Rant over the A1 bus

[woodmally 10]

Anyone had any problems with the A1 bus. It seems at peak time this little bus is always overcrowded and there is one mad old bloke who drives one of the buses. He always moans about traffic thats why hes late yet never causes a problem for anyone else driving at that time:rant:

[woodmally 10]

I have a latest woe to rant about the A1 bus. Its still a joke. Firstly I was waiting at the bus stop today for the 9:00 bus. It didnt turn up at the stop yet there were three TM busses there two was double deckers (it clearly wasnt them heaven forbid they give us a double decker on a busy route like ours). And the little small one with a driver outside having a fag and a coffee. At around 9:10 I went over to ask him to see if he heard anything about a bus breaking down. One isnt turning up he replied. I probed further why not. Its this one he pointed. He said it had overheated. With this in mind I decided to go back to my fellow passengers who were waiting and do what he failed to do. Inform them it wasnt turning up. We then waited and I rang TM travel. Oh its not turning up they replied its overheated. I enquired naivly as to if a replacement was on its way. No you will just have to wait for the next one it comes at half past was the reply. We did it was late! He was talking to the other driver whos bus had overheated. One of the other passengers went to enquire as to what was happening. Oh I dont go out till 9:35 was the reply. He then came to the stop and said thats the time he thought but he forgot it was at 9:30. He said that the other bus had overheated thats why it was missing. At this point the overheated bus drove of (Clearly it still functioned).

 

I understand buses break down but not communicating and not replacing it when there was (I kid you not three! TM buses hanging around at the bus station is a joke. Also we get a mini bus yet the Tesco bus (which is normally empty is always a double decker). Rant over.

[Ambz 10]

Woodmally - I totally agree with your comments. I use the A1 often and am always baffled that TM Travel have not yet cottoned onto the idea of using a larger bus at peak times. Where I work, they encourage people to use public transport yet the benefits of driving are much more appealing than paying for a service that is often late and overcrowded

[Guest busdriver1]

Not defending them but the reason double declers are used on certain routes is often because they interwork with school or college services. (ok not really an issue at the moment) but the contract with the PTE to run the A1 calls for low floor buses. Most of the Double deckers run by TM are not low floor. This means that they would be fined for using them and in some cases it is more financially sound to miss a journey than run it with the wrong type.

This does not change the fact that TM entered into a contract to run the service with a low floor bus.

Problem is the parent company are asset stripping it and they have barely enough buses to run the services they have - let alone the luxury of spare buses.

A bus that has overheated can, after a while, be driven back to the depot to get - for example the radiator steamed out.

Like I said I am not defending them just pointing out some facts that whilst not aiding your situation may at least improve your understanding of it.

[woodmally 10]

Not defending them but the reason double declers are used on certain routes is often because they interwork with school or college services. (ok not really an issue at the moment) but the contract with the PTE to run the A1 calls for low floor buses. Most of the Double deckers run by TM are not low floor. This means that they would be fined for using them and in some cases it is more financially sound to miss a journey than run it with the wrong type.

This does not change the fact that TM entered into a contract to run the service with a low floor bus.

Problem is the parent company are asset stripping it and they have barely enough buses to run the services they have - let alone the luxury of spare buses.

A bus that has overheated can, after a while, be driven back to the depot to get - for example the radiator steamed out.

Like I said I am not defending them just pointing out some facts that whilst not aiding your situation may at least improve your understanding of it.

 

Thank you for your reply. My rant was a bit of let off steam. However what you have done is explained the problem. So the question is what do we do about the problem. Can SYPTE help since we have an asset stripping issue?

[Andy C 85]

Route A1 is not commercially operated as there are not enough passengers for it to be profitable, TM Travel run it under contract to SYPTE who specify the timetable, bus size etc.

 

One of the conditions SYPTE put in the tender is that TM must use low floor easy access buses, unfortunately nearly all the low floor buses TM Travel own are minibuses.

 

The Tesco Park & Ride and Peak District services have no low floor requirement so TM can effectively send any vehicle out, including the heritage double deckers.

 

Unfortunately as I have experienced myself with route 49 on a Sunday, TM's controllers don't exactly take the initiative when it comes to communicating with their customers when things go wrong. Best bet is Traveline or a Travel South Yorkshire bus station employee.

[dacrlit 18]

Your first rant was four years ago and your second rant was today. Looks like they haven't got any better.

 

Was it the same company who ran them four years ago:?:

[paulo n 10]

so its been bin men, bus drivers, who next? post men (women) delivery drivers get ready!!

[Vague_Boy 10]

and am always baffled that TM Travel have not yet cottoned onto the idea of using a larger bus at peak times.

If they did, they probably have to pull it off of another route, which would then get the smaller bus.

 

You can't expect a bus company to buy mini buses and just use them at off-peak times.

 

 

Was it the same company who ran them four years ago:?:

Might have been First back then.

[silverknight 10]

This bus service (A1 ) has always been a tendered service - operated on behalf of the PTE. Since this service was launched it has been operated by First - Velioa - TMT over the years (tenders tend to be let for around 3 years)

 

If the operator is failing to meet the terms & conditions of the tender the PTE will reclaim (deduct any income the PTE is due to pay the bus operator).The bus company has to show proof of operation/why any reason it didn't etc).

 

So its always worth informing the PTE - after all it is our council tax!

[woodmally 10]

Your first rant was four years ago and your second rant was today. Looks like they haven't got any better.

 

Was it the same company who ran them four years ago:?:

 

Nope they have got worse. They used to be Veolia now TM travel as others have posted on here. However it was the same drivers, the same busses and the same depot. Just different names by all accounts.

[Andy C 85]

Nope they have got worse. They used to be Veolia now TM travel as others have posted on here. However it was the same drivers, the same busses and the same depot. Just different names by all accounts.

 

Veolia buses, whose depot was in Rotherham ceased trading. TM took on all their contracts and drivers but using their own buses and depot.