Greater Manchester Franchising

[WhiteVanMan]

RE: Greater Manchester Franchising

(12/05/2021 15:03)EDB325 Wrote:  It has been reported in today's "Manchester Weekly News" that Mr.Burnham also plans to have all buses turned out in a yellow and black livery to reflect "The Manchester Bee". I suppose it saves repainting the trams, but reading the Bustimes map will be quite tricky if everything is yellow ! Does this mean the end of all-over advertising ? I'm not at all in favour of this idea.

Bang goes all those colourful liveries, at Go North West.

[Barney]

RE: Greater Manchester Franchising

(13/05/2021 20:44)WhiteVanMan Wrote:  Bang goes all those colourful liveries, at Go North West.

When London Buses was privatised after 1986, London streets were awash with a rainbow of colours but, over time, TfL gradually re-established red as the livery that operators had to adopt if they wanted to bid for the franchises.

In other cities around the world where franchising exists, a standard livery is invariably prescribed.

[Mrboo]

RE: Greater Manchester Franchising
People don't want colourful liveries. They want a Standard service with buses they know will run on time. 1 Clean look is all that is needed with little input from the operators as it their job to just run the buses on time to the standard spec. They make their money if they do what they bid and get fined if they don't deliver.

[SK15 GZG (Moderator)]

RE: Greater Manchester Franchising

(14/05/2021 00:12)Mrboo Wrote:  People don't want colourful liveries.

I think you'll find passengers don't care what colour their buses are full stop

[Mayneway]

RE: Greater Manchester Franchising

(14/05/2021 00:12)Mrboo Wrote:  People don't want colourful liveries. They want a Standard service with buses they know will run on time. 1 Clean look is all that is needed with little input from the operators as it their job to just run the buses on time to the standard spec. They make their money if they do what they bid and get fined if they don't deliver.

Again your making msssive assumptions with nothing to back it up.
As a bus driver working in Manchester let me tell you how it is. The vast majority of bus users don’t care or have any interest in the colour, type or age of the bus they are travelling on. They want to get to their destination as quick as possible with as fewer delays as possible.
Come and do the job for a while then you may actually see things a little differently!

[knutstransport]

RE: Greater Manchester Franchising

(14/05/2021 11:34)Mayneway Wrote:  As a bus driver working in Manchester let me tell you how it is. The vast majority of bus users don’t care or have any interest in the colour, type or age of the bus they are travelling on.

I've been at bus interchanges waiting for a service which is supposed to have a high spec modern bus when it's not turned up by it's scheduled time and I've seen older lower spec buses arriving and thought while I'd prefer the advertised high spec modern bus, that older bus would be preferable to no bus at all or a very late service.

I also traveled on the D&G Streetlites when they were around 6 years old and didn't rate them then as they were rattly, didn't ride as well as the Solos and had uncomfortable seats. I think if they had non-standard registration plates most passengers would have thought they were much older.

I suppose the advantage of different liveries is you know certain buses aren't yours just from the colour but then many operators have special liveries and the vehicles in special liveries stray on to the wrong routes.

[Mayneway]

RE: Greater Manchester Franchising

(14/05/2021 16:39)knutstransport Wrote:  I've been at bus interchanges waiting for a service which is supposed to have a high spec modern bus when it's not turned up by it's scheduled time and I've seen older lower spec buses arriving and thought while I'd prefer the advertised high spec modern bus, that older bus would be preferable to no bus at all or a very late service.

I also traveled on the D&G Streetlites when they were around 6 years old and didn't rate them then as they were rattly, didn't ride as well as the Solos and had uncomfortable seats. I think if they had non-standard registration plates most passengers would have thought they were much older.

I suppose the advantage of different liveries is you know certain buses aren't yours just from the colour but then many operators have special liveries and the vehicles in special liveries stray on to the wrong routes.

When I work on certain routes that have ‘short’ workings as well as full workings I find most people don’t even look at the destination, then complain when they are being kicked off mid route.
People are so wrapped up in their phones and music they don’t notice the colour of buses or the age and spec.

[Mrboo]

RE: Greater Manchester Franchising

(14/05/2021 11:34)Mayneway Wrote:  Again your making msssive assumptions with nothing to back it up.
As a bus driver working in Manchester let me tell you how it is. The vast majority of bus users don’t care or have any interest in the colour, type or age of the bus they are travelling on. They want to get to their destination as quick as possible with as fewer delays as possible.
Come and do the job for a while then you may actually see things a little differently!

NO I sed no one cares about colourful livery' as in they dont care about what the bus looks like or who runs the bus.

They just want a bus on time and maybe have reai time info at the stop they don't care who runs it or the colour and even if it runs on battery's so long as it clean inside and racks up and they get a seat. Even wifi or usb does not matter.


London does not have wifi or usb

a big selling point is not having to look at a Timetable.

And buses to have a Colour on the destination screens or a very clear numbering system,

And the best way to get people on buses is to put on the bus
All fares £2 or If it was me I would make buses Free and charge people on their Council tax.
and to make driving hell by having bus lanes and gates

[wirralbus]

RE: Greater Manchester Franchising

(15/05/2021 02:13)Mrboo Wrote:  NO I sed no one cares about colourful livery' as in they dont care about what the bus looks like or who runs the bus.

They just want a bus on time and maybe have reai time info at the stop they don't care who runs it or the colour and even if it runs on battery's so long as it clean inside and racks up and they get a seat. Even wifi or usb does not matter.


London does not have wifi or usb

a big selling point is not having to look at a Timetable.

And buses to have a Colour on the destination screens or a very clear numbering system,

And the best way to get people on buses is to put on the bus
All fares £2 or If it was me I would make buses Free and charge people on their Council tax.
and to make driving hell by having bus lanes and gates

Making the fare a flat rate say £1.50 to £2 will work , but only if it is just on smart cards or contactless cards like London , very soon buses will no longer accept cash , similar to London.

Making it free and adding it to Council Tax i think will be political dynamite for whichever party tries to introduce that , people who dont use public transport will seriously resent that and will still drive no matter what you try to introduce to make it as awkward as you can for them. people will also hate there council tax going up dramatically , remember the congestion charge referendum Manchester lost.

[Mrboo]

RE: Greater Manchester Franchising

(15/05/2021 02:43)wirralbus Wrote:  Making the fare a flat rate say £1.50 to £2 will work , but only if it is just on smart cards or contactless cards like London , very soon buses will no longer accept cash , similar to London.

Making it free and adding it to Council Tax i think will be political dynamite for whichever party tries to introduce that , people who dont use public transport will seriously resent that and will still drive no matter what you try to introduce to make it as awkward as you can for them. people will also hate there council tax going up dramatically , remember the congestion charge referendum Manchester lost.

Yes it is political dynamite at first but in Luxembourg it free for any train, bus and tram so iif there a will sometimes the people have to be told. it going to have to happen I have to pay for council services I don't need so it same for that and the costs would be far lower if everyone had to pay into the pot. we have to pay a tax for Carrer bags that could of been seen as political dynamite.