for one) Hopefully improvements can be made what should help increase passenger numbers. Thanks for clarifying cp2012. I have a Metrocard so I only ever tap on and not buy through tickets to any connecting service so it will not show up on the Ticketer daily reports as a connecting to... ticket, just a prepaid on the daily reports. If I choose the Felxibus service to connect to another bus into town, I always choose an intermediate stop on York Rd or Halton Dial as there are other faster, more frequent, more direct services rather than starting further east from Seacroft Bus Stn, particularly now the 770 (no Hgate 7) has been reduced to hourly and there are big gaps in the morning Coastliner timetables. All buses departing from Seacroft Bus Stn to town now are slow and long-winded routes into town so that is why I presume hardly anyone interchange from one bus service to another there to/ from Flexibus!
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Post by deerfold on Jul 1, 2023 20:49:10 GMT 1
What are you saying was her idea? Flexibus. The contract for it was awarded to First a year before she was elected. How was it her idea?
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Username
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Post by Username on Jul 2, 2023 11:39:25 GMT 1
It was mad to think that some people want a DRT system for South Calderdale on this Forum when it has been proven many times that DRT doesn't always work out.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2023 12:32:08 GMT 1
It was mad to think that some people want a DRT system for South Calderdale on this Forum when it has been proven many times that DRT doesn't always work out. That's slightly out of context of what was said during that discussions (It was said if cuts needed to be made to the current tendered network then DRT could become an option,seen as that's what the government are wanting to fund) what I still agree with. IMO all that's been proven is in most cases the roll out of DRTs has been rubbish in this county compared to others hence them being held back.
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mattb7tl
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Post by mattb7tl on Jul 2, 2023 14:10:44 GMT 1
It was mad to think that some people want a DRT system for South Calderdale on this Forum when it has been proven many times that DRT doesn't always work out. Every village, every hour That is all that you need for a wonderful rural bus network.
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Post by stephen01 on Jul 2, 2023 15:25:21 GMT 1
It was mad to think that some people want a DRT system for South Calderdale on this Forum when it has been proven many times that DRT doesn't always work out. Well Actually there was a Dial-a-ride service until before the Pandemic for a few of the areas of Calderdale.
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Post by deerfold on Jul 2, 2023 18:09:20 GMT 1
It was mad to think that some people want a DRT system for South Calderdale on this Forum when it has been proven many times that DRT doesn't always work out. Well Actually there was a Dial-a-ride service until before the Pandemic for a few of the areas of Calderdale. And did it work? Has it been quietly dropped?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2023 18:35:09 GMT 1
Well Actually there was a Dial-a-ride service until before the Pandemic for a few of the areas of Calderdale. And did it work? Has it been quietly dropped? How well supported was it to help it work? The Leeds DRT was half hearted, the Sowerby Br Dial N Ride was barely quarter-hearted. Hourly rural services should be the ultimate aim (although i could see the argument for routes serving areas that more like hamlets than villages being Every 2 Hours) but that level of funding is never going to happen under the current government & highly doubt it will happen under the next. At the moment DRTs seems to be the favourite thing to roll out but as usual for the UK the roll out have ranged from half hearted to just useless - there's a whole list of things I could think of that DRTs in central Europe have that help towards there success that I suspect most the UK ones never even thought about. I Think the best way to explain the UK roll out is that it feels like they are launching DRTs based around what's easiest for the Tech companies to provide rather than providing the stuff a DRT could & should have to succeed.
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Post by stephen01 on Jul 2, 2023 18:44:21 GMT 1
Well Actually there was a Dial-a-ride service until before the Pandemic for a few of the areas of Calderdale. And did it work? Has it been quietly dropped? it actually worked and was used quite well used until lockdown and ended up a casualty the lost services to COVID. The only part of it left is a ring & ride on the very last 594 of the evening. It's a possible service for an operator over the to resurrect.
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Username
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Post by Username on Jul 2, 2023 18:51:14 GMT 1
And did it work? Has it been quietly dropped? How well supported was it to help it work? The Leeds DRT was half hearted, the Sowerby Br Dial N Ride was barely quarter-hearted. Hourly rural services should be the ultimate aim (although i could see the argument for routes serving areas that more like hamlets than villages being Every 2 Hours) but that level of funding is never going to happen under the current government & highly doubt it will happen under the next. At the moment DRTs seems to be the favourite thing to roll out but as usual for the UK the roll out have ranged from half hearted to just useless - there's a whole list of things I could think of that DRTs in central Europe have that help towards there success that I suspect most the UK ones never even thought about. I Think the best way to explain the UK roll out is that it feels like they are launching DRTs based around what's easiest for the Tech companies to provide rather than providing the stuff a DRT could & should have to succeed. Well the thing is you clearly don't live in the area, as running proper bus services is well enough. The local people use the service regularly and that's how it has been for many years. South Calderdale also carries a lot of children, which the majority don't know how to use a demand responsive service.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2023 19:14:26 GMT 1
How well supported was it to help it work? The Leeds DRT was half hearted, the Sowerby Br Dial N Ride was barely quarter-hearted. Hourly rural services should be the ultimate aim (although i could see the argument for routes serving areas that more like hamlets than villages being Every 2 Hours) but that level of funding is never going to happen under the current government & highly doubt it will happen under the next. At the moment DRTs seems to be the favourite thing to roll out but as usual for the UK the roll out have ranged from half hearted to just useless - there's a whole list of things I could think of that DRTs in central Europe have that help towards there success that I suspect most the UK ones never even thought about. I Think the best way to explain the UK roll out is that it feels like they are launching DRTs based around what's easiest for the Tech companies to provide rather than providing the stuff a DRT could & should have to succeed. Well the thing is you clearly don't live in the area, as running proper bus services is well enough. The local people use the service regularly and that's how it has been for many years. South Calderdale also carries a lot of children, which the majority don't know how to use a demand responsive service. I've said before i live in Leeds. I have previously spent time in central Europe so i've seen first hand how they run systems there. You seem to be completely missing my point - Yes the current set up in Calderdale seems to be doing ok but the question is, is it sustainable for the future? WYCA might end up needing to fund more routes that are no longer deemed commercial plus the current tendered networks that due to inflation will be becoming more expensive to run. I Said Hourly scheduled services should be the aim but the reality is outside of BSIP funding, the current government are not really increasing funding to 'scheduled' networks but seemingly happy to throw money at DRT, the least they could do is have a proper DRT set up that might stand a chance of getting passengers onboard. Also over 'Children not knowing how to use a DRT' - I've also previously said there should of been other options to book the DRT to help make it easier to use (although I question how many young people these days wouldn't know how to use an APP)
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Post by deerfold on Jul 2, 2023 23:42:06 GMT 1
And did it work? Has it been quietly dropped? it actually worked and was used quite well used until lockdown and ended up a casualty the lost services to COVID. The only part of it left is a ring & ride on the very last 594 of the evening. It's a possible service for an operator over the to resurrect. We may be taking about different schemes. I thought we were talking about the Sowerby area and Dean Head service? I wasn't aware of anything on the 594. If there is, it isn't well promoted. An operator over the what?
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Post by stephen01 on Jul 3, 2023 1:11:54 GMT 1
it actually worked and was used quite well used until lockdown and ended up a casualty the lost services to COVID. The only part of it left is a ring & ride on the very last 594 of the evening. It's a possible service for an operator over the to resurrect. We may be taking about different schemes. I thought we were talking about the Sowerby area and Dean Head service? I wasn't aware of anything on the 594. If there is, it isn't well promoted. An operator over the what? it was supposed to read "an operator over there" but i'd not realised my phone had deleted some of the text.
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