And the winner of worse bus route in sheffield go`s to: First Mainline`s 75/76`s

Nick-Named THE TALIBAN EXPRESS by the bus drivers if you look at the crap that try`s to get on at the Market stop to go to Burngreave Rd / Fir Vale the you can see why!.

The route between the Market & Firth Park must have the most rudest people on the planet

Drivers have commented to me that Illegal bin larden person must have a map of the market stop as that is where they all seem to be.

I do know that the service was Reduced in September due to the MAJOR problems with fraud + attacks on drivers, there has been a new fleet of buses put on the route with CCTV camers fitted on them, one driver said it was so when one of our friends at firvale tryed to get on for a mobilty 35p and has lost the will to speak English ( but seems to regain it when the driver charges IT full fare )
then they can catch the person face on CCTV.

PLEASE FILL FREE TO TELL OF YOUR HORROR BUS ROUTE BUT REMEMBER FIRST MAINLINE ONLY PAY DRIVER £165 P/W SO NO HATE STORY`S ABOUT DRIVERS!

I live at Sheffield Lane Top
I used to catch the 75 or 76 to work when there was the excelent every 5 min combined service, however since they have reduced the service i must agree with the coments above, it has now come to the point where my girlfirend who work`s in Nottingham drops me of at Meadowhall in the car and I come to Sheffield either by train or tram.

I do feel sorry for the bus drivers on the 75&76`s I know they can be gruppy sometimes but look at what they have to put up with, and if they do only get £165-00 i think that First Mainline bosses should be shot!.

Paul Farrell
Sheffield Lane Top

The number 2 circular bus route has a bad reputation for never been on time and if you miss one then you have to wait bloody ages until another one comes along.

I have to agree with what has been wrote about First Mainline`s 75 and 76 route.

Since the service has been cut down (no fault of the drivers) I either catch the train to Sheffield or catch the service 77 to the bus station.

I do like the service 77 as it can get you into Sheffield in about 20-25 mins if there is no Penistone Rd traffic but I just wish they would run every 15 mins.

There are 2 issues that I would like to bring up about the route 75+76.

I live at High Greave which is between Ecclesfield and Sheffield Lane Top.
I have to agree on the views that have been wrote about the service since it has been cut-back, I now tend to walk about 1/2 mile to Ecclesfield Village to catch services 53,31,85 or 86 which ever one comes first.

I have also been told by a driver that if we go to war then the 75+76`s are going to be diverted via Shirecliffe and not go between Firth Park and the Markets, if this does happen I can see the 75+76 route become very very poplar.

Originally posted by "Anonymous"


And the winner of worse bus route in sheffield go`s to:
First Mainline`s 75/76`s

Nick-Named THE TALIBAN EXPRESS by the bus drivers if you look at the crap that try`s to get on at the Market stop
to go to Burngreave Rd / Fir Vale the you can see why!.

The route between the Market & Firth Park must have the most rudest people on the planet

Drivers have commented to me that Illegal bin larden person must have a map of the market stop as that is where they all seem to be.

I do know that the service was Reduced in September due to the MAJOR problems with fraud + attacks on drivers, there has been a new fleet of buses put on the route with CCTV camers fitted on them, one driver said it was so when one of our friends at firvale tryed to get on for a mobilty 35p and has lost the will to speak English ( but seems to regain it when the driver charges IT full fare )
then they can catch the person face on CCTV.

PLEASE FILL FREE TO TELL OF YOUR HORROR BUS ROUTE BUT REMEMBER FIRST MAINLINE ONLY PAY DRIVER £165 P/W SO NO HATE STORY`S ABOUT DRIVERS!

Racist eejit.

i get on at woodseats and of at crucible and that parts not bad

Originally posted by "Anonymous"


And the winner of worse bus route in sheffield go`s to:
First Mainline`s 75/76`s

Nick-Named THE TALIBAN EXPRESS by the bus drivers if you look at the crap that try`s to get on at the Market stop
to go to Burngreave Rd / Fir Vale the you can see why!.

The route between the Market & Firth Park must have the most rudest people on the planet

Drivers have commented to me that Illegal bin larden person must have a map of the market stop as that is where they all seem to be.

I do know that the service was Reduced in September due to the MAJOR problems with fraud + attacks on drivers, there has been a new fleet of buses put on the route with CCTV camers fitted on them, one driver said it was so when one of our friends at firvale tryed to get on for a mobilty 35p and has lost the will to speak English ( but seems to regain it when the driver charges IT full fare )
then they can catch the person face on CCTV.

PLEASE FILL FREE TO TELL OF YOUR HORROR BUS ROUTE BUT REMEMBER FIRST MAINLINE ONLY PAY DRIVER £165 P/W SO NO HATE STORY`S ABOUT DRIVERS!

Wow. Not laughed so much since three of my family died in a year. Can't I complain about racist bus drivers then? Sorry, they're only on £165 a week...

I catch either the 75 or 76 from Woodseats to the Northern Gen to work on a Monday-Friday,
I have to say that the coments about the problems between the Market stop and Fir vale are TRUE!
I have never in my life heard such rude people and if Mr or Mrs Anonymous is reading this then i think he or she should learn to say please or thank you.
I know the drivers can be a bunch of a***holes sometimes but you will find that if you use you manners that can be realy nice people.

I used to catch the 76 Bus from Woodseats to Chapletown.
As for the comments that have already been put up the problems of cut-backs and the problems between the Markets/Wicker and other areas I have to agree with them, however this does not bother me now as I drive to/from work.

SInce moving to Sheffield I have travelled on a total of 4 buses.

Basically cos if it ain't on a tram route I don't go there. There is nothing more annoying that tryin got manouver three kids and a large pushchair and pay for their fairs whilst gormless passengers look on.

The trams are great for getting them all on no messing - however we do have idiots pushchair high jackers who think because they have a pram they have a devine right to the WHOLE tram.

So - I canne comment on the bus route thingy.

As for racist comments - lets see - if there happens to be a large amount of young people in an area and then there is a rise in crime are we not allowed to comment???? Or is it just the fact they are of a particular race that is getting your backs up???

Heavens forbid we actually let our voices be heard *gasp* how policitcally incorrect would that be. GET OVER IT! Preach to me about intolerance if you dare!

Moon Maiden

My boyfriend used to work for First Mainline on the route 75 and 76.

After Mr Tax Man had finished he came home with
£157-00 for a 40-44 hour week

He left the job after only 6 weeks due to the low wages
(Lowest bus drivers pay in uk) and due to the comment that have already been said about the area from the Markets to Firvale/FirthPark.

I shall just call myself Mr Bus Driver.
I work for First Group and have done for 6 years now.
I would like to start putting forward a bus driver view of things.
At Sheffield we are the second lowest paid drivers in the whole of the UK, we spend anything up to 4-5hr behind the bus wheel, we then have a 45-1hr break and then we spend another 4-5hrs behind the wheel and YES it is just for about £165-170 p/w
We also DO NOT get a weekend rate or overtime rate, so if we do work over we get the same pay as basic
which i hope you will agree is s**t.
Bus drivers shifts variry
the early mornings start between 345am-415am
and if you are on late afternoon`s you will be back in the depot between 12am-1am
I sometimes do the route 75/76 and I have to agree that there is a problem in the areas that have been listed, the main problem is that there are no signs at the Market bus stop telling people that the 75/76`s have been reduced and that the 22,47,48,97or97a are better for people to catch if you are travelling towards Firth Park, I have heard a rumer that the 75/76 bus stop at the markets are going to be moved to the bottom of Snig Hill?.
I try and get on with all of my passengers but there are sometimes when even I blow my top, I have to use a example here which is from the 75/76 route at the Markets stop, Why is it that some people who catch public transport get to the driver and then start looking for
the money?
As for the comment that have been made I have to agree that the 75/76`s are the worse bus route in Sheffield but if there was the excelent 5 mins service like there used to be then I think that more people would travel on this route.
I also have heard about them diverting the 75/76`s if there is a War, from what i have been told they are to run ( To City ) as normal to S.L.T then via Herries Drive-Shirecliffe Road-Rutland Road and West Bar BOTH WAYS
As for the the problems in the Markets to Sheffield Lane Top ( Netto ) like what has already been put
IT COST`S NOTHING TO SAY PLEASE AND THANK YOU..
Best Wishes
A Poor Bus Driver.

Originally posted by "Anonymous"

IT COST`S NOTHING TO SAY PLEASE AND THANK YOU..
Best Wishes
A Poor Bus Driver.

Unlike some who post here, I think it can prove quite costly to tar an entirely non-homogenous group (they're not all "Pakis", idiots) with the same brush, just because they're non-white. They are comprised of Kurds, Somalis, Indians, Afghans, Poles, and a whole host of other ethnicities.

I've seen just how wound up the Sheffield locals can get when you say, "Well, all northerners are thick, tight, anal alcoholics". Don't make the same mistake in referring to a far more diverse group as a bad lot.

PS Moon maiden - a "large number" of young people in an area, and a "rise in crime"? I'm assuming you have some stats to back this up, because I know that the police don't agree with you. Having spent a lot of time at the magistrates' court and crown court recently, I can confirm that the vast majority of those up on the kind of charges (I'm assuming) you refer to are white, cap-wearing locals. I don't accuse you of being politically incorrect (that's a concept I've never had much faith in), I am annoyed at you making a facile distinction between white and non-white criminals, in particular those of a younger age. It's easy for people to blame that which is strange or new to them, but here's a quick newsflash - we're a multicultural society with a responsibility to look after those less fortunate; get used to all those brown/black/beige faces, because they're here to stay.

PS Moon maiden - a "large number" of young people in an area, and a "rise in crime"? I'm assuming you have some stats to back this up, because I know that the police don't agree with you. Having spent a lot of time at the magistrates' court and crown court recently, I can confirm that the vast majority of those up on the kind of charges (I'm assuming) you refer to are white, cap-wearing locals. I don't accuse you of being politically incorrect (that's a concept I've never had much faith in), I am annoyed at you making a facile distinction between white and non-white criminals, in particular those of a younger age.

Why the hell should I have statistics? You get any number of youths in an area - be they white or otherwise and you have a recipie for disaster. Either the youths are up to no good or someone makes use of the distraction the kids cause.

Where did I differentiate between colour????

It's easy for people to blame that which is strange or new to them, but here's a quick newsflash - we're a multicultural society with a responsibility to look after those less fortunate; get used to all those brown/black/beige faces, because they're here to stay

Well I could have put bets on that a comment was made like this!

Here is a newsflash for you - it isn't just non whites that are victimised by this country - there are a growing number of WHITE people in this country that do not even get their views heard because of intolerance, ignorance, religious propaganda and incorrect media portrayal.

Do you know that I cannot legally get married by my religion? Did you know I cannot hold religious ceremonies as they should be held? Do you know that my religion was NOT recognised in this country by the 2001 census even though it is based on the first religion in this country? Did you know that my children are told that their parents are evil by intolerant people? Did you know that I face ridicule and ignorant remarks by people every day of my life because of the mark I wear??

So before you go 'assuming' anything else - just realise that white people are not out to get you. It is a basic standard of intolerance and misinformation - which is generally spoiled by the chosen few.

What gets my back up is an instant attack of someone being racist because they happen to make a comment on a negative part of life that includes a reference to someone being non-white. THAT is political correctness gone wrong when you cannot voice your opinions for fear of labelled.

Moon Maiden

i used to work in Maltby, but live in sheffield so that meant catching 2 buses from the bus station and getting up at 6am, which was not that great!

The thing which angered me was that they would cancel buses, or the bus would go early and id miss it, then have to wait ages for the next one. but there was no information that made any sense! Try looking at those screens next time you want a bus - most days they would send me to the wrong bus point.

I got the no. 69 to rotherham and i had more problems with it than any other bus ever!!!

Lightening the topic slightly...

It always makes me laugh(!) that people attempt to stand up before the bus stops and then go crashing from side to side. For example, some start standing up as you go over a round-a-bout ( :shock: )

Some people just never learn...

:?

You get that on trams too which is really dangerous - I found out to my peril as I stood up to get the kids ready and the tram had to stop suddenly - off went moon on her face down the tram closely followed by my 3 yr old.

Moon Maiden

Why the hell should I have statistics? You get any number of youths in an area - be they white or otherwise and you have a recipie for disaster. Either the youths are up to no good or someone makes use of the distraction the kids cause.

Where did I differentiate between colour????

Why indeed... the implication in your previous post was that there was a group of young people of a "particular race" (your words - hmm, I thought we were all homo sapiens) who, given that they have nothing to do, are turning to crime. Further, in mentioning that these young hoods were non-white, and failing to mention that it is white kids who are mostly to blame (or even conceding that they might commit crime), you apportion far too much blame to this ethnic minority (again, PLEASE tell me which "race" these people are?!). In fact, there is an underlying racism which pervades your comments.

Here is a newsflash for you - it isn't just non whites that are victimised by this country - there are a growing number of WHITE people in this country that do not even get their views heard because of intolerance, ignorance, religious propaganda and incorrect media portrayal.

Do you know that I cannot legally get married by my religion? Did you know I cannot hold religious ceremonies as they should be held? Do you know that my religion was NOT recognised in this country by the 2001 census even though it is based on the first religion in this country? Did you know that my children are told that their parents are evil by intolerant people? Did you know that I face ridicule and ignorant remarks by people every day of my life because of the mark I wear??

Ah, paganism, the religious equivalent of homeopathy. Let's have an argument about the merits of this "religion" elsewhere, ok? But please elaborate on the matter of white people not being heard.

So before you go 'assuming' anything else - just realise that white people are not out to get you. It is a basic standard of intolerance and misinformation - which is generally spoiled by the chosen few.

What gets my back up is an instant attack of someone being racist because they happen to make a comment on a negative part of life that includes a reference to someone being non-white. THAT is political correctness gone wrong when you cannot voice your opinions for fear of labelled.

Moon Maiden

The fact is you equate their anti-social behaviour with their ethnicity, when it's blatantly obvious that not all members of ANY ethnic group are committing crime, no matter the location! Again, you fail to concede that perhaps the white kids of Sheffield might possibly, perhaps, potentially be as big a part of the street crime problem as their non-white counterparts.

You don't consider yourself to be racist - well done. You haven't convinced me though. Try to find some stats to back up your argument and I might be forced to agree with you, at least on an empirical level.

[/siz]
I disagree, the 53 is the worst bus route. Going to school in the morning is hell, and coming back home is worse. Bus drivers treat school kids like dirt. Woe betide you if you have only got a pound coin for bus fare (kids price 35p) and if you don't have your bus pass you have to pay the full fare even if you are in your school uniform!

One outraged All Saints Student
John

Originally posted by "Anonymous"

[/siz]
I disagree, the 53 is the worst bus route. Going to school in the morning is hell, and coming back home is worse. Bus drivers treat school kids like dirt. Woe betide you if you have only got a pound coin for bus fare (kids price 35p) and if you don't have your bus pass you have to pay the full fare even if you are in your school uniform!

One outraged All Saints Student
John

I'm twenty four and the bus driver nearly chinned me for not having eight quid for the travel pass (I handed him a tenner).

As for racist comments - lets see - if there happens to be a large amount of young people in an area and then there is a rise in crime are we not allowed to comment???? Or is it just the fact they are of a particular race that is getting your backs up???

Where do I point out I refer to ethnic minority youths??? My first comment is a general one and my second refers to the fact that you instantly brand anyone racist that includes comments about ethnic minority people.

The fact is you equate their anti-social behaviour with their ethnicity, when it's blatantly obvious that not all members of ANY ethnic group are committing crime, no matter the location! Again, you fail to concede that perhaps the white kids of Sheffield might possibly, perhaps, potentially be as big a part of the street crime problem as their non-white counterparts.

You don't consider yourself to be racist - well done. You haven't convinced me though. Try to find some stats to back up your argument and I might be forced to agree with you, at least on an empirical level.

Where do I equate anti social behaviour with ethnicity? Are you reading my posts at all or just doing your classical assumptions?

As for being racist - I am - I hate the french! Rascism is ignorance or another group!

Would you like to tell my multi race son & daughter just how racist I am - whilst her family face being bombed out in the middle east??? Would you like to tell her family just how much I hate them would you?

Your comments are flawed and you have either not read what I have posted or your desire to paint everyone with the brush of racist has tinted your eyeballs.

Also - before we start with - well you can say you know all the coloured people in the world and it won't make a bit of difference - try my homepage - come and see me and my family at the shop and ask them.

I can paint people with a racist brush look - you made a racist comment aimed at me! Racism 100% pure ignorance You're it!

Ah, paganism, the religious equivalent of homeopathy. Let's have an argument about the merits of this "religion" elsewhere, ok? But please elaborate on the matter of white people not being heard.

Moon Maiden[/quote]

I've never been on a 75/76 bus so I can't really join in with this topic. However I do want to voice my opinion about the 93 bus route. It takes an age to get to Meadowahall on there! I can slowly feel myself growing old by the time I get to Meadowhall! Its ridiculous! Does anyone else agree that this route is extremely long?!

isnt it easier to walk to the top of the hill and catch the tram? or is that too far?

Thats quite a walk for me, especially in my boots :D Its not very nice up there anyway for someone on their own. I tend to catch the bus into town and then catch a tram or the 93 to Meadowhall. I sometimes walk up to the tram stop with my mates, because we can use the same ticket on both trams and it'll only cost us 35p to get all the way to Meadowhall :lol:

hehe :lol:

i tend not to go on buses anymore, they give me headaches :(

To the two lads who have made comment`s about the route 53 Low Edges-Ecclesfield

(1) It is the LAW that all children between 9-16 (16-18 if they go to College ) have to show there pass to let them on for 35p, if you do not have it you WILL have to pay full fare, sorry but it`s the law.

(2) on the second point about change.
Bus drivers them self get pi***d off with the boses because we are only allowed to have a £2 float, we ask all passengers to have the right chang but we have all been in the situation where sometimes this is imposable to do.
The driver was out of hand to do what he did, but it would depend on what time you went for your bus?, if it was first thing in the morning then change is like gold at that time as is the time between 1pm-3pm when the afternoon staff come`s on, we have brought this issue up time and time again but the bosses will not take notice.
I myself drive mostly on the route 53 what i tend to do if iam low on change is ask the passenger where they are going eg Town, then I ask them if they would not mind seeing me then as by the time we get to Town i might have some change.

Hope this has answer your question?.

Mr Bus Driver

Mr Bus Driver,

Do you ever sit in the bus station with your door closed while people queue to catch your bus, then at departure time, just drive off, without opening the door to let passangers on?

I've seen that happen!

I saw that happen alot in Barnsley.

At the end of the day - if you are having a bad one and come across the idiots I see whilst shopping it is a wonder we don't have bus driver rage towards passengers!!

Moon Maiden

Hello Andy.

There are 2 answer`s to your question.

(1) on route 53 the 2 areas for driver to change over is Flat Street or A4 platform, due to the attack`s on drivers we are not allowed anybody off or on when we are doing this, iam not sure what route you catch? but if a bus pulls up short of the bus stop Ie at flat Street it meens that there is to be a change of driver.

(2) if you are running for a bus i shall tell you now that the mirros on a bus are crap!, we have asked for blind spot mirros to be put on the left mirror so we can see passengers running for the bus, but yet again it a no-no from the bosses.

Hope you didn`t have to wait long for you next bus
Best Wishes
Mr Bus Driver

Originally posted by "geoffbowen"

Lightening the topic slightly...

It always makes me laugh(!) that people attempt to stand up before the bus stops and then go crashing from side to side. For example, some start standing up as you go over a round-a-bout ( :shock: )

Some people just never learn...

:?

I think with this that people are just frightened of missing their stop, I mean it has happened to me before many moons ago, the driver thought nobody was getting off and proceeded. Sometimes also bear in mind that the bus is so full that people are already stood up to start with.

