Was D-Reg pointless?

[Mayneway]

RE: Was D-Reg pointless?

(01/10/2016 15:50)Dentonian Wrote:  This proves the point that in a competitive market you will always get the "haves and have nots". I always say that Thatcher's motto was "There must be Losers".

I also lived on the outskirts of Manchester - more specifically, on a low car-ownership residential "Overspill" estate which had constant (as in 12 hours a day, six days a week) heavily loaded bus services, and when working at GMB I saw the figures to prove it! However, our competition was low quality in every sense: NO low fares, NO genuine frequency improvements, just smoky old buses run by Operators who lodged Registered timetables and then simply ignored them.

So GMB vehiches were powered on rose scented non polluting diesel did they? Come on Dentonian GMB's atty's and Ollys pumped out just as much crap as Pennine Blues leyland nationals on the 347.

[Mayneway]

RE: Was D-Reg pointless?

(01/10/2016 15:37)Dentonian Wrote:  Two wrongs.... In fact, I would say that overall bus drivers ARE better than other drivers - CERTAINLY better than so called professional drivers. Equally, a lot of this seems to be a culture thing, as when travelling on Hyde Road buses in patricular, I simply do not recognise the nonsense written about bus drivers running red lights. I am sick to the back teeth of being on a bus that pulls up to a red light, and seeing two, three and even four vehicles sail past through the same lights. I can't really comment about doing 10 mph in a 40 zone, as most of my journeys are on roads where 40 would be an impossibility, and 10 mph is good progress.
Regarding traffic light co-ordination, this is also a big bug bear of mine, but whilst TFGM are theoretically in control, I wonder if they are actually following local Councils' wishes. For example, I recently caught an 83 from Oldham to Manchester just after lunchtime on a weekday. Between Oldham and Failsworth, we hit every set of lights on red, yet as soon as we crossed from Oldham MBC into Manchester we hardly got caught at any red lights. I've also noticed on recent Leeds to Manchester coach journeys that progess from Broadway to the top of Oldham Street has been much smoother than in the past.
I also agree to some extent about bus lane cameras v bus stop blocking. On the surface, the simple point is cameras cost nothing after the initial investment, wheras Wardens are paid a wage. The problem is the deep prejudice Wardens have in carrying out their duties in terms of either deliberately avoiding areas where bus stop blocking occurs eg. They walk through the back streets from Ardwick to the posh bits of Manchester City Centre to avoid taxi drivers and G4S blocking the Undercroft stop and the V1/V2 stop at Victorias Statue; or they simply blatently walk past blocked stops without issuing a ticket - and of course the Council (Tameside, naturally) simply ignore your complaint.
There is also the question of what motivates a motorist to park on a bus stop - especially when there are legal and practical alternatives yards away and/or they pull into a 70 ft long bus lay-by and park right on the stop itself. Its not a matter of motorists hating buses - its a matter of motorists hating bus USERS (invariably non-motorists)

As for cycle lanes, cyclists etc etc - just don't get me started............

I didsagree completly. I'm not for one miniute saying all bus drivers are bad drivers but the standards are low. I'm sorry but I've held my driving licence for over 10 years infact I passed first time with only 2 minors, but that's besides the point. The fact TFGM inspectors go through the farce of pointing a speedgun at drivers as they manoeuvre through the bus station proves this in it's self.

I can give countless examples I have witnessed first hand but one that sticks in my mind is a over weight driver negotiating mottram Moore while firstly trying to unwrap a sandwhich but then proceeding to eat it with both hands! While the bus was moving.
Another is the fact when it's warm drivers seem to drive with one hand out if the window - now as a non driver Dentionan let me ask you this do you think if a driver sitting his psv test drove like this would he pass??

Not so long ago on another forum we discussed the gridlock in the city centre and I seem to remember a Sharston depot driver pointing the finger well and truley at TFGM for their very poorly coordinated traffic lights and it does seem in most town centres it's the cause of the gridlock.
Next time your in Ashton just weigh up the set of lights outside the swimming baths and the sets either side of it and just watch how out of sink they are.

[wirralbus]

RE: Was D-Reg pointless?
What's Deregulation done for Merseyside over the years , other than moved the bus stations around.

Central Bus Station has become Liverpool One bus Station.

Woodside , effectively moved to Birkenhead Bus station.

[Bevan Price]

RE: Was D-Reg pointless?

(02/10/2016 08:36)wirralbus Wrote:  What's Deregulation done for Merseyside over the years , other than moved the bus stations around.

Central Bus Station has become Liverpool One bus Station.

Woodside , effectively moved to Birkenhead Bus station.

Woodside lost much of its reason for existence as a bus station many years ago, following the closure of the BR station, and then the reduction of ferry services to an hourly boat mainly for tourists rather than for commuting workers. It would not surprise me if almost all buses ceased to use Woodside within a few years.

[bus401]

RE: Was D-Reg pointless?
Already has,was down there yesterday only 2 bus shelters left and hardly any buses,a shadow of it's fomer self.

[St Helens Rider]

RE: Was D-Reg pointless?
Although Woodside has near enough gone, other bus stations have sprung up in other parts of Merseyside including Huyton and Earlestown - both these replace on street stops.

Other bus facilities to succumb to property development include the former Ribble Bus Station in Southport.

Also during this period St Helens received a new bus station in the mid 90s.

Another bus facility to have changed beyond recognition is Heswall which previously was also a Crosville depot as well as a bus station.

Prescot previously boasted a bus station (more of a turning circle) bus this now just a back through Road with bus stops onboth sides.

[wirralbus]

RE: Was D-Reg pointless?
Isnt there plans to redevelop the land anyway at Woodside , which will effectively move any buses that would call there to the Bridge street stops adjacent to Hamilton Square Station.

Unfortunately some of the Bus stations happened to be on prime real estate land like that Ribble Bus station site in Southport at the liverpool end of Lord street.

Where the bus station is now was going to be made into shops at Heswall but there was so much local opposition it never took place and the land lay derelict for so long , people never thought they was going to ever get a bus station back. One drawback with the design is that is only just fit for purpose with the amount of buses that use it now , any more and there just isnt the layover space , vehicles would have to vacate the bus station and continue towards the Devon Doorway and await time to come back to the bus station.

[motormayhem1]

RE: Was D-Reg pointless?

(04/10/2016 08:12)St Helens Rider Wrote:  Although Woodside has near enough gone, other bus stations have sprung up in other parts of Merseyside including Huyton and Earlestown - both these replace on street stops.

Other bus facilities to succumb to property development include the former Ribble Bus Station in Southport.

Also during this period St Helens received a new bus station in the mid 90s.

Another bus facility to have changed beyond recognition is Heswall which previously was also a Crosville depot as well as a bus station.

Prescot previously boasted a bus station (more of a turning circle) bus this now just a back through Road with bus stops onboth sides.

And dont forget southparkway a full new interchange.

[wirralbus]

RE: Was D-Reg pointless?
Yeah Liverpool South Parkway replaced something that was not fit for purpose namely Allerton and Garston stations , into something so impressive , thats the vision of Merseytravel for you , when they get things right they can do it very well , when they make a botch up like Birkenhead Bus station Version 1 they get brickbats .

[Metroline1511]

RE: Was D-Reg pointless?
This may be a coincidence, but although a few municipals and ex-NCB National Welsh went to the wall in the first few years after deregulation, it tends to be only pure independents these days that do. (The latest is Ladies Only Travel in West Yorkshire). Admittedly there has been much consolidation especially since 1994 in particular, but we take it for granted that privatised bus companies and the remaining municipals are likely to be safe.