have just over heard several first bus drivers discussing some future plans their company have regarding running times etc.
my ears pricked up when i heard them saying that it is first mainlines intention to take their buses off the road by 9.30 p.m., due to lack of patronage and damage to bus'es on certain routes after this time, by the end of the year.
is there any-one on here that can confirm or deny this as i rely on buses at night to get me to and from work ?

have looked on their web site but suppose those kind of details would not be put on it.

I have not heard of this but nothing would surprise me with the firm that operates the largest amount of buses in our area. Its time the council showed their bottle and took the buses out of their habnd and let it run as a public service not gravy train for shareholders. Its silly really that suggestion in the way they want cars of the roads but if we had a decent reliable value for money service then a lot more people would use the buses. Sadly the people in do not have that

I have not heard of this but nothing would surprise me with the firm that operates the largest amount of buses in our area. Its time the council showed their bottle and took the buses out of their habnd and let it run as a public service not gravy train for shareholders. Its silly really that suggestion in the way they want cars of the roads but if we had a decent reliable value for money service then a lot more people would use the buses. Sadly the people in do not have that

The council have absolutely no power to take over bus services so it's pointless blaming them for a situation that is completely out of their hands.

I'm not going to get carried away with the embryonic rumour - no disrespect to madcow in that. But even if it's being discussed it's very early days and the idea might be scrapped before it's even had a chance to be announced. We just don't know yet.

Why?! Just, why?! Worst Mainline are the WORST Bus company in the known Galaxy IMO! :rant:

If they even go anywhere near withdrawing the 31, 81 or 82 I WILL be writing to that idiot Tony Bliar (deliberate typo, yeh) in protest.

Why?! Just, why?! Worst Mainline are the WORST Bus company in the known Galaxy IMO! :rant:

If they even go anywhere near withdrawing the 31, 81 or 82 I WILL be writing to that idiot Tony Bliar (deliberate typo, yeh) in protest.

Blair doesn't own any shares in Firstgroup, so far as I know, and even if he does he won't be aware of it as all his investments are in blind trusts; so how can that possibly make any difference whatsoever?


As for buses that run after 9.30pm, very few (if any!) of them make any money anyway. They're contracted services, paid for by the PTE; if First decline to run those services, someone else will step in, so no big deal.

have just over heard several first bus drivers discussing some future plans their company have regarding running times etc.
my ears pricked up when i heard them saying that it is first mainlines intention to take their buses off the road by 9.30 p.m., due to lack of patronage and damage to bus'es on certain routes after this time, by the end of the year.
is there any-one on here that can confirm or deny this as i rely on buses at night to get me to and from work ?

have looked on their web site but suppose those kind of details would not be put on it.

I does not surprise me one jot if this rumour turns out to be true one only has to look at the amount of folk travelling on the buses in the evenings a lot of this is due to the fact that the main patrons of services in the evenings in some areas are what are known as 'Cappers' and people are just not going to risk travelling in the evenings for fear of being injured by house bricks etc being thrown at the buses the problem is the bus companies & police have not taken positive action to stamp this out so it is a case of chickens coming home to roost so to speak.

Blair doesn't own any shares in Firstgroup, so far as I know, and even if he does he won't be aware of it as all his investments are in blind trusts; so how can that possibly make any difference whatsoever?


As for buses that run after 9.30pm, very few (if any!) of them make any money anyway. They're contracted services, paid for by the PTE; if First decline to run those services, someone else will step in, so no big deal.

Won't it affect the pricing though? If one firm does the busy times with lots of customers and another does the times with few, surely the latter must charge more than the former for the same journey.

It amazes me that peaple think that the council will run the buses better than private industry, the council cannot even run council business. I guess it will give us somthing else to moan at the council.

Won't it affect the pricing though? If one firm does the busy times with lots of customers and another does the times with few, surely the latter must charge more than the former for the same journey.

No because they get a subsidy. The 43 run by TM travel is never full - often virtually empty but it's a subsidised service (and £1.50 as opposed to the £1.60 it cost under First) - I believe, got up and running by our own redrobbo!

i am not suprised by this at all first = joke 15 pound saver when doncaster and rotherham get a cheaper one . i was told once that the company was not happy with sheffielders and want to make them suffer . need stagecoach to get more say in sheffield

It can't be the Sheffield to Chapeltown bus, via Burncross. If it is we won't have a bus at all!

It can't be the Sheffield to Chapeltown bus, via Burncross. If it is we won't have a bus at all!


Read the sentences, please, and the words in them ...


The late-night buses are provided under contract to the PTE, paid for by subsidy. If First decline to renew the contract, it will go to someone else, so you WILL still have a bus.

Read the sentences, please, and the words in them ...


The late-night buses are provided under contract to the PTE, paid for by subsidy. If First decline to renew the contract, it will go to someone else, so you WILL still have a bus.

I can't see anyone else will want to step in, after all Stagecoach have just pulled the 88 out.

have just over heard several first bus drivers discussing some future plans their company have regarding running times etc.
my ears pricked up when i heard them saying that it is first mainlines intention to take their buses off the road by 9.30 p.m., due to lack of patronage and damage to bus'es on certain routes after this time, by the end of the year.
is there any-one on here that can confirm or deny this as i rely on buses at night to get me to and from work ?

have looked on their web site but suppose those kind of details would not be put on it.

Its funny you should say this because only a few weeks ago first stopped running services to Stocksbridge after about 8pm. The later services have now been taken over by Stagecoach. People have been complaining that if they work late they can't just buy one saver as they used to with first but will have to pay extra to get the Stagecoach buses. Personally I think that first could do with the competition up here after being the only operator around here for at least 10 years they think they can get away with sending the rubbish clapped out buses because what choice have passengers got but to travel with them.

Its funny you should say this because only a few weeks ago first stopped running services to Stocksbridge after about 8pm. The later services have now been taken over by Stagecoach. People have been complaining that if they work late they can't just buy one saver as they used to with first but will have to pay extra to get the Stagecoach buses. Personally I think that first could do with the competition up here after being the only operator around here for at least 10 years they think they can get away with sending the rubbish clapped out buses because what choice have passengers got but to travel with them.

Say a big thank you to the PTE then,they went for the cheaper option without giving any thought for the locals of the area in question.

Say a big thank you to the PTE then,they went for the cheaper option without giving any thought for the locals of the area in question.

As they should, given that they're spending my money and not the bus travellers' money.

You want an alternative, pay for one.

legalise and tax cannabis and save the taxes up till the state can buy back the buses, then the tax can be used to provide a free or highly subsidised service to the british public, or just legalise the sale of seized cannabis so the police and courts can occupy their time still and make a profit

legalise and tax cannabis ...



...taxation on cannabis is not practical, given it's so easy to grow the stuff for yourself. That's why it was made illegal in the first place, and tobacco was legalised instead. Much easier to tax tobacco.

...taxation on cannabis is not practical, given it's so easy to grow the stuff for yourself. That's why it was made illegal in the first place, and tobacco was legalised instead. Much easier to tax tobacco.

:hihi: tobacco is easy to grow too, when has tobacco been illegal?

[QUOTE=Mathom;1987375]No because they get a subsidy. The 43 run by TM travel is never full - often virtually empty but it's a subsidised service (and £1.50 as opposed to the £1.60 it cost under First) - I believe, got up and running by our own redrobbo![/QUOTE

so why run them at all then,surely if these routes are being subsidised to that extent then they are not required ,ergo stop them all together,which then in turn frees up more road space for car user's,cuts down the risk of getting a brick up side ya head etc etc etc