:) How Long Did you have to wait for your bus this week?.
With Sheffield Bus drivers the lowest paid in the whole of First Group (About 165-00p/w) there is a large shortage of drivers.

Which is the Worst bus route in Sheffield and Why?.

:mad: 47/48 i waited on Gregg House Road for 25mins then three came at once..this ain't a one off it happens all the time

Originally posted by Jon
:mad: 47/48 i waited on Gregg House Road for 25mins then three came at once..this ain't a one off it happens all the time

Hello Jon

Im Sorry you had to wait 25mins (Not sure about the manament?)
The next time you are (hopefully) on a 47/48 have a look at the small timetables they (Sometimes) have on the buses, look at the back and it will tell you that you are so lucky as this is a turn up and go service.

I will let you fill in your feeling on that in your next post.

Best Wishes
Mr Bus Driver

41. Every 6 minutes my arse. Most mornings I can be standing waiting for 20 minutes at least.

i refuse to catch buses......they are never on time and the drivers are usually grumpy old sods...i am fortunate enough to live about 20 mins walk from town so i just leg it..if it happens to be a freezing wet night i have 2 choices, stand and wait at a bus stop for half an hour and pay £1.05 fare, or sit in the warmth of my front room wait for a taxi and pay 3 quid.........taxi for me every time.

The evening service on 25A has to be one of the worst, it is such a shoestring operation and rarely runs on time.

123!!! That bus would be so convenient for me but the blasted thing only comes every 20 minutes on mon-fri's and 30 minutes on a Saturday... Non existant on a Sunday, apart from the 723 which only takes you to the Interchange...

The 95 is a pain on a Monday morning (around 7.30ish) so I've heard... Thank God I don't have to go to school on that day!!!

and the 82.... don't even get me started with the 82!!! I have been stood half an hour many a morning in town, waiting for that damned bus!!! Grrrrr!!! I have complained four times to First about this service and aparently its not their fault.... well who's fault is it then?.... lol!

I didn’t realise that Bus Drivers were so badly paid. You wages are far too low. Surely though even if you were paid more and there was no shortage of drivers you still could not provide a reliable service because of the traffic congestion we get in Sheffield. It must be impossible to keep to a timetable at busy periods.

I don't use the bus so I canne comment.

My experiences of buses is from Barnsley and they were a flippin nightmare particularly for a young mum with pram and shopping!

Moon

Originally posted by caprice
123!!! That bus would be so convenient for me but the blasted thing only comes every 20 minutes on mon-fri's and 30 minutes on a Saturday... Non existant on a Sunday, apart from the 723 which only takes you to the Interchange...


the 123 comes wenevea it likes as far as i can tell!!! i now walk home from woodhouse instead it saves waiting for sometimes nearly hours!

Originally posted by fatjohn
you still could not provide a reliable service because of the traffic congestion we get in Sheffield. It must be impossible to keep to a timetable at busy periods.


Have you ever gone though Woodseats John?

The Trick is to try and get there 5 mins early then by the time you have got thought Woodseats you might be only 10 mins late.

The car drivers will always moan that there are too many bus lanes and the bus passengers will say there is to few, what do you think?.

Originally posted by Andy C
The evening service on 25A has to be one of the worst, it is such a shoestring operation and rarely runs on time.

Hello Andy I see your located not to far away from me.

You and I will remember when the 75's came to Bradway, a very good service until for some reason we now go to Jordanthorpe on which you got the 25A service.

The Reason why the 25A are allways late is there are only 2 buses running from Bradway to Arundel Gate and back to Bradway, I think that the drivers on that route get About 23 Mins from Bradway to Arundel Gate so you try and do that on a Friday Night.

Originally posted by caprice
don't even get me started with the 82!!! I have been stood half an hour many a morning in town, waiting for that damned bus!!! Grrrrr!!! I have complained four times to First about this service and aparently its not their fault.... well who's fault is it then?.... lol!


Ive had a good chat with a driver who works on the 82 route and he says that Ecclesall Road is a nightmare (Not the word he used!).
He said that on paper there is a 6/8 min service but because of the traffic it is NORMAL for the poor passengers to wait a long time, and yes you have guess it 3 then come along at once!.

Im sorry Caprice that you and everyone else who write's a post on the subject have to comment on the bad things about the buses, but it shows just how bad things are

Originally posted by Mr BusDriver
Ive had a good chat with a driver who works on the 82 route and he says that Ecclesall Road is a nightmare (Not the word he used!).
He said that on paper there is a 6/8 min service but because of the traffic it is NORMAL for the poor passengers to wait a long time, and yes you have guess it 3 then come along at once!.


Poor passengers in Ecclesall? Surely not!

Ecclesall Road, a nightmare?! As in 'Nightmare on Elm Street' starring t020 as Freddy Kruger with stuck up opinions?

Just kidding T0! ;)

Ecclesall Road, a nightmare?! As in 'Nightmare on Elm Street' starring t020 as Freddy Kruger with stuck up opinions?

Hahaha!!!!!

Just kidding T0!

I wouldn't be :P

Yes, Woodseats is a total nightmare all day, combination of the bottleneck effect and the numerous pedestrian crossings.

It's made worse by buses having to run in the left hand lane as that is where the stops are, but then having to pull out round parked cars into the right hand lane, causing delays for all the cars in that line of traffic.

Only solution is to provide off road parking for shoppers then making entire length of Woodseats a no stopping zone at all times. (other than buses pulling into stops of course).

Now bus route 293 Sheffield-Millhouses-Bradway-Dronfield avoids the Woodseats problem, however this runs to a most bizzarre timetable, which on Saturdays sees a bus every 2 hours from Sheffield to Bradway, but only 1 bus all day from Bradway to Sheffield! And on weekdays the last bus into town is at about 3pm! No service at all evenings or Sundays. Maybe its time to improve this route.

[i]Originally posted by Andy C

Now bus route 293 Sheffield-Millhouses-Bradway-Dronfield avoids the Woodseats problem, however this runs to a most bizzarre timetable, which on Saturdays sees a bus every 2 hours from Sheffield to Bradway, but only 1 bus all day from Bradway to Sheffield! And on weekdays the last bus into town is at about 3pm! No service at all evenings or Sundays. Maybe its time to improve this route.

You must be joking Andy!

The route 293 is run by Thompson Travel and is run mainly for the workers at the Gunstone bakery in Dronfield, so the timetable mainly runs to the shift change over times.

I don’t know what the answer is to the congestion in Woodseats. If parking was limited even further then the shops would lose trade, and it is a busy retail area. But there isn’t much point in having bus lanes if the bus is continually held up. I have noticed a lot of inconsiderate and illegal parking in Woodseats so maybe a large car park somewhere would be the answer. Really though the only answer is ‘dedicated bus lanes’, that deny access to anything other than buses, taxis, police etc. But the cost of widening roads etc would be prohibitive, or would it, if you gained an efficient public transport system?

The 41 isn't bad but its not great.
The 41 isn't bad but its not great.

Terrible ain't it? You wait for a reply and two come along at once.

Chris.

PS. I apologise. :P

Obviously none of you have to endure the nightmare which is the 60 to Fulwood - always late (often over 30 mins wait - and should be every 7 mins), always over crowded (students and school kids galore, and hospital workers, patients and visitors).
And I live on 47/48-75/76 bus route, and they are definately nowhere near as consistently and regularly as bad as the 60.
Believe me I know.
:mad:

My kids would be happy with a bus that is even 30 mins late! Very often their bus from Shirecliffe to the city centre is non existent and they have to phone me to take them to college.

Originally posted by fatjohn
I don’t know what the answer is to the congestion in Woodseats. If parking was limited even further then the shops would lose trade, and it is a busy retail area. But there isn’t much point in having bus lanes if the bus is continually held up. I have noticed a lot of inconsiderate and illegal parking in Woodseats so maybe a large car park somewhere would be the answer. Really though the only answer is ‘dedicated bus lanes’, that deny access to anything other than buses, taxis, police etc. But the cost of widening roads etc would be prohibitive, or would it, if you gained an efficient public transport system?

We (The Bus Drivers) had a good idea.
Make woodseats into a 3 lane road, then add the trafiic system that they have on Queens road ( the one with the arrows and crosses) only have it working between 730am-9am and 4pm-530pm then the rest of the time have what you have in place now.

I see they have just pull down the BP petol station in woodseats could this be a car park?

[i]Originally posted by hiyabeing
Obviously none of you have to endure the nightmare which is the 60 to Fulwood - always late (often over 30 mins wait - and should be every 7 mins), always over crowded (students and school kids galore, and hospital workers, patients and visitors).
And I live on 47/48-75/76 bus route, and they are definately nowhere near as consistently and regularly as bad as the 60.
Believe me I know.
:mad:

:thumbsup: Two problems you have here.
(1) Broomhall !!!!! , the traffic lights at the Jct with Glossop Rd are a pain to say the least + the traffic problems on west street means that a 60 rarely runs on time.

(2) Heres even more bad new, because there is a shortage of drivers instead of a every 10 min service you tend to find 60's will be running to around a every 15-20 mins service, also because there is only 1 bus garage in Sheffield (Used to be 6) if you want to increase a service the company has to trim another (Route 34 to Hillsborough comes to mind)
The Only way forward is to exstend the tram to Fulwood, I can not see any bus companys paying drivers more, in there view profit comes before anything else.

[i]Originally posted by SuzyC
My kids would be happy with a bus that is even 30 mins late! Very often their bus from Shirecliffe to the city centre is non existent and they have to phone me to take them to college.

:( Sorry Suzy but as for the worse route for lack of drivers then the 33/34's come top, I have know on many night when only 1 bus is working the route (4 normaly) I think that 33/34 only get 13-15 mins from Shirecliffe to the Markets in the daytime so like the 60's if they run on time you have done well.

Route 17 - all around the city in 20 hours! Jeez

Originally posted by Internetowl
Route 17 - all around the city in 20 hours! Jeez

Another BAD route!

This problem started when a large bus company in Sheffield axed the service 42 because it was not making a much money as they wanted.
The service 80 was then diverted via Fox Hill & Grenoside but because there was no spare buses the whole service from Sheffield -High Green and back to Sheffield had a running time of 54 mins, this lead to buses coming in up to 20 mins late.

So now what they have done is re-routed the route 17 and so you are right it dose take 20 hours to go round, also if you want to complain about this service dont ring Olive Grove garage up to do so as because of the sortage of drivers the route 17 is now run from Rotherham garage.

The 252 operated by Aston Express must be the worst route in Sheffield. When they do turn up and you've experienced a bone-breaking ride on their minibuses you rather wish they hadn't bothered at all!

personally I don't use the buses anymore due to

1. cost
2. time
3. don't go where I want to go

my car is cheaper, more reliable, quicker and much more comfortable...had I lived on a tram route I might use that but as I don't I don't.

its no wonder the roads are clogged with cars - whats the alternative? walking

The 60's are defo the worst...it's not unusual to wait 30 minutes and then have three go past at once...could swear the bus drivers are having a party at the Crimicar terminus hence the delays every time :rolleyes:

I think the worst bus route is 17.
my daughter in law has waited for this bus after work at meadowhall for over an hour and 3 were missing.
This was not the first time and she complained and got a letter back stating driver shortages and an apology.

What a load of rubbish when the time is 7.30pm and you have been at work all day and can`t get home.

I have to say the driver shortage excuse annoys me too. It's worse when you wait an hour on High Street for a 25A to Bradway after 2 have been cancelled in a row due to driver shortage, yet about 15 number 52s to Crookes have come past in a continuous convoy in that period. I mean, how many buses do they need to Crookes? Surely a bus controller with a brain would just cancel a 52 and use the driver on the 25A, they wouldn't notice one bus missing on the 52 surely!

What is even more annoying is you cannot get any information on how long you will have to wait for the next one to turn up as drivers on other buses aren't interested, and the traveline doesn't know. If I knew the next 25A wasn't going to turn up then instead of wasting my life waiting for ever for a non existent bus I would get a Totley bus and walk the last mile to Bradway.

First bus must be the most incompetent bus company in the world ever. And they must also be the slowest.

47/48 are absolutely pathetic - on more than one occasion have 4/5 51's gone past in the time it takes for either a 47 or 48 to turn up. With the roadworks in the middle of town now it's just got worse :rolleyes:

Originally posted by Andy C
I have to say the driver shortage excuse annoys me too. It's worse when you wait an hour on High Street for a 25A to Bradway after 2 have been cancelled in a row due to driver shortage, yet about 15 number 52s to Crookes have come past.

What is even more annoying is you cannot get any information on how long you will have to wait for the next one to turn up as drivers on other buses aren't interested, and the traveline doesn't know. If I knew the next 25A wasn't going to turn up then instead of wasting my life waiting for ever for a non existent bus I would get a Totley bus and walk the last mile to Bradway.

First bus must be the most incompetent bus company in the world ever. And they must also be the slowest.

2 points here Andy.:)

(1) The bus company in question will NOT take of a driver of a 52 to do a route 25a to Bradway as the route 52 makes the most profit for the company, if the buses were still owned by Sheffield City Council then this would have happened.

(2) In Sheffield The bus stops are run by South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Exc.
Most drivers are sure that the manament have never been on a bus let-a-loan try and keep people informed.
On a recent trip to Brighton ALL the bus stops in the town centre had displays fixed to them telling passengers how long they had to wait for there next bus.
There is a very very small system running on the route 51 but these are allways wrong/breaking down.
Sorry Andy but until they replace the clowns running S.Y.P.T.E we (Sheffield) will lag behind everyone else.

Originally posted by starchild
The 60's are defo the worst...it's not unusual to wait 30 minutes and then have three go past at once...could swear the bus drivers are having a party at the Crimicar terminus hence the delays every time :rolleyes:

:confused: WHAT DRIVERS!!!!
165-00 Quid for a 42 hour week!

Originally posted by fnkysknky
47/48 are absolutely pathetic - on more than one occasion have 4/5 51's gone past in the time it takes for either a 47 or 48 to turn up. With the roadworks in the middle of town now it's just got worse :rolleyes:

:wave: Ah I take it your on about Eyre Street!!
Only takes drivers about 15mins to do 1/2 a mile though the roadworks!!!

Worst bus routes = 82 and 83 between Stannington to Town and back.... they only run every half hour, and aren't the most reliable of services even then, as they often turn up at least 10 minutes late.

And when you live in a fairly isolated area right up the top end of Stannington that isn't very good in my opinion, especially given that part of the reason we moved up Stannington from Lower Walkley 6 years ago was easier access to buses instead of having to trek all the way up to Heavygate Road at Crookes for the 52 or down to Hillsborough.

So, what do we make of our part time bus service again finishing at 6pm on New Years Eve. Why do they do this? Surely there is huge demand for people heading out for new years eve celebrations!

Compare this to London where as well as the normal night bus service, the London Underground, Docklands Light Railway and Croydon Tramlink all extended their service to run all night, with all public transport journeys (except trains) free of charge between 23:45 and 04:30.

And no service at all New Years day? Why? Traditionally people like to go out either into the countryside or to a shopping centre. Trains and trams run new years day - so why can't buses be bothered?

I can accept buses not running Christmas day due to the combination of lack of demand and the staff wanting to be at home with their family for Christmas, and to a lesser extent boxing day, but new years eve and new years day there is no excuse.

As a student who has moved from the east midlands to sheffield, i am pretty appalled with the service of buses in sheffield. I catch the number 50 bus every day to the university, and there are a few points i have to make:
1) I have now spent a term catching a bus every day and have not come across one cheerful bus driver at all
2) This one doesn't bother me much as you expect it but it is rarely on time
3) If you are not EXACTLY at the bus stop but are 10 seconds away from it and you run towards it waving your arms at the bus driver to stop, they just drive past you as if you weren't there just glancing at you and some have even laughed
4) On the odd occasion they have been over 5 minutes early which obviously plays havoc because you don't know whether the bus has gone or if it is late or whatever, NO BUSES SHOULD EVER BE EARLY!
5) The bus doesn't turn up at all, usually the 10:41 bus for some reason
The one that most annoys me out of these is the third one because that is just the ignorance of the drivers and there is ALWAYS space on the number 50 bus when you get on at hunters bar so that is not the reason.

Originally posted by sheffieldfox
[ NO BUSES SHOULD EVER BE EARLY!


How would you make sure the buses ran on time?.

I agree with many of the comments about the 47/48 and 75/76 bus routes.

Yes, waiting for 47/48 or 75/76 bus into town on a weekday morning is bad. Pre 8am, the buses arrive on time, but are chock full and drive right on.

Between 8 and 9am, you really do wait up to 30 minutes for one, then three arrive at once - two chock full and one practically empty. Note that the published 'average time of 12 minutes between buses' still applies!

After 9am, the buses slow down to one every 30 minutes.

I have been told this is down to the traffic calming in Firth Park - road narrowing; one-way system round Firth Park Centre...

Returning home is almost as bad. After 6pm, there is practically no service at all - one bus every 30 minutes.

Originally posted by Mr BusDriver
How would you make sure the buses ran on time?.

I would rather a bus be 5 or so minutes late than early, if a bus is early it should stop at the stop even if no-one is there until the time its supposed to arrive at that stop

Originally posted by sheffieldfox
I would rather a bus be 5 or so minutes late than early, if a bus is early it should stop at the stop even if no-one is there until the time its supposed to arrive at that stop

spot on.

47 and 48 waited 30mins and both turned up yet only 47 stopped at the castle market stop and the 48 ignored everyone driving straight past

Originally posted by Mr BusDriver
(1) The bus company in question will NOT take of a driver of a 52 to do a route 25a to Bradway as the route 52 makes the most profit for the company, if the buses were still owned by Sheffield City Council then this would have happened.


Even when the number 52 buses in question have only a couple of people on board each? I see that all the time, but they still run every ten to fifteen minutes, while peasants are waiting up to an hour for a 47/48 or 75/76 after 6 pm.

Isn't there still a public body that liaises with First Mainline every time First want to slash bus services / raise prices. Is it worth us complaining to them, Mr BusDriver?

And going a little off topic here...why are fares so high when staff are paid so little (I fear I know the answer to this :rolleyes: ) When I lived in Leeds a few years ago, the equivalent of a seven-day saver cost just a fiver. Over here, it was 8 quid, and rose by 50p every few months!

i like how ppl r complaing about the 22 but wat about the 17 bus service they might as well cancel that route as for the last 30,yrs the bus eather never turns up r it comes but it arrives 1hr late then you got 3 turning up at once r its stopped at meadowhall and all you get of first maine line is that its the road works at meadowhall but i dont think thats been built for thirty years r have i been a sleep lol r the football disrupts it so let me c why there r more cars on the road infact c if you can tell me?

The worst bus route EVER! is definately the 25a to woodhouse! On three occasions in the past 3 weeks hve i been stood waiting for 50 minutes AT LEAST for a bus. Only to then find that 2 or 3 come at once! And there is the added fact that the buses stop running from town at 8 o'clock! Whats going on there then? I think the bus service in Sheffield is absolute sh*te and if they're not careful, they wont be te ones on strike, we will!!!!!

Originally posted by craig
i like how ppl r complaing about the 22 but wat about the 17 bus service they might as well cancel that route as for the last 30,yrs the bus eather never turns up r it comes but it arrives 1hr late then you got 3 turning up at once

Yeah! The 17 bus! That's a classic! At best, it only runs every 30 minutes, when the bus driver feels like it, when it's not too cold, wet or snowing (all those hills, y'see). What's that you say? Three at once? Mate, I don't think there's three of 'em running a week let alone an hour!

Yep, the 17 service along with the number 2 service must be among the most unreliable throughout the timetable.

Originally posted by TidyGirl25
The worst bus route EVER! is definately the 25a to woodhouse! On three occasions in the past 3 weeks hve i been stood waiting for 50 minutes AT LEAST for a bus. Only to then find that 2 or 3 come at once! And there is the added fact that the buses stop running from town at 8 o'clock! Whats going on there then? I think the bus service in Sheffield is absolute sh*te and if they're not careful, they wont be te ones on strike, we will!!!!!

I used to use the 25 and 25a on a regular basis up till about 3 months ago, and never had any problems with it being late or anything, apart from once when I JUST missed one and was quite a while waiting for the next one to come on Arundel Gate at the stop between TJ Hughes and the Crucible.

Any bus route which shares the supertram route by the looks of it!

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/misc/tramcrash_oct16/DSCF0018_r.jpg

Ouch - nice pic Geoff
:thumbsup:

Lots of moans on this sadly the moans outweigh the very few bus drivers out who are good.

Firstly the 48 route is shocking (can't comment on the 47 as it doesn't go on my road)
If this bus is not late (normal) it is early. The other day it was early by 10 yes 10 minutes on Blackstock Road towards Heardings. It arrived at 0728 (am) on Blackstock when it shouldn't even been at Newfield Green until 07:32 it arrived at Heardings 10 mins early, now a lot of people would say I should be glad it wasn't late, but I live across the road from the bus stop and if I didn't set off ten mins early I would have missed it and my tram then been late for work.

Also most of the drivers on this route are rude, claim the bus is full when there are 2 people standing, and don't stop at bus stops unless you are stood at the door. Which goes against the Health and Safety advice First put on the buses, saying to remain seated until the bus has stopped. I have a bad leg and it hurts when a bus stops quickly so would rather wait for another bus than to stand, so I can't stand when it is moving as it causes me pain when it stops.

And what is it with 48's pulling round 47's and missing passengers, I have told first about this and they say the 47 stops on Blackstock Road - it doesn't - when I told this they said go round to herdings and back down on the 48, it costs the same. It doesn't.
City Centre to Blackstock Road on a 48 = £1.05 on a 47 = £1.80 - £1.05 to herdings then 75p herdings to blackstock. If you were entitled to a consesanary fare you would have to pay twice.

Also why don't the drivers know how to use the kneeling function, I have been told by first that they have to train the drivers in the function. How long does it train people to press a button????

Once when I complained I was told to use another service, which one there is only one service that goes to herdings 7 days a week Yorkshire Terrier don't run on a sunday, the 48 only manages one a hour until lunchtime.

OK gripes over I sure there are worst out there (at least I hope there is hate to have the worse)

JUBBY

Originally posted by Mr BusDriver
Another BAD route!

This problem started when a large bus company in Sheffield axed the service 42 because it was not making a much money as they wanted.
The service 80 was then diverted via Fox Hill & Grenoside but because there was no spare buses the whole service from Sheffield -High Green and back to Sheffield had a running time of 54 mins, this lead to buses coming in up to 20 mins late.

So now what they have done is re-routed the route 17 and so you are right it dose take 20 hours to go round, also if you want to complain about this service dont ring Olive Grove garage up to do so as because of the sortage of drivers the route 17 is now run from Rotherham garage.

That sounds so silly that a sheffield bus isn't even based in sheffield, this service used to run from the garage near leppings lane, on the route. The main problem with this route is the cost of fares.

Originally posted by Andy C
I have to say the driver shortage excuse annoys me too. It's worse when you wait an hour on High Street for a 25A to Bradway after 2 have been cancelled in a row due to driver shortage, yet about 15 number 52s to Crookes have come past in a continuous convoy in that period. I mean, how many buses do they need to Crookes? Surely a bus controller with a brain would just cancel a 52 and use the driver on the 25A, they wouldn't notice one bus missing on the 52 surely!

What is even more annoying is you cannot get any information on how long you will have to wait for the next one to turn up as drivers on other buses aren't interested, and the traveline doesn't know. If I knew the next 25A wasn't going to turn up then instead of wasting my life waiting for ever for a non existent bus I would get a Totley bus and walk the last mile to Bradway.

First bus must be the most incompetent bus company in the world ever. And they must also be the slowest.

I have to agree with the 52 point 3 every 30 seconds the 51 is the same

Originally posted by Andy C
So, what do we make of our part time bus service again finishing at 6pm on New Years Eve. Why do they do this? Surely there is huge demand for people heading out for new years eve celebrations!

Compare this to London where as well as the normal night bus service, the London Underground, Docklands Light Railway and Croydon Tramlink all extended their service to run all night, with all public transport journeys (except trains) free of charge between 23:45 and 04:30.

And no service at all New Years day? Why? Traditionally people like to go out either into the countryside or to a shopping centre. Trains and trams run new years day - so why can't buses be bothered?

I can accept buses not running Christmas day due to the combination of lack of demand and the staff wanting to be at home with their family for Christmas, and to a lesser extent boxing day, but new years eve and new years day there is no excuse.

All I can say about this the drivers may be on a slightly lower wage than me (should be very simaler with tax credits for those with familes) but they got boxing day, and new years day off and an early finish on xmas eve and new years eve. what about those who had to work it??? If it wasn't for family with cars I would have to pay out of my nose for a taxi!!!

Jubby

Originally posted by sheffieldfox
I would rather a bus be 5 or so minutes late than early, if a bus is early it should stop at the stop even if no-one is there until the time its supposed to arrive at that stop

I Agree read my post above 10 mins early in the morning going in the oppisite direction to the traffic jams. The only reason I could see hime doing this was he got 10 more mins at the terminus

JUBBY

Originally posted by Abdul
Even when the number 52 buses in question have only a couple of people on board each? I see that all the time, but they still run every ten to fifteen minutes, while peasants are waiting up to an hour for a 47/48 or 75/76 after 6 pm.

Isn't there still a public body that liaises with First Mainline every time First want to slash bus services / raise prices. Is it worth us complaining to them, Mr BusDriver?

And going a little off topic here...why are fares so high when staff are paid so little (I fear I know the answer to this :rolleyes: ) When I lived in Leeds a few years ago, the equivalent of a seven-day saver cost just a fiver. Over here, it was 8 quid, and rose by 50p every few months!

Tip to make sure First don't make as much money.

Sheffield 7 day saver now £13 but you can buy a TravelMaster vaild on all buses trains and trams in South Yourkshire for £15.60.

SYPTE may be clowns a lot of times but I see where the value for money is.

I now get a travelmaster cost me £560 a year, and it means i can ride on the smooth on time trams, only need a bus for the 5 min ride to the tram stop.

These are the worst in Sheffield!

The 8/9 buses are once every hour, and you never know if they are going to turn up! They never keep to a timetable, and if they do, the bus is a old banger!

The 3/4 buses are every half hour, again you never know if they are going to turn up! I have to get these buses to University ... I think I have been on time twice in the past year! Many times the bus has turned up, but the driver that does the change over doesn't!! Also if you don't get the bus at the bus station, the driver is very likely just to drive past you!!

Originally posted by jubby
Tip to make sure First don't make as much money.

Sheffield 7 day saver now £13 but you can buy a TravelMaster vaild on all buses trains and trams in South Yourkshire for £15.60.

SYPTE may be clowns a lot of times but I see where the value for money is.

I now get a travelmaster cost me £560 a year, and it means i can ride on the smooth on time trams, only need a bus for the 5 min ride to the tram stop.

Good for you:thumbsup:
Thats what a transport service should be about "Value For Money"

Still far too much to pay for 7days:mad:

Originally posted by jubby
That sounds so silly that a sheffield bus isn't even based in sheffield, this service used to run from the garage near leppings lane, on the route. The main problem with this route is the cost of fares.


Welcome to the ga-ga world of a big Sheffield Bus Company:loopy:


I KNOW the fares are high :mad: Do you think I would pay 75p to go a few stops:loopy:

Bring back the days when it was 10p for a Adult & 2p for a Child :thumbsup:

Originally posted by qazitory
These are the worst in Sheffield!

The 8/9 buses are once every hour, and you never know if they are going to turn up! They never keep to a timetable, and if they do, the bus is a old banger!

The 3/4 buses are every half hour, again you never know if they are going to turn up! I have to get these buses to University ... I think I have been on time twice in the past year! Many times the bus has turned up, but the driver that does the change over doesn't!! Also if you don't get the bus at the bus station, the driver is very likely just to drive past you!!

The Bus Drivers nick-name the buses on the 8/9's MILKFLOATS as this is all they would be useful for:nod:

The 8&9's is another service where a crystal ball is needed to see if there is a service running this year:mad:

As for the Route 3/4 I take it you go to the University on Psaler Lane?

Have talked to a driver on that route the service 3/4 gets 26 mins from Sheffield Interchange to Millhouses:loopy: Now you try doing that on a Monday morning about 8am-9am with all the cars parked on Cemetery Rd :mad:

Like Ive said before there is only 1 Yes 1 Bus depot in Sheffield so if you want a extra bus the company has to nick it of another route:mad:

Oh and they can't do that as there would be NO drivers to drive it:mad:

And Im sorry to tell you this but the word is that if the 3/4's don't make any more money this year they
Will make it a service 3 ONLY running allday every HOUR!!!!:loopy:

Many students have stopped using the 3 and 4 bus routes as they are too unreliable, but if they dont use it, it will be got rid of!So its catch 22.

Well I'm leaving University in May, and so I can go out and earn money for a car!!!! :)

Originally posted by jubby
[B]Lots of moans on this sadly the moans outweigh the very few bus drivers out who are good.

Also why don't the drivers know how to use the kneeling function, I have been told by first that they have to train the drivers in the function. How long does it train people to press a button????

JUBBY

Sorry to hear about the problems with the low floor 47/48's

There are 2 Answers to your question.

(1) out of the 100+ low floor buses about 70-75% have low floors that work :mad: Yep its that old problem of money it take's about 2-3 days to mend the working of the low floor on a bus, and a certen company would rather have it out in service than stuck over a Pit getting mended.

(2) The H&SE law states that a driver can NOT opperate the low floor until he has been trained to do so, this also includes wheelchair operation, if a driver was to lower the floor for a old person to get on and that person sliped then this would be the fault of the driver and he/she WOULD get sacked:mad:

I drive on a route where I have a lot of old people/prams, I allways lower the floor as I think Im going to be old one day and that is how I would like to be treated.

If the low floor is not working then I put a sign in the side window telling the passengers, drivers have a maintenace card that we fill in so if there is a problem with the bus then it is recorded, however when or if it is fixed is in the lap of the god's:confused:

Originally posted by qazitory Many students have stopped using the 3 and 4 bus routes as they are too unreliable, but if they dont use it, it will be got rid of!So its catch 22.

Well I'm leaving University in May, and so I can go out and earn money for a car!!!! :)

I write to the Sheffield Star if I was you about the route 3&4:idea:

If there is going to be cut backs this will be the services that get the axe:mad:

Originally posted by Mr BusDriver
Sorry to hear about the problems with the low floor 47/48's

There are 2 Answers to your question.

(1) out of the 100+ low floor buses about 70-75% have low floors that work :mad: Yep its that old problem of money it take's about 2-3 days to mend the working of the low floor on a bus, and a certen company would rather have it out in service than stuck over a Pit getting mended.

(2) The H&SE law states that a driver can NOT opperate the low floor until he has been trained to do so, this also includes wheelchair operation, if a driver was to lower the floor for a old person to get on and that person sliped then this would be the fault of the driver and he/she WOULD get sacked:mad:

I drive on a route where I have a lot of old people/prams, I allways lower the floor as I think Im going to be old one day and that is how I would like to be treated.

If the low floor is not working then I put a sign in the side window telling the passengers, drivers have a maintenace card that we fill in so if there is a problem with the bus then it is recorded, however when or if it is fixed is in the lap of the god's:confused:

Point taken about the training and it is actual LOLA that covers the knelling function on the buses, but please it would take ten minutes to train you and to sign the form to say you have been trained.

It is just a button, and a pull out ramp.

Silly corporate delay i know.

Glad to see you put a sign up so people know in advance without embrassing you or them by asking for you to kneel it. Why can't all drivers take the interest in passengers like you do??

Jubby

A Poem

We are told by the council to travel by bus
It will help cut their losses and be better for us
There's nowhere to park if you come in by car
So 'hop on a bus', it's better by far
The only thing is, you just stand there and wait
You can guarantee yours is the one running late
It often won't bother to turn up at all
Then tempers get frayed: 'I'll give them a call

It's a waste of good money, a waste of my time
For the excuses they make can't be put into rhyme
For none of it adds u, it doesn't make sense
Their strange explanations just make me more tense
It isn't their problem, they don't make the rules
It's some other department that fixes schedules
So whatever the problem, whatever your lot
It's just profit they're after, we don't matter one jot

So if you decide to travel one day
Allow lots of time on your journy each way
Or you'll miss your appointment and again you will wait
For the phantom to appear on Arundel Gate

Mrs L Musselwhite
Masefield Road
Sheffield S13

As seen in the letters page of the Sheffield Star Tuesday 6th Jan 2004

My wife waited for the 47 bus outside Wilkinsons on two seperate occasions, once for 1 hour and another for fifty minutes. This service is a joke and First Mainline call us Customers but we are passengers, customers have a choice to go elsewhere if they receive bad service from any company but we are stuck with this joke of a company.


Lazarus

I live on a 47/48 and the 75/76 route and there are supposed to be roughly the same time apart. But I always end up getting a 75/76!!

Don't get me started on buses... but you have, so...

I live in Meersbrook, Chesterfield Road area, the buses (33,34,25,25a,53)are reasonable into town most days (apart from very early mornings when they just don't appear), the 49 and 49a yorkie buses frequently break down, a few weeks ago the driver crashed into a landrover and then at traffic lights opened the doors to wave to a mate in the next car.

I then have to get the 51 to 6th form, which (I'm amazed it can get away with this) says 'every 10 minutes' on the side. Most mornings I wait half an hour or so and am late for school, even when arriving at the stop half an hour before i need to.

Before Christmas I waited 40 minutes for a 14 in the freezing cold, although they're normally pretty reliable. It took a whole 35 minutes to get from TJ Hughes to the bottom of the Moor - whoever thought it was a good idea to plan the roadworks during the Christmas and January rush?!

I could go on...the number 2, bad enough as it only comes every hour, is frequently 40 minutes late, and we wait in the dark after school until it comes along. Unfortunately First have the monopoly, so what can I do, I'm not old enough to drive and can't afford a taxi. With adult fares as high as they are you'd think that the service could be improved. More drivers would be a better option than new fleets of buses, I honestly don't care what colour seat I'm sitting in, as long as it gets me there.

Told you you shouldn't get me started!

Originally posted by jubby
Point taken about the training and it is actual LOLA that covers the knelling function on the buses, but please it would take ten minutes to train you and to sign the form to say you have been trained.

It is just a button, and a pull out ramp.

Silly corporate delay i know.

Glad to see you put a sign up so people know in advance without embrassing you or them by asking for you to kneel it. Why can't all drivers take the interest in passengers like you do??

Jubby

Ok let me answer your questions:D

(1) It takes a WHOLE day to train around 12 Drivers at a time, this is due to 2 tests having to be took (H&SE & Bus companys ).
You now have a situation:confused: Do you take 12 drivers off the road for a day to train them which of couse means that 12 buses will not run, or do you leave them to drive the buses but then they will not be able to operate the low floor:confused:

(2) In your second question " Why can't all drivers take intrest in passengers"
The answer is simple:D If you look at the drivers you will see that most are over 40+, about 90% of these will be on the Council Penision, that is pre 1986 when the buses were owned by SCC.
All there hear to do is to get there pay each week to top up there excelent penision:) . You can't blame them:D

Originally posted by qazitory
[B]I live on a 47/48 and the 75/76 route and there are supposed to be roughly the same time apart. But I always end up getting a 75/76!!]

Your Lucky catching a 75/76:clap:
The 47/48 are SUPPOSED to run every 3/4 mins combined
Where the 75/76's run every 15mins each.
The 75/76's have been reduced in service over the last year:confused:
This means between the Markets & Firth Park they are allways nearly FULL:mad:

Originally posted by lazarus
My wife waited for the 47 bus outside Wilkinsons on two seperate occasions, once for 1 hour and another for fifty minutes. This service is a joke and First Mainline call us Customers but we are passengers, customers have a choice to go elsewhere if they receive bad service from any company but we are stuck with this joke of a company.


Lazarus [/B]

Sorry your wife had to wait:sad:
If you feel so stongley about it write to the Sheffield Star :thumbsup:

Originally posted by jubby
A Poem

We are told by the council to travel by bus
It will help cut their losses and be better for us
There's nowhere to park if you come in by car
So 'hop on a bus', it's better by far
The only thing is, you just stand there and wait
You can guarantee yours is the one running late
It often won't bother to turn up at all
Then tempers get frayed: 'I'll give them a call

It's a waste of good money, a waste of my time
For the excuses they make can't be put into rhyme
For none of it adds u, it doesn't make sense
Their strange explanations just make me more tense
It isn't their problem, they don't make the rules
It's some other department that fixes schedules
So whatever the problem, whatever your lot
It's just profit they're after, we don't matter one jot

So if you decide to travel one day
Allow lots of time on your journy each way
Or you'll miss your appointment and again you will wait
For the phantom to appear on Arundel Gate

Mrs L Musselwhite
Masefield Road
Sheffield S13

As seen in the letters page of the Sheffield Star Tuesday 6th Jan 2004


WELL DONE:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

As I speak drivers up and down South Yorkshire are cutting out your poem and it sticking it everywhere.
You will be famous tommorow

:D

Originally posted by noseyrosie


Unfortunately First have the monopoly, so what can I do, I'm not old enough to drive and can't afford a taxi. With adult fares as high as they are you'd think that the service could be improved. More drivers would be a better option than new fleets of buses, I honestly don't care what colour seat I'm sitting in, as long as it gets me there.



Another one for the letters page in the Star:thumbsup:
IM sorry you had to wait (Honest) :sad:

Originally posted by noseyrosie
[B]Don't get me started on buses... but you have, so...

I live in Meersbrook, Chesterfield Road area, the buses (25a,53)are reasonable into town most days (apart from very early mornings when they just don't appear),


They will be running!
Its just most of them will be in the Woodseats CRAWL

:mad:

I use the 83 route from Stannington, in a period of 10 days 4 days had a bus missing and 3 days the bus was at least 40 mins late, this is common and what's worst is that about 4-6 82 buses go past before mine.

Originally posted by Mr BusDriver
Ok let me answer your questions:D

(1) It takes a WHOLE day to train around 12 Drivers at a time, this is due to 2 tests having to be took (H&SE & Bus companys ).
You now have a situation:confused: Do you take 12 drivers off the road for a day to train them which of couse means that 12 buses will not run, or do you leave them to drive the buses but then they will not be able to operate the low floor:confused:



Thanks for your reply.

Just wanted to check this before posting.

Under the Disabilty Discrimination Act (DDA) any public transport company that provides a service accesable to disabled people (this cover buses, coaches, trams, trains and taxis) MUST ensure that these are available at all times, and ALL staff that use them be trained by the end of 2004. All public transport systems must ensure that any vechicle that is not accesable must do so by end of 2006 hence the fleet replacment to low floor.

I understand about taking drivers off the road, but tell that to the wheelchair user that needs that bus. if you train 12 drivers per day over 300 days a year = 3600 drivers. how many drivers work for 1st???

First's investment in the fleet, will keep them the largest company in sheffield, because as the deadline draws near and the smaller companies can't afford to replace their fleet, first will poach those routes.

btw if it takes a day what they teach you, it only took me two days to learn how to use a cherry picker and extendable platfom...

Jubby

Ah, that reminds me of RVAR (Rail vehicle Accessibility regulations) which is related to the DDA. From what I've read whoever wrote them lacked common sense or understanding of the industry.

For example, on new trains there is a scrolly message thing telling you where the train is going etc which benefits those who are hard of hearing as it acts as a visual announcement. Now under RVAR it is illegal for a train to go into service off depot with this out of order. However it does not specify what constitutes a depot, which means just some siding with a petrol pump at the end of a rural branch line counts as a depot, so if the only train has a broken scrolly message thing with no means of repairing it the train has to be cancelled, leaving everyone stranded, including the deaf person that may or may not exist (who could have quite easily travelled safely without a scrolly message thing).

If that is the only train scheduled for several hours then the train company will normally lay on a replacement bus service, but does that have a scrolly message thing fitted? no, but it is still allowed to operate as lower standards apply.....

Clearly we should be ensuring public transport services should be accessible to those with special needs who deserve the freedom to be able to go out and about under their own steam and of course operators should have guidelines as to what is required of them, however prescriptive regulations should be thought through properly, be designed to be practical and not as the above example create situations where those it is meant to help are worse off.

Going back to low floor buses there is of course another issue. Say we have a perfectly working bus with a fully trained and enthusiastic driver, the wheelchair user still cannot get on or off unless the bus pulls right into the curb so the step is over the pavement, but in many cases a car has parked in the bus stop so the bus cannot do this. These motorists should be clamped down on.

Originally posted by duffman
I use the 83 route from Stannington, in a period of 10 days 4 days had a bus missing and 3 days the bus was at least 40 mins late, this is common and what's worst is that about 4-6 82 buses go past before mine.

Oh wow! Another Stannington resident besides me! :)

And I know what you mean about the 83s, the service is rubbish, too infrequent and unreliable.

[Originally posted by jubby .

I understand about taking drivers off the road, but tell that to the wheelchair user that needs that bus. if you train 12 drivers per day over 300 days a year = 3600 drivers. how many drivers work for 1st???

in sheffield, because as the deadline draws near and the smaller companies can't afford to replace their fleet, first will poach those routes.

Jubby

(1) there are just over 3000 drivers, however there is at least 50-100 drivers leaving a certen depot in Sheffield each WEEK because they have just had enough!
And at present there is a shortage of instuctors to teach them (most out on the road driving)

(2) as for you last point First will not poach there route because of 2 reasons
(1) There is only 4 bus depot's in South Yorkshire, Doncaster,Rotherham,Olive Grove & Halfway and there all full to bursting with buses due to the shutting down of all other depots.
And of course who would drive the buses?

Glad so see on the News tonight that Sheffield Was 5th Bottom in the whole of the UK in it's delivery of Transport in Sheffield!
Now we might get somewhere:D

Originally posted by Rich
Oh wow! Another Stannington resident besides me! :)

And I know what you mean about the 83s, the service is rubbish, too infrequent and unreliable.

Dont ring up to ask them where the bus is?
You will probably get a answer of "Walk down to the 82 stop"
Did you know that the 83's are a limited service?.

Thats right once every day:mad:

Like prevous post on this subject: Im sorry your buses do not turn up, if we could be there we would be:sad:

what about the long lost bus routes, the good old 49 from town to wordsworth avenue the 79 and 89 circulars you used to get from bridge street, the 53 before they re-routed it to timbukto via the moon( a packed lunch is advised if you intend travelling the entire length of this route) the 271 sheffield to upton and the X68 to penistone ,a good one if you missed all other options after a night on the razz?

Why don't First follow the example of the bus companies in Nottingham and stop routes going through the city centre? If all buses went into the interchange it would mean that passengers could change easily if neccessary. That way if there is a traffic problem in one part of the city, passengers waiting across the other side of the city aren't affected.

The problem in Stannington though is that the bus companies clearly think that Stannington ends at the terminus near the Hall Park Head flats.... Well it doesn't, in fact it only starts there, the area of Stannington goes right up to the top of Uppergate Road past the Crown and Glove pub before the road goes further up and into what's classed as Derbyshire.

Originally posted by Andy C


Going back to low floor buses there is of course another issue. Say we have a perfectly working bus with a fully trained and enthusiastic driver, the wheelchair user still cannot get on or off unless the bus pulls right into the curb so the step is over the pavement, but in many cases a car has parked in the bus stop so the bus cannot do this. These motorists should be clamped down on.

I Agree with you on that one. Maybe Mr BusDriver can confirm this, but I am under the impression the knelling buses can kneel to ground level or at least to near ground level than the ramp can be employed for the rest of the way. Of course if it is a narrow road that a lot of our buses run on where their is only room for a parked car on one side and the bus (or other traffic) on the other this would still prove difficult. Every one who parks in a bus stop should be fined. Unfortanly money is the only way we will change these people (except the very rich who can afford the fines no problem) This is why I agree with Meadowhall clamping driver who parkin the disabled bay. Yes it still takes up a space but the £40 they have to pay and the aggro it takes to unclamp them may make them think next time.

I have another question for Mr BusDriver, what happens if a wheelchair user gets on becuase the driver is trained then that driver changes drivers to one who isn't trained to use the ramp what happen to the wheelchair passenger??????

Jubby

Originally posted by Mr BusDriver


(2) as for you last point First will not poach there route because of 2 reasons
(1) There is only 4 bus depot's in South Yorkshire, Doncaster,Rotherham,Olive Grove & Halfway and there all full to bursting with buses due to the shutting down of all other depots.
And of course who would drive the buses? [/B]


In that case it will just mean less bus routes.

Originally posted by Flying Duck
Why don't First follow the example of the bus companies in Nottingham and stop routes going through the city centre? If all buses went into the interchange it would mean that passengers could change easily if neccessary. That way if there is a traffic problem in one part of the city, passengers waiting across the other side of the city aren't affected.

The only problem with that is the Interchange is not in a central location. What if you need Fargate, High Street, the Moor???

Is it not the case that Fargate, High Street and The Moor are in 5 and 10 minute, if that, walking distance respectively from the Interchange?

Use your legs folk, or they might drop off.

Originally posted by Rich
Is it not the case that Fargate, High Street and The Moor are in 5 and 10 minute, if that, walking distance respectively from the Interchange?

Use your legs folk, or they might drop off.

I have mobility problems and also have two disabled children The Moor for me is at least 15-20 mins walk from the interchange at that is to the top of the moor (McD's). Try doing that with a double pushchair and shopping as well.

When I worked near the moor to do what you say would mean leaving for 30 mins early and getting home 30 later (thats if the buses are ok...lol)

One of the worst things they ever did was make high street leopold street etc one way. It means you HAVE to walk from Arundel Gate to get to say Cole Brothers and that's only easy if you are able bodied.

Jubby

Originally posted by jubby
[B]The only problem with that is the Interchange is not in a central location. What if you need Fargate, High Street, the Moor???

Did you see on the news that Sheffield came 5th bottom in the UK for its delivery of Transport:mad:

If those idiot's at S.Y.P.T.E had any brains they would fund & bring back the service 500 City Clipper.
:loopy:

But of course this is Sheffield we allways lag behind:mad:

Originally posted by jubby
I Agree with you on that one. Maybe Mr BusDriver can confirm this, but I am under the impression the knelling buses can kneel to ground level or at least to near ground level than the ramp can be employed for the rest of the way. Of course if it is a narrow road that a lot of our buses run on where their is only room for a parked car on one side and the bus (or other traffic) on the other this would still prove difficult. Every one who parks in a bus stop should be fined. Unfortanly money is the only way we will change these people (except the very rich who can afford the fines no problem) This is why I agree with Meadowhall clamping driver who parkin the disabled bay. Yes it still takes up a space but the £40 they have to pay and the aggro it takes to unclamp them may make them think next time.

I have another question for Mr BusDriver, what happens if a wheelchair user gets on becuase the driver is trained then that driver changes drivers to one who isn't trained to use the ramp what happen to the wheelchair passenger??????

Jubby


Hello Jubby :wave:

Let me try and answer your question in 1.

The next time you get on a low floor bus (If it turns up?) you will see that when you first step on the platform in the top left hand corner on the floor there is a handel, this is used to fold this section so it come's out ward towards the pavement, however H&SE law states that a drive can not do this unless he has got his hazzard warning lights on & has turn the engine off.

The problem come when there is no curb there ( Eg Parked cars) in this situation what I would ask the person that I could not get the bus near the stop and that they have the following options.
(1) The floor is lowerd so that the person can alight the bus SAFLEY on the road

(2) You ask the person if they do't mind if you move the bus along until you find a space on which to lower the floor.

(3) Or this is the worst, You have to take the preson to the next availble stop.

I have just been told that the company policy is changing soon, and NEW drivers are to be Ramp-Trained the week after passing there test.

Hope this help

Any other questions just ask OK :thumbsup:

[i]Originally posted by gizmo
what about the long lost bus routes, the good old 49 from town to wordsworth avenue the 79 and 89 circulars you used to get from bridge street, the 53 before they re-routed it to timbukto via the moon( a packed lunch is advised if you intend travelling the entire length of this route) the 271 sheffield to upton and the X68 to penistone ,a good one if you missed all other options after a night on the razz?

This is what happens when you close bus depot's down:loopy:

The route 79&89 were sort of replace by the exstention of route 31/32.
You will find that buses that ran 15-20 years back are still running but they have been conected with another service to do a Cross-City route

As for the route 53 I know it well (oops let the cat out of the bag) you could not bring your packed lunch as it would go everywhere when we go over those stupid speed humps on Southey Green Road!

As for Services like the X68 & 271, S.Y.P.T.E would rather spend X amound of money people washing the bus shelters than provinding a funded bus service! :loopy:

Originally posted by Flying Duck
Why don't First follow the example of the bus companies in Nottingham and stop routes going through the city centre? If all buses went into the interchange it would mean that passengers could change easily if neccessary. That way if there is a traffic problem in one part of the city, passengers waiting across the other side of the city aren't affected.

Because the answer you have just given is common sence need I say more:loopy:

[Originally posted by Andy C

Clearly we should be ensuring public transport services should be accessible to those with special needs who deserve the freedom to be able to go out and about under their own steam and of course operators should have guidelines as to what is required of them, however prescriptive regulations should be thought through properly, be designed to be practical and not as the above example create situations where those it is meant to help are worse off.


Im Getting off the subject a bit here Andy but Iam sure you will agree that this does not apply at Dore station nor has this been applyed when getting on a Sheffield Midland -Manchester "Slow" train, for 1hr and 20min trip to Manchester on a "Nodding Donkey class 142 railbus"

Originally posted by jubby
I have mobility problems and also have two disabled children The Moor for me is at least 15-20 mins walk from the interchange at that is to the top of the moor (McD's). Try doing that with a double pushchair and shopping as well.

When I worked near the moor to do what you say would mean leaving for 30 mins early and getting home 30 later (thats if the buses are ok...lol)

One of the worst things they ever did was make high street leopold street etc one way. It means you HAVE to walk from Arundel Gate to get to say Cole Brothers and that's only easy if you are able bodied.

Jubby

Sorry man, I should sympathise as I too have mobility problems, not wheelchair bound, although in some ways I'd be better off if I were, then getting money out of the DSS wouldn't be likened to getting blood out of a stone etc.... sorry, I'm ranting, I do that a lot lately... :(

I do see your point though, the old clippers were handy, 'tis a shame they're gone :(

Well, the Pacer Railbuses that First Northwestern generally use on local services were built and refurbished before the current RVAR regulations came into being so are not really affected.

However what about Transpennine Express services that call at Dore when the new Desiro diesels start operating? OK, this is probably a bad example as there is a depot in Manchester, fitters based in Sheffield and plans to build a depot at Cleethorpes, but in this example if the train hadn't been scheduled to visit a depot the night before, just fuel and park in the sidings at Sheffield overnight, it is possible that a fault from the day before may still exist with the scrolly message thing that does the visual announcements, and due to RVAR classing the fueling point as a depot, it would mean a cancellation as it would be illegal to put that train into service, leaving the potential deaf person stranded at Dore, an unstaffed station, I'm sure that deaf person would rather the train turn up without the scrolly message thing working than not at all. Especially as the next alternative train would probably be a local stopping service that is not fitted with a scrolly message thing anyway.

Whilst we are talking wheelchair users I would point out that it is possible to travel from Dore to Sheffield by train, as all First Northwestern trains have portable wheelchair ramps (on Pacers they are stowed next to the bicycle area) and Dore only having one platform allows level access from car park to platform. Then at Sheffield there are lifts, so bingo. And those confined to wheelchairs get a discount on certain fares too.

At this point I would add that when we are talking accessibility for the disabled, don't forget that we are not just talking wheelchair users, we are also talking those that are partially sighted or blind, those that are deaf, those that cannot walk far or unsteady on their feet, those with one of many kinds of mental disorders, plus various other conditions that I cannot think of right now.

If you bear the above in mind then have a look around one of the newest trains, such as the Virgin Voyager, you will notice that there are both audio and visual announcements before, at and after each station, priority seats with extra leg room, doors that are painted to stand out from the rest of the train, signage in braille, extruding door open buttons, wheelchair spaces, wheelchair accessible toilets, panic buttons, brightly coloured vestibules etc.

Originally posted by Mr BusDriver
Dont ring up to ask them where the bus is?
You will probably get a answer of "Walk down to the 82 stop"
Did you know that the 83's are a limited service?.

Thats right once every day:mad:

Like prevous post on this subject: Im sorry your buses do not turn up, if we could be there we would be:sad:

Some times I do ring up.... but at the risk of sounding like a cheapskate, it costs me 20p a minute on my mobile, and having to ring up the main number which is based in Rotherham and has one of those annoying queue systems, which usually ends up taking me at LEAST 5 minutes to finally get to talk to someone, it ain't very good in my opinion.

What gripes me though is how come the 82s are almost literally 10 a penny, when the 83s, meh, there's only about 4 in the whole city I think?!

Sorry to be telling you off, I know it's not specifically YOUR fault.

Originally posted by Mr BusDriver
Hello Jubby :wave:

Let me try and answer your question in 1.

The next time you get on a low floor bus (If it turns up?) you will see that when you first step on the platform in the top left hand corner on the floor there is a handel, this is used to fold this section so it come's out ward towards the pavement, however H&SE law states that a drive can not do this unless he has got his hazzard warning lights on & has turn the engine off.

The problem come when there is no curb there ( Eg Parked cars) in this situation what I would ask the person that I could not get the bus near the stop and that they have the following options.
(1) The floor is lowerd so that the person can alight the bus SAFLEY on the road

(2) You ask the person if they do't mind if you move the bus along until you find a space on which to lower the floor.

(3) Or this is the worst, You have to take the preson to the next availble stop.

I have just been told that the company policy is changing soon, and NEW drivers are to be Ramp-Trained the week after passing there test.

Hope this help

Any other questions just ask OK :thumbsup:

Thanks for that - why can't or least a lot more bus drivers be like you???

Re company policy, that will have had to change because of the DDA, not becuase first want to. And quite frankly this is the best time, becuase they haven't been assigned a route yet so build that training into their training schedule.

Originally posted by Mr BusDriver
This is what happens when you close bus depot's down:loopy:

The route 79&89 were sort of replace by the exstention of route 31/32.
You will find that buses that ran 15-20 years back are still running but they have been conected with another service to do a Cross-City route

As for the route 53 I know it well (oops let the cat out of the bag) you could not bring your packed lunch as it would go everywhere when we go over those stupid speed humps on Southey Green Road!

As for Services like the X68 & 271, S.Y.P.T.E would rather spend X amound of money people washing the bus shelters than provinding a funded bus service! :loopy:

Its not just first that merge bus routes. The 49 & 49A are a combination of the 10, 127 and 49 routes merged tohave 2 cross city routes.

Originally posted by Rich
Sorry man, I should sympathise as I too have mobility problems, not wheelchair bound, although in some ways I'd be better off if I were, then getting money out of the DSS wouldn't be likened to getting blood out of a stone etc.... sorry, I'm ranting, I do that a lot lately... :(

I do see your point though, the old clippers were handy, 'tis a shame they're gone :(

They were brill more cause they were free as well. Am I right first do a 20p ticket for city centre travel??? Or has this been scraped???

Originally posted by Andy C
At this point I would add that when we are talking accessibility for the disabled, don't forget that we are not just talking wheelchair users, we are also talking those that are partially sighted or blind, those that are deaf, those that cannot walk far or unsteady on their feet, those with one of many kinds of mental disorders, plus various other conditions that I cannot think of right now.

If you bear the above in mind then have a look around one of the newest trains, such as the Virgin Voyager, you will notice that there are both audio and visual announcements before, at and after each station, priority seats with extra leg room, doors that are painted to stand out from the rest of the train, signage in braille, extruding door open buttons, wheelchair spaces, wheelchair accessible toilets, panic buttons, brightly coloured vestibules etc.

I agree that people do get sidetracked that when talk about disabled we jusy think about wheelchair bound people, or the eldery.
The new Virgin trains are an example to all transport systems how to provide access to all.
When I used to sell train tickets on the phone you be sursprised how many people phoned wanting to book the wheelchair space for their pram!!!

Also can I point out to people mostly bus drivers that the large maclaren mobility buggies are wheelchairs not oversized pushchairs. I have been asked in the past to fold my "pushchair" to allow a wheelchair on. An argument resulted with myself and the busdriver to which he treatened to drive me to the depot to have me be told by an inspector to fold the chair up. He didn't mostly because I said it would be a scandel to force a disabled child out of the mobility buggy on a crowded bus (route #48).

This is an example why Mr Busdriver is a different breed to other busdrivers.

Jubby

Originally posted by jubby
Its not just first that merge bus routes. The 49 & 49A are a combination of the 10, 127 and 49 routes merged tohave 2 cross city routes.

I get you point jubby but the original 49 ran from snig hill to monteney crescent via penistone road,never touched darnal.

the original 127 ran from parson cross to crystal peaks,that was a good cross city service(terrier)

ive tought of a worse service than the 53 too, try the 97A for a truly mind bending journey or for you white knuckle riders the 31 after 6 on a nipper,do they specially train the 31 drivers in the art of fitting square pegs into round holes?:loopy:

Originally posted by gizmo
I get you point jubby but the original 49 ran from snig hill to monteney crescent via penistone road,never touched darnal.

the original 127 ran from parson cross to crystal peaks,that was a good cross city service(terrier)

ive tought of a worse service than the 53 too, try the 97A for a truly mind bending journey or for you white knuckle riders the 31 after 6 on a nipper,do they specially train the 31 drivers in the art of fitting square pegs into round holes?:loopy:

It doesn't even go to darnell any more.

The 49 I know went city to herdings.

Now the 49 goes parson cross (colly area #10 route) to heardings and the 49A goes parson cross (lindsay area #127) to heardings but ask travel line which terrier bus to get to lindsay avenue they would just say 49/49A just like as which on first bus to John O'Gaut on Blackstock Road, Gleadless Valley and they would say 47/48. This is where the bus service in sheffield really fails us. Duff information form the one place you get it from!!! It will greatly improve when they get this right. When the bus timetables changed the other month on a lot of routes, they din't know until the timetables came into their information (sic) centres, which was the friday two days before the timetable change.

Jubby

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Originally posted by jubby
They were brill more cause they were free as well. Am I right first do a 20p ticket for city centre travel??? Or has this been scraped???

I know Yorkshire Terrier do the 20p fare within town but I'm not sure about First Mainline, you'll have to ask MrBusDriver.

Originally posted by Mr BusDriver
:) How Long Did you have to wait for your bus this week?.
With Sheffield Bus drivers the lowest paid in the whole of First Group (About 165-00p/w) there is a large shortage of drivers.

Which is the Worst bus route in Sheffield and Why?.

I'd be interested to know the following:

Do you remember the bus wars in Sheffield quite a few years back and what is your opinion on them?

Originally posted by jubby

Also can I point out to people mostly bus drivers that the large maclaren mobility buggies are wheelchairs not oversized pushchairs. I have been asked in the past to fold my "pushchair" to allow a wheelchair on. An argument resulted with myself and the busdriver to which he treatened to drive me to the depot to have me be told by an inspector to fold the chair up. He didn't mostly because I said it would be a scandel to force a disabled child out of the mobility buggy on a crowded bus (route #48).

This is an example why Mr Busdriver is a different breed to other busdrivers.

Jubby [/B]

Sorry about that situation with your pram:sad:

I hope you will agree on this next coment when I say that Passengers who have wheelchairs & maclarren mobility buggies have a bad time trying to get on a low floor bus anyway.

And why?

Because the bus is allready full of 15&16 year old teen girls with 2 or more kids in PRAMS in a atempt to get more money out of the DHSS!:mad:

When I was in a pram my mum used to fold it up and have me out before the bus came.
Too Bloody Idle these teen mums today:mad:

Originally posted by Rich
[B

What gripes me though is how come the 82s are almost literally 10 a penny, when the 83s, meh, there's only about 4 in the whole city I think?!

Sorry to be telling you off, I know it's not specifically YOUR fault. [/B]

Hello Rich:wave:

Its good you have a good moan about the 83's that is what this post is all about:thumbsup:

Ok the situation with Stanington is that because there is a large OAP area at Hall Park Head then this is classed at Stanington

Anything above the High-Rise flats area (Sportsman pub I think its called just above?) the area is Stanington Village, if Stannington Village had a large OAP area then they would move the main bus termimus to Nethergate.

As for ringing up (Ha-Ha:D )

We have to ring the same number as you if we need to pass on a message Eg not coming into work.
The phone number I have is (01709 566360)

Its the 21st Century and you have to ring a Rotherham Number to get in touch with a Sheffield Depot:loopy:

Originally posted by Rich
I know Yorkshire Terrier do the 20p fare within town but I'm not sure about First Mainline, you'll have to ask MrBusDriver.

Yes First South Yorkshire, or what ever we are called this week do still used the 20p City Zone fare + the 50p outer city zone.

I know what is coming next
:mad:
Where can I use it.

the 20p zone is anywhere in the city centre Eg. inside the Ring Road zone
& the 50p is to the next stop outside this zone.

There SHOULD be a map on each bus unless the driver has had to use the back of the carboard to make a sign:thumbsup:

Originally posted by Lickszz
I'd be interested to know the following:

Do you remember the bus wars in Sheffield quite a few years back and what is your opinion on them?

It was Great for the passengers:thumbsup:

All these little bus companys on the big boys routes, the passengers had a great choice that is how it should be:thumbsup:

Originally posted by Mr BusDriver
It was Great for the passengers:thumbsup:

All these little bus companys on the big boys routes, the passengers had a great choice that is how it should be:thumbsup:

At the time though I seem to remember many angered letters in the star relating to dangers and congestion on high street. Were drivers encouraged to race other buses to pick up passengers etc?

Originally posted by Mr BusDriver

Its the 21st Century and you have to ring a Rotherham Number to get in touch with a Sheffield Depot:loopy:

I understand that the use of a Rotherham number is so that everyone in South Yorkshire can contact Mainline (and the SYPTE Travel Line - also a Rotherham number) at local call rates

Hello Mrbusdriver:wave:

I use the 83 from Stannington and I seem to notice whem i'm going to work I pass a residential home for elderly people in "the village" plus close to it is a small estate of flats with the majority of residents o/65, so how the company gets the idea there isn't a large population in the top half of Stannington beats me:loopy:

Also I know it's not your fault but you may be able to explain why first have taken the saturday service from 4 buses an hour to 3, made them all 83A service and think this is a better option for the passengers?

The First/Mainline 29 service from Penistone to Sheffield Interchange is a service I use every morning, picking it up in Chapeltown at 7:30. Now its mostly on time but the bus is one of those tiny rural link things and its always full to bursting with passengers and consequently people have to stand up.

I also use the 60 in a morning which I can't complain about too much, around 8am its pretty much on time.

I use the 51 to get back into the City Centre in the evening and its terrible. They are hardly ever on time or worst case they don't even turn up. The 52 service ammuses me tho. You could get run over by a 52 and there would be two sets of tyre marks on you they are so frequent.

Don't eve get me started on the state of the rail system :loopy: :D

Originally posted by MrHelicopter
I understand that the use of a Rotherham number is so that everyone in South Yorkshire can contact Mainline (and the SYPTE Travel Line - also a Rotherham number) at local call rates

What retarded logic do they work that out by?! Even a complete idiot knows that Sheffield to Rotherham, although granted it's not far, is by no means what the average Sheffielder would class as LOCAL.

Originally posted by Rich
What retarded logic do they work that out by?! Even a complete idiot knows that Sheffield to Rotherham, although granted it's not far, is by no means what the average Sheffielder would class as LOCAL.

You can call people in neighbouring telephone areas at the cost of a local call. So people in Sheffield can ring Rotherham numbers and only pay the local rate. That's why bus enquiries is in Rotherham.

Originally posted by Mr BusDriver
Hello Rich:wave:

Its good you have a good moan about the 83's that is what this post is all about:thumbsup:

Ok the situation with Stanington is that because there is a large OAP area at Hall Park Head then this is classed at Stanington

Anything above the High-Rise flats area (Sportsman pub I think its called just above?) the area is Stanington Village, if Stannington Village had a large OAP area then they would move the main bus termimus to Nethergate.

As for ringing up (Ha-Ha:D )

We have to ring the same number as you if we need to pass on a message Eg not coming into work.
The phone number I have is (01709 566360)




Its the 21st Century and you have to ring a Rotherham Number to get in touch with a Sheffield Depot:loopy:

I know the majority of the residents of that entire estate, right from Liberty Hill to the Hall Park Head flats is primarily populated by old folk, and they need the buses more, and I also see your point about the area above the Sportsman being classed as the Village..... And the majority of times I do walk from home just off Acorn Hill to get the 83 from the Sportsman, but one time I waited over 20 minutes for a bus, cos I think I'd just missed one when I got there or something, and another time I was waiting over HALF AN HOUR at the stop by the College on Wood Lane for a bus, in the freezing cold, if I hadn't been determined to go town specifically to get something I would decided sod it and gone home, this was waiting for the 83 or 83a.

It's the same in town though, if you just miss one you could be up to half an hour waiting for another, yet the 82s come and there's usually 2 or 3 behind each other. I could get on the 82 to come home but it doesn't come far enough up for me to walk home as I have mobility difficulties and it's a struggle to walk to and from the Sportsman never mind walking up Liberty Hill past the Turnbull and then walking up Stannington Road to the Sportsman etc.

Originally posted by Mr BusDriver
Sorry about that situation with your pram:sad:

I hope you will agree on this next coment when I say that Passengers who have wheelchairs & maclarren mobility buggies have a bad time trying to get on a low floor bus anyway.

And why?

Because the bus is allready full of 15&16 year old teen girls with 2 or more kids in PRAMS in a atempt to get more money out of the DHSS!:mad:

When I was in a pram my mum used to fold it up and have me out before the bus came.
Too Bloody Idle these teen mums today:mad:

Can't get a folded pram on the bus these days no room with the Metro holder taking up all the "luggage" Rack....

Originally posted by Rich
I know the majority of the residents of that entire estate, right from Liberty Hill to the Hall Park Head flats is primarily populated by old folk, and they need the buses more, and I also see your point about the area above the Sportsman being classed as the Village..... And the majority of times I do walk from home just off Acorn Hill to get the 83 from the Sportsman, but one time I waited over 20 minutes for a bus, cos I think I'd just missed one when I got there or something, and another time I was waiting over HALF AN HOUR at the stop by the College on Wood Lane for a bus, in the freezing cold, if I hadn't been determined to go town specifically to get something I would decided sod it and gone home, this was waiting for the 83 or 83a.

It's the same in town though, if you just miss one you could be up to half an hour waiting for another, yet the 82s come and there's usually 2 or 3 behind each other. I could get on the 82 to come home but it doesn't come far enough up for me to walk home as I have mobility difficulties and it's a struggle to walk to and from the Sportsman never mind walking up Liberty Hill past the Turnbull and then walking up Stannington Road to the Sportsman etc.


It may seem a silly idea:loopy: , but the simple idea would be to re-route some of the 82's.

If some of the 82's called into Hall-Park-Head first and then came out and when up to Nethergate, and the coming back they called into Hall-Park-Head then everyone would be happy:thumbsup:

Originally posted by Nick[Blarg]
[B]The First/Mainline 29 service from Penistone to Sheffield Interchange is a service I use every morning, picking it up in Chapeltown at 7:30. Now its mostly on time but the bus is one of those tiny rural link things and its always full to bursting with passengers and consequently people have to stand up.


Its full because passengers at Chapletown do not want to catch the route 76 to the city (And I don't blame them) so the service 29 has become very popular.

The service is funded by S.Y.P.T.E if you contact them and tell them that the service is full they might wake up and do somthing.

I have noticed that recently some of the buses have been Volvo Single deckers, however these are only used a night for some reason?.

Originally posted by Lickszz
At the time though I seem to remember many angered letters in the star relating to dangers and congestion on high street. Were drivers encouraged to race other buses to pick up passengers etc?

What would you rather have:confused:

A bus every 1-2 mins or the present situation where you can wait up to 1hr for a bus:confused:

There's a multi-page thread here (http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?threadid=5483) full of people on a rant about the crap bus services we get here in Sheffield.

Hope that helps :)

Originally posted by Rich
There's a multi-page thread here (http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?threadid=5483) full of people on a rant about the crap bus services we get here in Sheffield.

Hope that helps :)

Thanks Rich, saved me looking for it. Threads now merged.

Originally posted by Mr BusDriver
What would you rather have:confused:

A bus every 1-2 mins or the present situation where you can wait up to 1hr for a bus:confused:

It's not me that was complaining. How did the war all end anyhow? Didn't SYT but out some of the rivals, IE - Sheafline etc?

Anyone seen the changes on the buses in a few weeks? Andrews are getting rid of the 76 route! :confused:

http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/yorkhumber/southyorkshire/service/service.php?item=133

these are the mainline ones.

Here is an outline of the changes operators will make over the weekend of 24-26 January in the Sheffield area. These are subject to change and further services may be added before the implementation date. For more details call Traveline on 01709 515151 or visit a Transport Executive Travel Information Centre.

Changes have been proposed to the following services, but full details are not yet available: 17 & 17A.

2: schooldays-only journeys at 15.45 High Storrs School-Highfield withdrawn.

21: time changes mainly affect Mon-Fri/Sat evening and Sun services. See also 95.

38: route and time changes. Service extended from Batemoor to Jordanthorpe, Norton, Hemsworth, Newfield Green and in to city centre to create a Meadowhall-Wincobank-Grimesthorpe-Sheffield-Millhouses-Chancet Wood-Batemoor-Jordanthorpe-Norton-Hemsworth-Newfield Green-Sheffield service.

39: minor time changes.

43: Sheffield-Jordanthorpe service withdrawn, partially replaced by changes to service 38.

51: evenings and Sun timetable improved to every 20 minutes. Minor changes to Mon-Fri daytime services.

52: Mon-Fri 17.15 Woodhouse-Crookes & 18.06 Crookes-Woodhouse journeys (operated by Yorkshire Terrier) withdrawn.

54: route and time changes. In Halfway, buses run along Auckland Way and Streetfields.

55: route and time changes. In Halfway, buses run along Auckland Way and Streetfields.

69: time changes affect service throughout the day, all days. Last Sheffield-Rotherham bus runs at 23.07.

73: minor time changes affect all buses on High Green-Meadowhall service.

76: journeys operated by Yorkshire Terrier withdrawn. This route no longer serves Burncross.

77: time changes affect Mon-Fri/Sat daytime services.

80: time changes affect Mon-Fri/Sat daytime services.

95: earlier Mon-Fri/Sat journey runs from Spinkhill at 19.00. Minor changes affect Mon-Fri/Sat early morning/evening & Sun timetables.

130: time changes affect daytime service Mon-Fri/Sat. Last Sheffield-Rotherham bus runs at 23.27.

286: new Mon-Fri & Saturday timetables.

A1: re-routed in Tinsley Park via the Business Village (Sheffield City Airport).

X32: some early morning, late afternoon and early evening journeys withdrawn.

Note: Detailed 'Bus Guide' leaflets will be available from January 14 2004 (although availability will vary for specific services and between outlets).

http://www.sypte.co.uk/more/timechange/sheffield.html

Originally posted by Andy C
Here is an outline of the changes operators will make over the weekend of 24-26 January in the Sheffield area. These are subject to change and further services may be added before the implementation date. For more details call Traveline on 01709 515151 or visit a Transport Executive Travel Information Centre.

Changes have been proposed to the following services, but full details are not yet available: 17 & 17A.

2: schooldays-only journeys at 15.45 High Storrs School-Highfield withdrawn.

21: time changes mainly affect Mon-Fri/Sat evening and Sun services. See also 95.

38: route and time changes. Service extended from Batemoor to Jordanthorpe, Norton, Hemsworth, Newfield Green and in to city centre to create a Meadowhall-Wincobank-Grimesthorpe-Sheffield-Millhouses-Chancet Wood-Batemoor-Jordanthorpe-Norton-Hemsworth-Newfield Green-Sheffield service.

39: minor time changes.

43: Sheffield-Jordanthorpe service withdrawn, partially replaced by changes to service 38.

51: evenings and Sun timetable improved to every 20 minutes. Minor changes to Mon-Fri daytime services.

52: Mon-Fri 17.15 Woodhouse-Crookes & 18.06 Crookes-Woodhouse journeys (operated by Yorkshire Terrier) withdrawn.

54: route and time changes. In Halfway, buses run along Auckland Way and Streetfields.

55: route and time changes. In Halfway, buses run along Auckland Way and Streetfields.

69: time changes affect service throughout the day, all days. Last Sheffield-Rotherham bus runs at 23.07.

73: minor time changes affect all buses on High Green-Meadowhall service.

76: journeys operated by Yorkshire Terrier withdrawn. This route no longer serves Burncross.

77: time changes affect Mon-Fri/Sat daytime services.

80: time changes affect Mon-Fri/Sat daytime services.

95: earlier Mon-Fri/Sat journey runs from Spinkhill at 19.00. Minor changes affect Mon-Fri/Sat early morning/evening & Sun timetables.

130: time changes affect daytime service Mon-Fri/Sat. Last Sheffield-Rotherham bus runs at 23.27.

286: new Mon-Fri & Saturday timetables.

A1: re-routed in Tinsley Park via the Business Village (Sheffield City Airport).

X32: some early morning, late afternoon and early evening journeys withdrawn.

Note: Detailed 'Bus Guide' leaflets will be available from January 14 2004 (although availability will vary for specific services and between outlets).

http://www.sypte.co.uk/more/timechange/sheffield.html

Will full details be availble just a couple of days before it happens like the last changes made Autumn 2003????

Or like the last few times where our wonderfully efficient (not) SYPTE updated the online timetables over a week AFTER the timetables change.

Whenever you complain they blame the bus companies for supplying the data late and suggest you phone up for the information (that could be a long call). Strange how Derbyshire doesn't have this problem.....

Originally posted by Andy C
Or like the last few times where our wonderfully efficient (not) SYPTE updated the online timetables over a week AFTER the timetables change.

Whenever you complain they blame the bus companies for supplying the data late and suggest you phone up for the information (that could be a long call). Strange how Derbyshire doesn't have this problem.....

That just shows you how STUPID S.Y.P.T.E are:loopy:

Bus companys by law have to give 6 weeks notice of timetable changes, so what have S.Y.P.T.E been doing :mad:

Originally posted by Andy C
Or like the last few times where our wonderfully efficient (not) SYPTE updated the online timetables over a week AFTER the timetables change.

Whenever you complain they blame the bus companies for supplying the data late and suggest you phone up for the information (that could be a long call). Strange how Derbyshire doesn't have this problem.....

I did phone First for the info and they told me to contact Traveline who said phone First, who said.... I could go on

If First can't give you the info then we are all in the ****.

In tonights Star there is a letter from a Bus Drivers Wife. I understand the grief the drivers get and can see why they are in a bad mood come evening rush hour and beyond, but a lot are in a bad mood first thing and I mean 7am.

I work in customer services and get grief from callers on the phone and sometimes when we are busy I could get one person shouting and swearing at me then hanging up 2 seconds later (literly) I will get another call, now I have to treat this new caller the same as any other caller and not let the bad one affect me. Why can't the bus drivers do this?????

Originally posted by Mr BusDriver
That just shows you how STUPID S.Y.P.T.E are:loopy:

Bus companys by law have to give 6 weeks notice of timetable changes, so what have S.Y.P.T.E been doing :mad:

Waiting for the ink to dry on the printed timetables. When I went into the "information" centre all they had was a prinout indentical to ones on the buses and the bus stops. An outline like the one posted on here. You want more details they can't give it you. But these are the same people who insist (like First) that the 47 runs on Blackstock Road, so what you expect?

Originally posted by qazitory
[B]Anyone seen the changes on the buses in a few weeks? Andrews are getting rid of the 76 route! :confused:



Standing room only on the 75&76's then:mad:

Like to take this opportunity to thank the driver of the 43 (soon to dissapear) who at 1810 let me cross the raod with my daughter in her pushchair.

The 43 is to go leaving Blackstock Road with 1 first bus. What annoys me about this is that the 48 is on the Overground and my understanding is this is the most frequent services on the network. Then why is the 48 1 every hour on a Sunday morning???? This is not frequent!!!

Also MrBusDriver seeing as you drive the 53 can you answer this. How do the road changes at the end of Queens Road (McDonald's Roundabout) affect buses? Will they still be allowed straight on? as before all will you have to go round the one way system and turn left towards Pond Street. What are you doing while the work is ongoing?
I now avoid the area and cut over the top towards City Road, as I now can't turn right at this no longer roundabout. I can see my route soon becoming a rat run as more cars try it, and then there will roads restrictions etc on that route pushing the motorists further away from where they want to go.

According to the city planners this action will speed up the flow of traffic, before I had to go through 2 sets of lights now its 4, and longer route. No logic. They said its becuase people who want the train station don't turn right, well of course not that's becuase that is how you get to the train station. It's people that need Granville Road, MaDonald's and Park Hill way that turn right. Pillocks.

Originally posted by jubby
Like to take this opportunity to thank the driver of the 43 (soon to dissapear) who at 1810 let me cross the raod with my daughter in her pushchair.

The 43 is to go leaving Blackstock Road with 1 first bus. What annoys me about this is that the 48 is on the Overground and my understanding is this is the most frequent services on the network. Then why is the 48 1 every hour on a Sunday morning???? This is not frequent!!!

Also MrBusDriver seeing as you drive the 53 can you answer this. How do the road changes at the end of Queens Road (McDonald's Roundabout) affect buses? Will they still be allowed straight on? as before all will you have to go round the one way system and turn left towards Pond Street. What are you doing while the work is ongoing?
I now avoid the area and cut over the top towards City Road, as I now can't turn right at this no longer roundabout. I can see my route soon becoming a rat run as more cars try it, and then there will roads restrictions etc on that route pushing the motorists further away from where they want to go.

According to the city planners this action will speed up the flow of traffic, before I had to go through 2 sets of lights now its 4, and longer route. No logic. They said its becuase people who want the train station don't turn right, well of course not that's becuase that is how you get to the train station. It's people that need Granville Road, MaDonald's and Park Hill way that turn right. Pillocks.

The buses are always less frequent than normal on Sundays, cos drivers don't want to work on Sundays so consequently there's less buses out on the road.

Originally posted by Rich
The buses are always less frequent than normal on Sundays, cos drivers don't want to work on Sundays so consequently there's less buses out on the road.

Doesn't matter with the 83's as you know Rich, they're about as good as a sunday service on a normal day:rolleyes:

I got a reply from first about the 83 route.
"Thank you for your concern over the 83 Stannington route, we are aware of the problems with the service. Yours, someone who hasn't even read this letter!"

They never mentioned that anything would be done about it:confused:

Originally posted by duffman
Doesn't matter with the 83's as you know Rich, they're about as good as a sunday service on a normal day:rolleyes:

I got a reply from first about the 83 route.
"Thank you for your concern over the 83 Stannington route, we are aware of the problems with the service. Yours, someone who hasn't even read this letter!"

They never mentioned that anything would be done about it:confused:

Sorry about the reply:sad:

Looks like you have got the usual PR letter then:mad:
Did you know that ALL complaints are sent from a office in ROTHERHAM!!!!!!!!!!

Also I went thought Stannington and down Stanington Rd on Friday morning, it took me about 10 mins to get to the bottom of Malin Bridge (Bl**dy speed humps) and I only saw 1 number 82, I must have done well then :D:

Originally posted by jubby
Like to take this opportunity to thank the driver of the 43 (soon to dissapear) who at 1810 let me cross the raod with my daughter in her pushchair.

The 43 is to go leaving Blackstock Road with 1 first bus. What annoys me about this is that the 48 is on the Overground and my understanding is this is the most frequent services on the network. Then why is the 48 1 every hour on a Sunday morning???? This is not frequent!!!

Also MrBusDriver seeing as you drive the 53 can you answer this. How do the road changes at the end of Queens Road (McDonald's Roundabout) affect buses? Will they still be allowed straight on? as before all will you have to go round the one way system and turn left towards Pond Street. What are you doing while the work is ongoing?
I now avoid the area and cut over the top towards City Road, as I now can't turn right at this no longer roundabout. I can see my route soon becoming a rat run as more cars try it, and then there will roads restrictions etc on that route pushing the motorists further away from where they want to go.

According to the city planners this action will speed up the flow of traffic, before I had to go through 2 sets of lights now its 4, and longer route. No logic. They said its becuase people who want the train station don't turn right, well of course not that's becuase that is how you get to the train station. It's people that need Granville Road, MaDonald's and Park Hill way that turn right. Pillocks.

The answer to the axing of route 43 is that this is partly going to be replaced by the route 38
They have droped a major f**k up here I bet you can guess what it is ?

As for your point on the route 53 the answer is simple.
There is the Bus Drivers Diverstion
And there is the OFFICAL Diverstion

Which do you think will work the best?.

I will get a copy of the offical diverstion this week and put it on this post so you can laugh at it, I mean read it:D

well i have a car, but last year i didnt, and i'd say the 50 is the worst. its supposd to be regular - but it isn't. A couple of weeks I waited for an hour, there were supposed to be two buses in that time, but none came, so i gave up and went home :(

i think the 82 - and others along ecclesall road are quite good.

and as a driver i think bus routes are good because they keep the traffic flow going

Originally posted by HarrietStar
well i have a car, but last year i didnt, and i'd say the 50 is the worst. its supposd to be regular - but it isn't. A couple of weeks I waited for an hour, there were supposed to be two buses in that time, but none came, so i gave up and went home :(

and as a driver i think bus routes are good because they keep the traffic flow going

Route 50:thumbsup:
If you were trying to catch a bus around the xmas time then the bus/buses would be stuck somwhere :mad:

(Joke:D) and before anyone start's complaining I know you have all been stuck behing a bus at a bus stop because the buses a*se end it stuck out 20 foot into the road:D

Originally posted by HarrietStar
well i have a car, but last year i didnt, and i'd say the 50 is the worst. its supposd to be regular - but it isn't. A couple of weeks I waited for an hour, there were supposed to be two buses in that time, but none came, so i gave up and went home :(

i think the 82 - and others along ecclesall road are quite good.

and as a driver i think bus routes are good because they keep the traffic flow going

Its got to the point you NEED a car to get anywhere in Sheffield, as you can't rely on the buses.

Originally posted by qazitory
Its got to the point you NEED a car to get anywhere in Sheffield, as you can't rely on the buses.

Your Right There:D

Originally posted by Lickszz
It's not me that was complaining. How did the war all end anyhow? Didn't SYT but out some of the rivals, IE - Sheafline etc?

From what I can recall Sheafline went bust along with Sheffield & District

Most of the services that these 2 company's ran are now under Yorkshire Terrier:)

Originally posted by Mr BusDriver
Sorry about the reply:sad:

Looks like you have got the usual PR letter then:mad:
Did you know that ALL complaints are sent from a office in ROTHERHAM!!!!!!!!!!

Also I went thought Stannington and down Stanington Rd on Friday morning, it took me about 10 mins to get to the bottom of Malin Bridge (Bl**dy speed humps) and I only saw 1 number 82, I must have done well then :D:

Don't apologise for the reply First sent (working for a major corporation has me used to bog standard customer letters), and as for the speed bumps don't get me started on them!!!! You must hate them! How could they (the councils finest planners:rolleyes: ) put those things on the tightest part of the road and then make no provisions for parking near the bottom which has been a problem for ages anyway:loopy:

Originally posted by Rich
The buses are always less frequent than normal on Sundays, cos drivers don't want to work on Sundays so consequently there's less buses out on the road.

What about them that have to work on a sunday and becuase of the timings of the buses etc have to set of and be at work 50 mins before they have to or be late and then disaplined by work!!! If they don't want to work sundays get a different job!!!!

Originally posted by Mr BusDriver
The answer to the axing of route 43 is that this is partly going to be replaced by the route 38
They have droped a major f**k up here I bet you can guess what it is ?

As for your point on the route 53 the answer is simple.
There is the Bus Drivers Diverstion
And there is the OFFICAL Diverstion

Which do you think will work the best?.

I will get a copy of the offical diverstion this week and put it on this post so you can laugh at it, I mean read it:D

I saw on the day the road was closed and everything had to turn right that everything HAD to turn right, or else you'd crash into the Heavy Plant they were using.

Originally posted by jubby
What about them that have to work on a sunday and becuase of the timings of the buses etc have to set of and be at work 50 mins before they have to or be late and then disaplined by work!!! If they don't want to work sundays get a different job!!!!

they probably get double or time and a half, so its worth their while to work sundays

Originally posted by qazitory
they probably get double or time and a half, so its worth their while to work sundays

HA-HA-HA-HA:D

Read this bit carefully:mad:

There is NO overtime rate for bus drivers in Sheffield!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is ONLY the basic hourly rate payed for working over

There is NO extra payed for working on a SATURDAY OR SUNDAY
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!:mad:

Originally posted by Mr BusDriver
HA-HA-HA-HA:D

Read this bit carefully:mad:

There is NO overtime rate for bus drivers in Sheffield!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is ONLY the basic hourly rate payed for working over

There is NO extra payed for working on a SATURDAY OR SUNDAY
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!:mad:

I don't get extra for a sunday either but still need to get there, even if its 50 mins before i have to unpaid btw

Originally posted by Mr BusDriver
Sorry about the reply:sad:

Looks like you have got the usual PR letter then:mad:
Did you know that ALL complaints are sent from a office in ROTHERHAM!!!!!!!!!!

Also I went thought Stannington and down Stanington Rd on Friday morning, it took me about 10 mins to get to the bottom of Malin Bridge (Bl**dy speed humps) and I only saw 1 number 82, I must have done well then :D:

Like I've been saying in this thread though, the 82s are no good for anybody who doesn't live on the estates unless you catch it from outside the Sportsman or on Wood Lane near Loxley College.

I looked at the bus modifications. The number 2 didn't appear at all this afternoon on Hangingwater Road (towards Hunters Bar), do the High Storrs to Highfield withdrawals mean that the bus won't run between Hangingwater (in Ranmoor) and Norton (where I get off!)?

If the 2 has been withdrawn, then what happened to me today will happen every day for the next 2 years - I left Tapton school at 3.30, got on a 60 to town (as the 2 did not appear) at about 3.40, got into town for 4.25 (!!!!), and waited for a 49/49a/14 in the dark/rain until 4.50, and got home at about 5.20. I will be adding an extra 70 or so minutes until I get home (at which point I have huge amounts of work to do anyway). I may just have to drop out of 6th form....:s

Originally posted by Mr BusDriver
From what I can recall Sheafline went bust along with Sheffield & District

Most of the services that these 2 company's ran are now under Yorkshire Terrier:)

I thought that they had been bought out by SYT. I'm sure I read that Sheafline was owned by ex-drivers who had been made redundant from SYT. Is Yorkshire Terrier still independant then?

Originally posted by Lickszz
I thought that they had been bought out by SYT. I'm sure I read that Sheafline was owned by ex-drivers who had been made redundant from SYT. Is Yorkshire Terrier still independant then?

This is a bit before my time but from what I was told by some drivers Sheafline was owned by ex drivers they had to pay 1500 quid each for a share.

Yorkshire Terrier was also bought by some drivers but now only a few have shares and they will now be high up the ladder.

I will try and find out some more info for you:D

Thanks. I'd also be curious to know what happened to SUT.

Originally posted by jubby
I don't get extra for a sunday either but still need to get there, even if its 50 mins before i have to unpaid btw

Everyone should be paid the moment they get to work!

I take it the quote" 50 mins before" means due to the poor bus service:mad:

Sheaf Line was set up by a couple of blokes who I forget the name of, what happened with that company if I remember correctly faced some kind of legal problem or big fine for some safety breaches with the maintenance standards of some buses, which threatened Sheaf Line with going bankrupt. They sold the company to SYT who kept it going as a budget brand, but SYT decided to drop all the different brandings they had like Little Nipper, Fastline etc and painted every bus the same, and changed the company name to Mainline not long after. Sheffield and District were bought out and closed down by SYT in a predatory move, and Mainline also took over Northern bus when they had troubles and switched all the routes over to Mainline.

Then of course once Mainline had grown into a good meaty company, which was still driver owned, First Group bought them.

Yorkshire Terrier and Andrews (who had not long since merged with Sheffield Omnibus to form Andrews Sheffield Omnibus) were bought by Yorkshire Traction, and they made the decision to drop the Andrews name and stick with the stronger brand - Yorkshire Terrier, which is why all the ex-Andrews routes are now Yorkshire Terrier. You will also note that the fleet and signage on Yorkshire Terrier are the same as Yorkshire Traction, which I assume is to keep costs down by standarding across the Yorkshire Traction group.

I'm not sure totally about SUT, but I have a feeling they pulled out of running local bus services and just concentrated on running coaches - SUT ran the South Yorkshire National Express franchise.

I use the 53 (every 10 mins) and 31 (every 30 mins) and there are often buses missing. I reckon the 31s need work doing on them though - new shock absorbers - it's no joke going over speed bumps and if you've bought eggs they're scrambled en route.

Could be worse though - I have a friend who is a bus driver in Birmingham and he told me that if passengers don't have the correct money then they can't board the bus - they're not allowed to give change!!!!!!!!! Poor sods eh? Fancy your bus being late and you've only got a tenner!

Originally posted by Mr BusDriver
Everyone should be paid the moment they get to work!

I take it the quote" 50 mins before" means due to the poor bus service:mad: Yes because the buses are every hour so if I catch the one after I would be late for work. and thats on the timetable...

Originally posted by Andy C


I'm not sure totally about SUT, but I have a feeling they pulled out of running local bus services and just concentrated on running coaches - SUT ran the South Yorkshire National Express franchise.

This now run by Yorkshire Traction out of Barnsley

Yes the Travel West Midlands bus company in Birmingham and Coventry (and in fact bus companies in Nottingham and Glasgow are the same) the policy is exact change only. This is the norm in many cities. The pricing is kept simple, you drop your coins into a chute, driver looks through a glass panel to see you have paid enough then the coins drop into a safe below the drivers seat and your ticket prints out. Also weekly tickets cannot be bought on board, they are bought from travel offices and shops in the area.

Due to the fact the driver isn't messing about finding change or sticking tickets into plastic holders, everyone gets on quickly and the bus doesn't dawdle at stops, meaning everyone gets a FASTER JOURNEY.

Added to that the driver feels safer, as he hasn't got a till with lots of money on display so is unlikely to get robbed.

Originally posted by duffman
Don't apologise for the reply First sent (working for a major corporation has me used to bog standard customer letters), and as for the speed bumps don't get me started on them!!!! You must hate them! How could they (the councils finest planners:rolleyes: ) put those things on the tightest part of the road and then make no provisions for parking near the bottom which has been a problem for ages anyway:loopy:

Yeah, parking on Stannington Road is a problem, especially if there's a match at Leppings Lane on Saturdays when people don't actually PARK their cars, they just abandon them and jump on the nearest tram or walk down to the stadium,

But then again, that's because the parking provision around the Wednesday ground is ****e, pardon my French, as well.

I'd just like to share with you that last night I travelled home on the SLOWEST BUS IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!

Well late again this morning.

10 past 8 from Stannington didn't come at 10 past 8 and then the 82 came at 20 past 8.

ARGHHHHHH I can't wait to get another car. My blood pressure will be through the roof soon.

Originally posted by Andy C
I'd just like to share with you that last night I travelled home on the SLOWEST BUS IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!


I take it you went though Woodseats then:mad:

I've changed my mind.... all bus routes are the worst when they stick the old single decker clapped out buses on... With NO cameras... Grr, don't get me started.

No, Woodseats isn't a problem for the last bus at 23:15.... what we had was a driver who couldn't find 2nd gear, and didn't go above about 12mph. Climbing up the hill from Heeley to Woodseats I didn't think the bus would make it - and we barely managed to overtake a cyclist! When the bloke stood at the front chatting to the driver got off at Lowedges fire station I thought the driver would finally speed up, but NO. It was painfull half an hour of trundling along at walking pace when I just wanted to get home and to bed!

I bed he didn't drive the bus that slow when running empty back to the depot......

Originally posted by Andy C
No, Woodseats isn't a problem for the last bus at 23:15.... what we had was a driver who couldn't find 2nd gear, and didn't go above about 12mph. Climbing up the hill from Heeley to Woodseats I didn't think the bus would make it - and we barely managed to overtake a cyclist! When the bloke stood at the front chatting to the driver got off at Lowedges fire station I thought the driver would finally speed up, but NO. It was painfull half an hour of trundling along at walking pace when I just wanted to get home and to bed!

I bed he didn't drive the bus that slow when running empty back to the depot......

Sounds like the Driver was in no rush so I take it he would be going on the staff bus home which leaves at 1am from the garage.

The chap at the front could have been a travelling inspector from SYPTE, you do get them at that time, and if you go to fast they report you.

The bloke stood at the front gets that last bus at night day in day out and knows all the drivers.

I don't really have a valid complaint I guess as the bus arrived in Bradway to the exact minute shown in the timetable, but it was a painful experience all the same.

Originally posted by Andy C
but it was a painful experience all the same.

That's called every time you try and catch a 25a :mad:

I hate to harp on and on whinging about the 82 and 83, but does the snow service still run into town from the Park Head flats? Or does there's mean there's snow service (no service :lol: ) from Stannington to town and back for the duration of the snow, if any actually comes?

I assume it would go into town, that's where the depot is!

sometimes you can wait more than an hour for the 75!! and yes it says every 15mins on the side of the bus!! the most annoying thing is tho, when the bus driver closes the door WHILE your trying to get on the bus!! i saw this lady with a pram trying to get on, but the driver, seeing there are no space for a pram, just shuts the door on the pram!! i was waiting in a queue behind the lady, but the driver didnt let the lady with the pram or any other ppl get on the bus when it wasnt even full!!! mind u this happened before xmas, and i only got back to uni this week, so *hopefully* the bus services are better now.

Originally posted by Bluelunar
[B]sometimes you can wait more than an hour for the 75!! and yes it says every 15mins on the side of the bus!!

Worst bus service by far:mad:

Originally posted by duffman
I use the 83 route from Stannington, in a period of 10 days 4 days had a bus missing and 3 days the bus was at least 40 mins late, this is common and what's worst is that about 4-6 82 buses go past before mine.

I went down Stannington Road in my car on Friday again, Your right about the 83/83a, I didn't spot a one:mad:

The problem is that the ratio between 82s which serve the estates such as the Liberty, Hall Park Head and the Deer Park, and 83s which serve further up (ie the village) is wrong.... what they aught to do but probably won't, is redirect some of their massive fleet of 82s up to the village and beyond, and then there wouldn't be as big a problem.

You agree MrBusDriver?

Originally posted by caprice
and the 82.... don't even get me started with the 82!!! I have been stood half an hour many a morning in town, waiting for that damned bus!!! Grrrrr!!! I have complained four times to First about this service and aparently its not their fault.... well who's fault is it then?.... lol!

Thats odd that is. For us who live in Stannington the 82 is the bain of our lives, as that comes ever 5 minutes or so, but stops just short of Stannington, while we have to wait for the 83 service which is supposed to be every 15 minutes but never turns up. Many a time your waiting at the bus stop and four 82 busses (two of them double deckers) will go by before you get an 83!!!

Originally posted by Rich
The problem is that the ratio between 82s which serve the estates such as the Liberty, Hall Park Head and the Deer Park, and 83s which serve further up (ie the village) is wrong.... what they aught to do but probably won't, is redirect some of their massive fleet of 82s up to the village and beyond, and then there wouldn't be as big a problem.

You agree MrBusDriver?
100% with you there Rich:thumbsup:

It wouldn't be so bad if those 2 Yorkshire Terriers were a bit more frequent and went further than Hillsborough to Bradfield and back.

The 62 one would be especially handy for me cos it dtops you at the end of High Matlock Road, which is 5 minutes, if that, walk from my house.

I seem to remember reading somewhere ages ago those Terrier Rural Links were designed to connect into trams at Hillsborough Interchange and that you could buy a pass valid on both from the bus driver.

Originally posted by jubby
Thanks for your reply.

Just wanted to check this before posting.

Under the Disabilty Discrimination Act (DDA) any public transport company that provides a service accesable to disabled people (this cover buses, coaches, trams, trains and taxis) MUST ensure that these are available at all times, and ALL staff that use them be trained by the end of 2004. All public transport systems must ensure that any vechicle that is not accesable must do so by end of 2006 hence the fleet replacment to low floor.

I understand about taking drivers off the road, but tell that to the wheelchair user that needs that bus. if you train 12 drivers per day over 300 days a year = 3600 drivers. how many drivers work for 1st???

First's investment in the fleet, will keep them the largest company in sheffield, because as the deadline draws near and the smaller companies can't afford to replace their fleet, first will poach those routes.

btw if it takes a day what they teach you, it only took me two days to learn how to use a cherry picker and extendable platfom...

Jubby



Firstly, the drivers do not have time to deploy wheelchair ramps from buses. They are simply not allowed what is known as 'dwell time' in schedules these days.

Back in the 60's and earlier, bus routes were timed by a bus actually driving round a route and a note of the time at certain points made. Each time the bus passed a stop an amount of 'dwell time' was added to the actual time (around 30 seconds or so for each stop).

These days some young yuppie sits in an office, is told a bus route is 20 miles, works out a bus can travel at 40mph flat out without stopping and therefore works out on his calculator that the journey should take half an hour! (spot the problem?)

Also, when buses and trams used to reach a terminus they had 'stack time' of around 10 minutes in many cases. This enabled late arrivals to depart on time for their next run. But modern bus companies like to screw every last moment of work out of their drivers for their pityfully low wages, so now buses are straight in and straight out without any time being allowed even to change the destination on the front to tell the poor sod standing at the bus stop where the bus is going!!!!

My next point concerns low floor buses. This is a major rant of mine, is VERY politically incorrect, but is also VERY true.

Your average ordinary double decker now on the streets of Sheffield would be valued at about three grand. A new low floor decker (such as those First have recently introduced) would not give you much change out of a quarter of a million! So before people in wheelchairs etc start demanding access to buses let me ask what ideas they have to pay for such luxuries?

The result will be higher fares (as has recently happened with Aston Express) and as one of the great majority who can cope with one tiny step, I resent paying for this extra 'service' I don't need.

It's not as if the disabled or infirm can not get out. There is an excellent network of 'Community Transport' type minibuses working all over Britain. If you want to talk discrimination, let's see what happens when this able-bodied 32 year old rings one of THEM up next time I want to go into town!;)

waiting for 83 or 83A is awful. loads of 82's go past but stil not 1 83 does. then 3 come a once. 82's run every 8minutes or something like that, 83 is 15 (if that). but it never does come on time.

Originally posted by steelcitybab
waiting for 83 or 83A is awful. loads of 82's go past but stil not 1 83 does. then 3 come a once. 82's run every 8minutes or something like that, 83 is 15 (if that). but it never does come on time.

Indeed.

I've been saying for years that the ratio between 82s and 83s is wrong, cos contrary to what those who decide bus routes obviously think, not every Stannngton resident lives on the Council estates at the top end of Stannington Road such as the Deer Park, Liberty and Hall Park Head.

It used to be better, and the current routes of the 82 and 83 used to be the other way round, the 82s served the village and further up, the 83s went on the estates, in those days though the 82s were actually reliable.... what changed?! Cos there's still the same demand for a reliable bus service North of the Sportsman pub in Stannington as there was back then, yet we get a rubbish service which turns up when the drivers feel like it.

What's goin' on. Why are the buses so bad? I left Sheff some twenty years ago. The bus service then was brilliant. Five miles for nine pence! Which bunch of idiots sold it to the First Group? I'm amazed that they (drivers etc.) had the chance to retake it as a municipal operation but decided to line there own pockets. Shame.

I now live in a city where the major bus operator is owned by the council. The timetable is a bible and the drivers generally smile. The secondary operator is first group. Guess what, their buses are clapped out and don't run to time.

Don't get mad, get even. Insist that the council buys back what drivers should never have sold. Then you willl have a service that you can rely on.

Argument: Is public transport a vital componenent in the life of a city? If so, should it be left to market forces?

Sheffield corporation didn't think so. Neither do I.

You may have had a problem with some of their services, but they tried.

The council has to buy it back (your money) or let it get worse. It's your choice. Annoy your councillor. Or get drunk (or stoned) and forget it. Only if you do something, do you have right to complain. Democracy is a privilege, not a right.

Originally posted by superCol
Argument: Is public transport a vital componenent in the life of a city? If so, should it be left to market forces?

Sheffield corporation didn't think so. Neither do I.

You may have had a problem with some of their services, but they tried.

The council has to buy it back (your money) or let it get worse. It's your choice. Annoy your councillor. Or get drunk (or stoned) and forget it. Only if you do something, do you have right to complain. Democracy is a privilege, not a right.

Public transport IS vital in cities, especially given that the Government and the Council keep bleating on about how they don't want people to take their cars into town cos it causes too much traffic and stuff.

And some of us do hassle the local MPs about stuff, but such as Tony Blair are so far into sorting Iraq out etc, they don't care about little things like the very public who voted them in to power bitching about ****e local bus services.

Originally posted by andy1702
Firstly, the drivers do not have time to deploy wheelchair ramps from buses. They are simply not allowed what is known as 'dwell time' in schedules these days.

[edited to cut out the quotes not relevant to my reply- jubby]

My next point concerns low floor buses. This is a major rant of mine, is VERY politically incorrect, but is also VERY true.

Your average ordinary double decker now on the streets of Sheffield would be valued at about three grand. A new low floor decker (such as those First have recently introduced) would not give you much change out of a quarter of a million! So before people in wheelchairs etc start demanding access to buses let me ask what ideas they have to pay for such luxuries?

The result will be higher fares (as has recently happened with Aston Express) and as one of the great majority who can cope with one tiny step, I resent paying for this extra 'service' I don't need.

It's not as if the disabled or infirm can not get out. There is an excellent network of 'Community Transport' type minibuses working all over Britain. If you want to talk discrimination, let's see what happens when this able-bodied 32 year old rings one of THEM up next time I want to go into town!;)

Firstly can you book one of these "Community Transport" buses at any time that a service runs ie from 6am to 11pm, becuase I think you can't. I work shifts sometimes needing to leave the house at 6am sometimes I also go out coming back on the last bus, at these times you don't see one of these buses.

Secondly is it a luxury to be stuck in your house becuase you can't get out and about to shops, work etc without these easy access buses.

Thirdly try getting a wheelchair up one "tiny" step.

Fourthly I pay for the service FULL fare I might add, and my son when he does use the bus pays the same fare as a able bodied child would as well.

Fifthly I hope you never need a wheelchair, becuase as soon as you or a depedent does you will be singing a different tune.

Originally posted by jubby
I Agree with you on that one. Maybe Mr BusDriver can confirm this, but I am under the impression the knelling buses can kneel to ground level or at least to near ground level than the ramp can be employed for the rest of the way. Of course if it is a narrow road that a lot of our buses run on where their is only room for a parked car on one side and the bus (or other traffic) on the other this would still prove difficult. Every one who parks in a bus stop should be fined. Unfortanly money is the only way we will change these people (except the very rich who can afford the fines no problem) This is why I agree with Meadowhall clamping driver who parkin the disabled bay. Yes it still takes up a space but the £40 they have to pay and the aggro it takes to unclamp them may make them think next time.

I have another question for Mr BusDriver, what happens if a wheelchair user gets on becuase the driver is trained then that driver changes drivers to one who isn't trained to use the ramp what happen to the wheelchair passenger??????

Jubby

well, in my case, about a fornight ago, I was on a bus where the changeover driver was not ramp-trained, and I had to drop my wheelchair off the edge of the step, without the ramp.....

it's a 'leccie chair, and it's no mean feat, believe me to get a hundredweight or more of chair off the edge of the step without it tipping over, whilst the driver sits, with his arms stoically folded, gawping at you from in his cab, doing his "I aint shifting!" act.

Because of the height of the drop without the ramp in place, and the heavy jolt as I landed, I jarred all my spine (I have spinal degeneration, so can you imagine how much pain it put me in?)

I often have run-ins with access onto buses

Plain Talker

Originally posted by superCol
What's goin' on. Why are the buses so bad? I left Sheff some twenty years ago. The bus service then was brilliant. Five miles for nine pence! Which bunch of idiots sold it to the First Group? I'm amazed that they (drivers etc.) had the chance to retake it as a municipal operation but decided to line there own pockets. Shame.

I now live in a city where the major bus operator is owned by the council. The timetable is a bible and the drivers generally smile. The secondary operator is first group. Guess what, their buses are clapped out and don't run to time.

Don't get mad, get even. Insist that the council buys back what drivers should never have sold. Then you willl have a service that you can rely on.

Supercol, the reason that we were able to enjoy such a good, reliable, inexpensive bus service was that the buses were subsidised from the council (sheffcouncil, and South yorks council when it used to exist.

Then that old B*tch Thatcher came to power, and it galled her, good style, that a socialist (Shh, don't tell TORY Blair that I used the s- word!!) local government was working, successfully, so the old cow deregulated the buses up and down the whole country, to get at us(!!not as paranoid as it sounds!!)

So, the services got unreliable, the fares went up, and you have the situation like we have, currently in Sheffield.

Hope that explains things?

Plain Talker

Originally posted by andy1702
Firstly, the drivers do not have time to deploy wheelchair ramps from buses. They are simply not allowed what is known as 'dwell time' in schedules these days.

Back in the 60's and earlier, bus routes were timed by a bus actually driving round a route and a note of the time at certain points made. Each time the bus passed a stop an amount of 'dwell time' was added to the actual time (around 30 seconds or so for each stop).

These days some young yuppie sits in an office, is told a bus route is 20 miles, works out a bus can travel at 40mph flat out without stopping and therefore works out on his calculator that the journey should take half an hour! (spot the problem?)

Also, when buses and trams used to reach a terminus they had 'stack time' of around 10 minutes in many cases. This enabled late arrivals to depart on time for their next run. But modern bus companies like to screw every last moment of work out of their drivers for their pityfully low wages, so now buses are straight in and straight out without any time being allowed even to change the destination on the front to tell the poor sod standing at the bus stop where the bus is going!!!!

My next point concerns low floor buses. This is a major rant of mine, is VERY politically incorrect, but is also VERY true.

Your average ordinary double decker now on the streets of Sheffield would be valued at about three grand. A new low floor decker (such as those First have recently introduced) would not give you much change out of a quarter of a million! So before people in wheelchairs etc start demanding access to buses let me ask what ideas they have to pay for such luxuries?

The result will be higher fares (as has recently happened with Aston Express) and as one of the great majority who can cope with one tiny step, I resent paying for this extra 'service' I don't need.

It's not as if the disabled or infirm can not get out. There is an excellent network of 'Community Transport' type minibuses working all over Britain. If you want to talk discrimination, let's see what happens when this able-bodied 32 year old rings one of THEM up next time I want to go into town!;)

A couple of points I'd like to make about your comments:-

Yes these ramped buses are much dearer that the old stepped buses. but the bus companies have had notice of years and years (about 10/15 years) that the access legislation is coming into force. so they have had plenty of time to prepare. So cost should not be an issue. (of course, they could just stop paying fatcat shareholders huge dividends, and invest in the company/service instead... removes tongue from cheek, there)

If an an able bodied person can just turn up at a bus stop, and expect to board the bus without argument/hindrance, (bus being full, notwithstanding!) why shouldn't I, as someone who relies on a wheelchair to get out and about, expect the same privilege? Am I not a person too? Don't I have a life? shopping to get/ work to go to/ meetings to go to?

Re the community transport (CT) issue... I have tried to use the facility on a large number of occasions in the10 yrs since I became disabled. (and I have encountered difficulties)

It's not as simple as calling a taxi,when you are booking a journey with the CT. It has to be booked a good distance in advance. (a week or more in most cases)

You have to be a member to access it...

It is largely dependent on volunteers to staff it (driving the buses) so if a driver isn't available, a journey cannot run.

It only serves Sheffield itself. I could not, f'r'instance travel from Sheff to Rotherham or Chesterfield on CT.

It is not always possible for them to provide a journey ad lib like a taxi would. I have had many times where I have phoned to book, and they have said "sorry, we can't take your booking, we've nothing available" or I have booked and thought everything was Hunkydory, and then I have taken a call, a couple of days later saying, "Sorry, we can't fulfil your booking next week, we'll have to cancel."

Plain Talker

I'd just like to point out my annoyance at being stood waiting nearly 20 minutes for an 82 on Fargate yesterday, in the f-f-freezing cold an' all, cos the flipping 16.47 was at LEAST 10 minutes late! :mad: reliable bus service I don't think...

The 83s being late I could've understood cos they're rubbish, but not the "allegedly" most reliable service in Stannington, the 82 bus service.

Originally posted by Plain Talker
A couple of points I'd like to make about your comments:-

Yes these ramped buses are much dearer that the old stepped buses. but the bus companies have had notice of years and years (about 10/15 years) that the access legislation is coming into force. so they have had plenty of time to prepare. So cost should not be an issue. (of course, they could just stop paying fatcat shareholders huge dividends, and invest in the company/service instead... removes tongue from cheek, there)

If an an able bodied person can just turn up at a bus stop, and expect to board the bus without argument/hindrance, (bus being full, notwithstanding!) why shouldn't I, as someone who relies on a wheelchair to get out and about, expect the same privilege? Am I not a person too? Don't I have a life? shopping to get/ work to go to/ meetings to go to?

Re the community transport (CT) issue... I have tried to use the facility on a large number of occasions in the10 yrs since I became disabled. (and I have encountered difficulties)

It's not as simple as calling a taxi,when you are booking a journey with the CT. It has to be booked a good distance in advance. (a week or more in most cases)

You have to be a member to access it...

It is largely dependent on volunteers to staff it (driving the buses) so if a driver isn't available, a journey cannot run.

It only serves Sheffield itself. I could not, f'r'instance travel from Sheff to Rotherham or Chesterfield on CT.

It is not always possible for them to provide a journey ad lib like a taxi would. I have had many times where I have phoned to book, and they have said "sorry, we can't take your booking, we've nothing available" or I have booked and thought everything was Hunkydory, and then I have taken a call, a couple of days later saying, "Sorry, we can't fulfil your booking next week, we'll have to cancel."

Plain Talker

OK, So lets say you get your low floor ramped buses. I trust you'll not be complaining about paying the FULL ADULT FARE then?;)

Originally posted by andy1702
OK, So lets say you get your low floor ramped buses. I trust you'll not be complaining about paying the FULL ADULT FARE then?;)

No, I would not object..... not at all, if every single bus, on every single route were accessible to me and my chariot. (VBG!)

Just for the sheer joy of actually being able to get where the heck I want, when I want, by gosh, yes, I'd gladly pay the full fares. (chortles)

I mean, currently, I have to trek all the way down to the Abbeydale Road/ London Road corridor from the Psalter Lane area, to get to the nearest accessible bus route to where I live. And, when I come back, I have to trek all the way right back up to the top of the hill (and marched them down again...whoops sorry, wrong song!)

I agree with an earlier poster, who commented about how ridiculous the frequency of the 52 bus is. I have said this myself, many times. You could walk, from Crookes to Handsworth, just by stepping from bus to bus, and never break stride!!

I suggested to the bus companies that it might be a good idea to alternate the buses on that six-minute service, between the accessible buses and the ordinary fleet, and free up the other bus, for the time being to service routes which have no wheelchair provision. 12 minutes between accessible buses is not too long to wait compared to one an hour on inaccessible routes, which could be served by those superfluous runs on the 52.

However, as Bus Driver Man said, earlier.... that'd be too much like using logic, on thebehalf of thiose who run the bus companies, wouldn't it?

(sigh, stroll on.... !)

Plain Talker

Originally posted by andy1702
OK, So lets say you get your low floor ramped buses. I trust you'll not be complaining about paying the FULL ADULT FARE then?;)

Did you not read my reply (it was marked as my fourth comment), I DO NOW pay full fare and I do object to my disabled son paying full "adult" fare that cause he's only 6 but he does pay full child fare.

I would like to point out that my son is a wheelchair user, I am not but do have mobilty problems.

The reason my son doesn't use the bus much is he gets transport to school, and he has access to a motorbilty car for most other times. Also as I've said in a previous postI have problems from bus drivers not knowing the difference from a mobilty buggy (wheelchair) and a pram, so have had many an agurment with them when they have told me to fold my "pushchair".

I use public transport to get to and from work. I purchase a annual travelmaster, the only discount I get is the same for ANYONE buying a travelmaster is I get it cheaper for an annual one than I do for a weekly, monthly etc. It costs me £42.77 every 4 weeks (£556 per year) as I get a loan for it from work.

If these buses cost 3/4 million than at least they could have bought buses with legroom!!!:mad: I'm 6 foot as as my problems are with my legs I find it hard to squeeze into these seats my legs can't go in front of me becuase they isn't room I have to spray my legs open which gets complaints when the bus is full. Then I get the old dears who say I'm too young to not to be able to stand up for them, what they don't relise is yes I'm only 29 but in considerble pain now, what will I be like in 30 years when I'm an OAP??

I'd say the the number 83/83A to Stannington has to be a contender for worst bus route. Over the last few years the buses have gone from 8 per hour to 4 (or 3 on Saturdays). It is a regular occurence for people to have to stand for most or all of their journey, the buses arrive anything up to 45 mins late just about every day and the drivers are unbeleavly rude.

By the way, is there a special charm school that bus drivers must attend where they learn their unique brand of customer care skills?

Seems like Rich and I aren't the only ones to complian about the Stannington buses.

The bus drivers are overworked, underpaid and have to put up with a fair amount of grief from passengers, suprisingly alot of abuse comes from the OAPs!!

I know a bus driver who is a lovely man and he has to put up with all sorts; being spat at, threatened with a knife, threatened verbally, had a snooker ball thrown at his head. The verbal abuse is an almost daily thing. It's not a job I would like to do.

Fair points Steel. I'm sure there are some goog bus drivers out there who have to put up with a lot. However, some of them are rude often for no reason. I doubt if other service industry employees (eg, shop assistants, waiters etc) talked to their customers in this way they would be in a job for long. Why should a bus driver be any different?

I know what you mean but I don't think any other employees bar the police of course, have to put up with the crap that bus drivers do.

Although I do agree some are rude when there isn't really any need.

I guess they are all so stressed out. They have impossible times to keep to and have to fear for their own safety everytime they go to work. All this for no more then £200 per week is pretty pants.

I have yet to find a bus route and company that keeps to time and provides a service to their customers
:confused:Wife of a retired bus driver

Originally posted by slimsid2000
[B] I'm sure there are some goog bus drivers out there who have to put up with a lot.

I WAS ONE OF THEM !!!

Due to a problem with ill health, I have been given 3 weeks notice by First South Yorkshire Buses.

I still have my contact's so I will try and answer your questions that you put on the subject.

I will leave you with this joke.

What has a leap year and the route 83/83a to Stannington have in common?

They only come around every 4 years:D

In the old SYT days didn't they have a policy of finding you another job in the event of something like this happening?

I've generally found the best bus service in terms of punctuality, reliability and comfort in my neck of the woods is Thompson Travel's service 293 (Sheffield-Millhouses-Greenhill-Bradway-Dronfield). However it doesn't run evenings or Sundays, during those times I am forced to use First's service 25A which tends to be slow, crowded at times and suffers poor timekeeping (worse now with the roadworks on Woodseats).

I was standing in the cold nearly 25 mins on Sunday morning waiting for a bus! I live on the 75/76 and 47/48 bus route and not one turned up!! Needless to say I was late for work.

Hey Qazi, waiting 25 mins on a Sunday ain't bad - I waited that long this morning for a 76!

Do you work in the city centre? I can jog it into town from Firth Park in a little over half an hour :)

Admittedly, I'm absolutely shattered by the time I get there, but this summer I aim to do it in 30 minutes or less!

Also, the buses don't run as frequently on a Sunday anyway... which is fine in any other area but up here in Stannington (sorry to keep banging on about this but you know...) it's a bit of a bugger.

Originally posted by Rich
Also, the buses don't run as frequently on a Sunday anyway... which is fine in any other area but up here in Stannington (sorry to keep banging on about this but you know...) it's a bit of a bugger.

Its the same where ever in sheffield you live, most people in this city have to contend with hills (there are 7 of them) if a 48 is missing I have two choices (well three the third being wait another 1/2 just in case that one turns up lol)

Walk to the tram stop up hill takes about 25 mins, this option is not to bad coming home which I do quite a lot, that's wlak home from the tram stop.

option 2 is walk to Newfield Green to catch a 47 again about 25 mins (Down one hill up the next, I live on the side of a valley), in which case I would have missed it and the next bus there would be a 48 if that does turn up. coming home its the same down one hill up the next, by the time get home the next bus due passes my house at the same time.

Jubby

Originally posted by andy1702
OK, So lets say you get your low floor ramped buses. I trust you'll not be complaining about paying the FULL ADULT FARE then?;)

I see that andy1702 has not replied to mine or Plain Talkers answers to the above question he poised, is it becuase he relises that he was talking like a bigot.

We still await your reply.

Jubby

Last Friday the 18:08 number 69 bus from Attercliffe to Rotherham passed 10 mins early.

Last night the 19:44 25A left Bradway 5 mins early.

This makes services unreliable. Is this a deliberate ploy by First to make the service so difficult to catch all their customers give up, so they can then close the route down due to lack of demand.

They did that kind of thing with the night buses - closure by stealth.

Originally posted by Mr BusDriver


I will leave you with this joke.

What has a leap year and the route 83/83a to Stannington have in common?

They only come around every 4 years:D

true very true!
trying to think if ive seen you
can remember a few drivers, but only 1 round your age
talks to everyone, funny guy
is it you
also on 85,86 a lot

Could the reason the bus service is so crap be that due to the amount of traffic on the roads the buses cannot run to time.

Though if everyone left their cars at home then the buses would be so full and having to stop at every stop it would make them late and then instead of not turning up they would turn up but be full.

The problem we have in sheffield is that it is no longer a service, it is a business out to screw as much money for as little outlay as possible, including drivers wages, if competition was introduced on every route then things would improve, as it is if your bus does not arrive then you have no option but to wait for the next one. Thus saving on a drivers pay, fuel and wear & tear on the vehicle and the next bus being near capacity instead of half empty.

So IS anybody HAPPY with their bus service ? and if so what pills are they on ?

I was a driver for SCTD back in 1964, when there were three garages in Sheffield, Herries Road, Greenland Road and one downtown on Townhead Street (I think). There were almost no complaints to drivers from passengers, (the conductors took all the flack!)we kept the bus on time. Almost all of the buses were double deckers with the rear entry, a few single deckers on some of the runs to Manchester. They brought in the Atlantean low floor at the end of 1963, no step on the bottom deck, but no ramp either. I am a bus driver in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, almost all our fleet (600 plus) are low floor, with a kneeling feature and a ramp. This is how complicated the ramp/kneel feature is. Stop at the stop, engage neutral, open front door, lower front of bus (this involves holding an electrical switch until the bus kneels about 12 inches (15 seconds), hold another switch for the same length of time until the ramp folds out. Electric and manual wheelchaiirs can then load themselves, the first four seats on either side of the bus fold up to accomodate chairs. It takes about five minutes to train a stupid driver, two for the rest of us. LOL!
We have just started a new system here whereby vision impaired and mobility impaired can get free cards with the letter K and/or R on opposite sides that can be shown to the driver as the bus approaches the stop. This will indicate that the passenger wants the ramp (R) down, or the bus kneeled (K). Visually impaired can get a device that will show the route number of the bus they want to the driver prior to the bus stopping. We don't have request stops here, though, so I don't see the sense in the number thing, as we have to stop at every stop where someone is standing anyway. Come to think of it, if the passenger is in a wheelchair, why would they need the sign?
I can't believe how bad the service in Sheffield is now , from what you are all saying, it must be a nightmare getting anywhere. One other thing, did I read correctly that the #17 takes 20 hours to get around Sheffield? The numbers 2&3 did it in about three to four hours, if memory serves.
All our buses are washed on the outside every night, swept out and dusted on the inside every night, and all repairs are done before a bus can go back into service. We, as drivers, can also radio in for a 'change-over' bus if we sense a problem, steering, brakes, poor heaters, etc. The last item becomes critical in minus 30 degree weather!
For your information, Edmonton has a population of about 600,000, and West Edmonton Mall parking lot is bigger than the whole of Meadowhall!!, so we are no little hick town. We have our share of traffic problems, but, even at minus 40c, we don't often run more than 10 minutes late! We don't have many dedicated bus lanes, but we have the same problems. One car parked in a bus lane defeats the whole purpose! All our inspectors are mobile, and are bylaw enforcement officers, and they can, and do, issue tickets to illegally parked vehicles in bus zones. We have strict timetables, and can lose our job if we run 'hot'. (Leave a timing point as little as one minute early!)
Just in case you are thinking that we have a fantastic service, we, the drivers, have the same problems with passengers and management as bus drivers around the world have, but the wages are good, $23 dollars CDN per hour, (triple time on holidays) good medical and dental plan (no National Health!) and a fairly decent work environment. A monthly pass costs about the equivalent of 25 pounds per month, with the cash fair at $2.00. per trip, and we even give out a free transfer good for 90 minutes. All in all, it sounds like you have a ****ty bus system, and that's a shame, it wasn't bad 40 years ago!
BTW, even on a very tight schedule, we make time for a break, (cigarette or coffee) nobody gets in trouble for that!
We also have the priviledge of 'trading' shifts. We sign for new shifts five times a year, and work the whole shift for about two or three months. Same work every day, same two days off every week, but, if I, for instance, have Tuesday/Wednesday off (my personal favourite), and I want a Thursday off, I have two choices. Pay a driver who has Thursday off to work for me, or get him to work my shift in exchange for me working his shift on my day off. Works pretty good, and although it is technically illegal to work without declaring it on your taxes, we have drivers who make over $2,000 dollars a month doing this!!
It's sad to read about the system in Sheffield, I always wanted to be a bus driver growing up, the double deckers had a fascination for me.

hi, oldtimer!

you would have been working on the buses at the same time as my dad and my uncle tony. They were drivers for sheffield buses about that time.

I definitely think that the problems came in when the conductors went. it added so much more time to the journey when it went one-man operated...the driver used to be able to drive, and concentrate on the drivng, whilst the conductor could deal with fares and inquiries, etc.

re ramped services.

As a wheelchair user, i think that the ramped buses are a fantastic idea. they are light years better than the old stepped buses.

However, as you say, and I quite agree, the training for ramps is not rocket science. even with the manually operated ramps that we have in sheffield.

All a driver needs to know is how to lift the ramp flap out in the safe manner, Kinetic lifting, it's called. This will protect their backs. some years ago when I was nursing, we had to be taught correct lifting techniques.

but God! The times that I have been denied access to a ramped bus with the driver refusing to put out the ramp.

"I'm not ramp trained!" he'll say " I can't put the ramp out for you!" "You can't come on here!"

Often times, by the expression on the drivers' faces, when they say this (I'm thinking of one particular driver who I come up against regularly) and the way they smirk, when telling you that they can't operate the ramp, It's totally obvious that they are taking the (coff coff) well, you get the picture...I think that some of them take a perverse delight in denying access to a 'chair user.
the "I can't be ar$ed to get out of my nice warm cab, and permit the wheelchair user to board the bus!" It really steams me up!

it's no fun, standing and waiting for the next bus on the route to decide to arrive.

when you are in a wheelchair, and it's bitter cold, like it has been this last 3 or so months, is awful, and it's actually very dangerous.

you can't stamp up and down to keep yourself warm, like an able-bodied person could, and if you get chilled, particularly on your lower half, then it's very difficult to get yourself warn again and get your circulation going. that's a really dodgy situation to be in. not to mention how bad it can be for your health.

I am intrigued, Oldtimer, by the mechanical ramps you have in Edmonton.

The bus company here were looking at those type, but they decided that they'd go with the hinged manual ramps as there would be less potential for problems. (think of the ramp opening, and then breaking down.. the bus driving through the city with the ramp sticking out, taking the pedestrians' legs from under them, or the sides of cars off as it went on its merry way. It'd be like Bodicea's chariots and the romans all over again!

my bugbear is when the driver gets the ramps out, and we find that the cleaners haven't swept under the ramp, so all the crud and cr*p has collected under the flap. which means thaat the ramp won't go back down successfully (the dirt and grit moves and stops the ramp closing) and the warning alarm whistles like heck in the driver's cab. AAARRRGGHHHH! (embarrassing, and darn painful on the ears)

There's nothing like making the "Crip" feel conspicuous! (lol)

PT

first are the lamest, lazy, unfrequent, uncoftable and most expensive buses i have ever had themispleasure to travel with !

ALL lines are late, apart from the 52, 95 and 41, ratio of 4(for them) to 1 (for the rest of the services).

I can't stand seeing empty 52s running, i can't stand having to wait mornning after evening after monrings for my bus, and when a bus shows up, it's a Yorkshire Terrier, Aston or EastMids (StageCoach).

The 97 is always full in the mornings, always full in the evenings and they always put single deckers on the routes. At this point in time i wonder if there is a brain inside the managers at First, that's not having a shortage of staff, it's putting the appropriate buses on the routes.

I always see the old confortable Alexander dble deckers in off peak time on the 2/59, and single deckers on the 75, 76, 97, 33, 34, 25A, 97A. I am like, you idiots.

Why have replaced all the double deckers Mainline had with those dirty, noisy and pink Volvos ? You could have just left the old dble deckers, and replaced them bit by bit with the new ones.
But no we're stuck with single deckers, noisier than a world war two tank.

Then there's timetable... Why have one? until First came, there never was a need for any. I certainly never used them in the days of the good Mainline and the excellent SYT !
No buses for 30 minutes, then one come, is full, and refuses to stop, how cocky !! and another 15 minutes to wait !

Then there's those stickers on the side, the frequency written is just wrong, or even worst the lines/numbers is wrong. Since when is the 97 the same line as the 97A ? Totley Brook is 1 mile away from Totley, and is in Door! Then Hillsborough and Parson's Cross aren't even in the same postcode area!
Perhaps putting a different colour on the buses for 97 and 97A would prevent First from lying saying a bus every 7/8 minutes when obviously they only come (in theory) every 15 for either line.

And finally, there's the colour... Why on earth did First have to choose pink? or purple? Aren't they more appropriate colours to paint buses in that aren't so camp or grotesque ?

Greg, a very, very, very, very angry passenger.

Interesting comments about the ramp. We have what is called an interlock system. When any of the doors are opened, 90 pounds of air pressure is automatically applied to the brakes. This pressure can only be relieved by closing the doors, so the bus cannot be moved!! As for the ramp, if it can be made to work in minus 40 degree weather, I don't understand why it can't work in Sheffield! The only problem we ever had with ramps was on the first low floor bus we got. The operating mechanism for the ramp in underneath the floor, right at the front bumper. Sometimes, if the bus was stopped too close to the curb, the bracket for the ramp would hit the curb, and the ramp wouldn't open all the way. All it took was to lift the ramp up, close the door, then move a foot or two away from the curb.
Edmonton Transit has a focus group comprised of management, and wheelchair users. They meet on a regular basis to sort out problems.
The whole point to this is that Ed transit is subsidized for the 'disabled access' buses, to the tune of around $150,000 per bus! You can bet your arse that they cater to the disabled, but that, of course, is not a bad thing.
We also have several kinds of smaller buses that have ramps. 20 passenger maximum, with a fairly narrow ramp, but, as they are just 1 ton van-based, they are much lower already, no need to kneel. These smaller buses run in the evening, combining several less busy routes.
I also drove for London Transport for a few months before I came to Canada, apparently they now have over 600 private companies providing bus service? Not very well, either, I understand. I think, like you said, the system goes down hill when conductors are not used, but, having said that, we have never had two man operations!
How complete is the availability of ramp equipped buses in Sheffield? Could you confidently venture out and be fairly confident that you could get to where you are going in your chair?
Just as a point of interest, as I mentioned before, the first two rows of seats on each side fold up to the wall, and there are locking clamps that can be used to secure the chair, plus seat belts! It is also a city by-law that passengers have to move if they are in a seat that needs to be folded to accomodate a chair. I have never ever had, or heard of, anybody refusing to do this!
Of course, as a driver, I have a secret weapon that I can use to persuade somebody to move, if necessary. Just open both doors, shut off the engine, thus the heaters shut off. Very persuasive when I tell the offender that the bus won't move until he does, especially at 40 degrees below zero! Works like a hot damn!

there are plans in place to have all routes accessible, but, like the wheels of god, it turns slowly. lol

sadly, no, you cannot guarantee accessible buses.

Nor can you guarantee that the driver of a ramped bus will be copoperative, and get the ramp out for you if you need it (as I, in my chair, usually do) sometimes the driver is plain stubborn, and just will not operate the ramp. Sometimes he is adamant that he has not been ramp-trained. Others, by contrast, are helpful and informative, and cannot do enough to assist you, and make sure that you are okay.

oldtimer, you would not recognise half of the bus routes these days, they have been jumbled about and are such a mish-mash.

there are certain routes which are accessible (when they aren't fouled up by the odd non-ramped bus appearing)
The 25a, the 41 the 51, 52, the 53, the 75/76, and 97/97a, are usually accessible, that I know of, and currently the 95 is being changed over. so, unfortunately you cannot have confidence of getting anywhere, easily, as a wheelchair user travelling by bus, and if you do manage to get to your destination, again, you are not guaranteed of being able to get back home again. the bus company take no responsibility for guaranteeing that the service will be as expected. (if a train doesn't run, the train company may stump up for a taxi to get you home. if the bus company leaves you stranded at the bus stop, sorry, but it's tough on you, don't expect any help, let alone a taxi!)

The government have given the bus companies till 2007 (IIRC) to have accessible buses serving all routes.

Roll on the day!( :D )

re:- London, there are, certainly lots of companies operating across the capital, in competition, as a result of de-regulation. my work colleague and I went to London last weekend for a meeting, and the roads were absolutely snided with buses. it was overwhelming. Not all of them were accessible. and they certainly are not reliable.

They still have a lot of the classic backloader buses, like Sheffield used to have. (presumably because they are what the tourists expect to see!)

Re the disabled group in Edmonton, Oldtimer, please, , can you possibly PM me, some time in the near future, with their contact details? I am on a committee in Sheffield, to do with all kinds of access issues and I would be very interested to contact the parrallell group in Edmonton, and share info and ideas. I'd be very grateful if you could help me on that.

PT

Up till just over 6 years ago I used to use the 95 and 52 bus routes from Walkley and Crookes respectively on a regular basis as I lived in lower Walkley, and found them very reliable, especially the 52 obviously but the 95 was hardly ever late and I was never waiting more than a couple of minutes for one, even on the odd times when I'd maybe just missed one when I got the Bole Hill Road.

Originally posted by Plain Talker
oldtimer, you would not recognise half of the bus routes these days, they have been jumbled about and are such a mish-mash.

there are certain routes which are accessible (when they aren't fouled up by the odd non-ramped bus appearing)
The 25a, the 41 the 51, 52, the 53, the 75/76, and 97/97a, are usually accessible, that I know of, and currently the 95 is being changed over. so, unfortunately you cannot have confidence of getting anywhere, easily, as a wheelchair user travelling by bus, and if you do manage to get to your destination, again, you are not guaranteed of being able to get back home again. the bus company take no responsibility for guaranteeing that the service will be as expected. (if a train doesn't run, the train company may stump up for a taxi to get you home. if the bus company leaves you stranded at the bus stop, sorry, but it's tough on you, don't expect any help, let alone a taxi!)

PT


Plain Talker, the buses you talk about are the worst on the network, bring back the confortable bus (with have no ramps it happens). the new Volvos and Elipse are noiser than the old ones, and most unconfortable, and offer less seating than the old buses !! It's the world upside down !

Originally posted by Gregsd
first are the lamest, lazy, unfrequent, uncoftable and most expensive buses i have ever had themispleasure to travel with !

ALL lines are late, apart from the 52, 95 and 41, ratio of 4(for them) to 1 (for the rest of the services).

I can't stand seeing empty 52s running, i can't stand having to wait mornning after evening after monrings for my bus, and when a bus shows up, it's a Yorkshire Terrier, Aston or EastMids (StageCoach).

The 97 is always full in the mornings, always full in the evenings and they always put single deckers on the routes. At this point in time i wonder if there is a brain inside the managers at First, that's not having a shortage of staff, it's putting the appropriate buses on the routes.

I always see the old confortable Alexander dble deckers in off peak time on the 2/59, and single deckers on the 75, 76, 97, 33, 34, 25A, 97A. I am like, you idiots.

Why have replaced all the double deckers Mainline had with those dirty, noisy and pink Volvos ? You could have just left the old dble deckers, and replaced them bit by bit with the new ones.
But no we're stuck with single deckers, noisier than a world war two tank.

Then there's timetable... Why have one? until First came, there never was a need for any. I certainly never used them in the days of the good Mainline and the excellent SYT !
No buses for 30 minutes, then one come, is full, and refuses to stop, how cocky !! and another 15 minutes to wait !

Then there's those stickers on the side, the frequency written is just wrong, or even worst the lines/numbers is wrong. Since when is the 97 the same line as the 97A ? Totley Brook is 1 mile away from Totley, and is in Door! Then Hillsborough and Parson's Cross aren't even in the same postcode area!
Perhaps putting a different colour on the buses for 97 and 97A would prevent First from lying saying a bus every 7/8 minutes when obviously they only come (in theory) every 15 for either line.

And finally, there's the colour... Why on earth did First have to choose pink? or purple? Aren't they more appropriate colours to paint buses in that aren't so camp or grotesque ?

Greg, a very, very, very, very angry passenger.

Yeah, it's wierd that Parson's Cross is basically only round the corner from Hillsborough which is in S6, yet anything from the bottom end of Herrie's Road to the Northern General Hospital is classed as S5.

Originally posted by Rich
Yeah, it's wierd that Parson's Cross is basically only round the corner from Hillsborough which is in S6, yet anything from the bottom end of Herrie's Road to the Northern General Hospital is classed as S5.

surely they're not a corner away from each other ? Ther's Southey Green and Wadsley Bridge in between :confused:

It's like saying that Lowedges and Batemoor is the same place (which i would but it seems it isn't:D )
Or that Brinsworth is same place as Tinsley:)

What i meant that the 97 line is not the 97A, they don't originate in the same place, don't terminate in the same place (although on saturdays First does a bit of Free-style on that)

In that case, why are there numbers 75 and 76, when it could be 75 and 75A in that case ? It's very frustrating to have the 97s services considered as one, thus not developped on their own, therefore having a well, tbh, crap quality of service...

Originally posted by Gregsd
Plain Talker, the buses you talk about are the worst on the network, bring back the confortable bus (with have no ramps it happens). the new Volvos and Elipse are noiser than the old ones, and most unconfortable, and offer less seating than the old buses !! It's the world upside down !

but at least with the Wrights crusaders, the optares and the lunars, the solars and the eclipses, and whatever volvo /alexander brand the new double deckers with access are christened:-

I, and my wheelchair have access to those buses....

I would in no way want to take a backward step to the old inaccessible buses.

At risk of sounding stroppy, Heck, I want a flipping life too! why should I have to go back to the good-old-bad-old days when a trip into town with my wheelchair was up to a tenner a chuck by taxi? that said.. if the dratted taxi driver would even let me flag him down, as despite laws to the contrary, taxi drivers see the chair and won't take the journey.

In fact, there's one particular taxi firm, which I shall not name here, who are notorious for taking a booking, and woe betide you if you let it slip that there's a wheelchair involved.. they make like they've taken the booking, and then wham, you're still sat there like a lemon, hours later.

Yes, give me a bus that I can travel on with my wheelchair, and get to work/meetings/ etc any day..

PT

Originally posted by Plain Talker
but at least with the Wrights crusaders, the optares and the lunars, the solars and the eclipses, and whatever volvo /alexander brand the new double deckers with access are christened:-

I, and my wheelchair have access to those buses....

I would in no way want to take a backward step to the old inaccessible buses.

The selfish side of me doesn't really care for Wheelchair and pram spaces, for me they an inconvinience and take valuable seating.
There are very good mobility buses who run on request, if i was in a position where i would be in a wheelchair i would rather get a mobility bus rather than having to wait for ages for a 'timetabled' bus to show up !

Yes, give me a bus that I can travel on with my wheelchair, and get to work/meetings/ etc any day..
PT

The new buses are ridiculously uncofortable for the able bodid and many offer seats facing the wrong way, so on top of having 10 seats taken off for 2 wheelchairs, there are a further 4 to 6 that are not useable anyway, that's a lot of standing you know !!

and for 1é quid a week i intend on having a seat, if the way to get a seat is to get the 'old' (only 12 years old for most of them for god's sake!) buses, that's the way it's got to be !

I prefer a nice leather seat to a purple polyester seat that brakes my spine.
At least routes 33, 34, 59, 2, 17 (that i kow) have the good old buses, and no prams that take ages to get in or out and expect you to give up your seat !!

When i get moiney i'll definitly go for a car, so much cheaper and easy to use !