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New Sheffield Bus Network- good or bad for the public?

Are the Revised Bus Sheffield Bus Services better or worse  

34 members have voted

  1. 1. Are the Revised Bus Sheffield Bus Services better or worse

    • The revised Bus Services are better
      20
    • The revised Bus Services are worse
      14


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Guest busdriver1
Well if that problem is ironed out, well done!

 

I've bought them on the train before, and had difficulties using them on buses afterwards.

 

It is very strange that we have tickets that transport officials don't recognise.

 

With the sheer amount of passes though, it ain't surprising.

 

I recall at college, the few people who used to forge tickets. They often made better copies than the authority itself!

 

Recently I have had tickets with some terrible mistakes.

 

A weekly pass that started in 2016 and finished in 2012!

 

The biggest problem with the travel master ticket range is that they currently cover something like 75 different tickets that share the same validity but look completely different to each other. A booklet is produced by the PTE for platform staff every 3 months detailing the myriad of changessince the last issue. The whole range needs stripping back to basics and simplifying so staff do not have to try to remember this vast list and recognise them whilst being quickly flashed by passengers as they hurry past. The selling of weekly travelmasters on buses will only add to this range to remember. Try looking at a rail-bought SY daytripper and then imagine trying to check a) what it is, b) the date, as someone walks past assuming you are equiped with a bar code reader in place of eyes, then you start to get the idea. Then you get railmasters that people try to use on buses. Same problem. Print too small to be read. (the last driver accepted it) A lot of the time tickets are wrongly accepted as the passengers are too quick getting on or the driver legitimately mistakes it for another. A smaller range of legible tickets is the way forward. Will it happen? Under this PTE? NEVER

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David Young, SYPTE's Director of Customer Experience, said: "We think that this package we have come up with will make big difference to the quality of the bus network in Sheffield. By all working together the partners believe we can make travelling by bus a more convenient option for people throughout Sheffield."

 

 

Now there's a non job.

 

Perhaps the bus companies have finally twigged that they are not making enough money by running empty buses all over the city. If they co-ordinate their routes better they can be more financially efficient. That's really what lies behind these proposals. I note they don't make any promises about making buses run on time, with drivers who know where they are going and have been cleaned in the last 6 months (buses, not the drivers)

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Guest busdriver1
David Young, SYPTE's Director of Customer Experience, said: "We think that this package we have come up with will make big difference to the quality of the bus network in Sheffield. By all working together the partners believe we can make travelling by bus a more convenient option for people throughout Sheffield."

 

 

Now there's a non job.

 

Perhaps the bus companies have finally twigged that they are not making enough money by running empty buses all over the city. If they co-ordinate their routes better they can be more financially efficient. That's really what lies behind these proposals. I note they don't make any promises about making buses run on time, with drivers who know where they are going and have been cleaned in the last 6 months (buses, not the drivers)

 

This scheme is being pushed forward by the PTE and no other. Some silly bugger gave them a little bit of power and this is what you get. The bus company cheifs are saying they think its good because they dare not say what they really think. Interesting they are eventually including the tram. is it not interesting that it was not included in the optio scheme despite being run over the exact same corridor as the optio orange? A little bit of protection for their best mates?

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I would like to be able to have an oyster like card so I'm not fumbling with passes to and fro and having to go into town once a month to buy a universal pass. I just want to get on public transport and use it.

 

With total anonymity and protection from snooping, it would be a good idea.

 

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/02/10/metropolitan_police_asks_for_tfl_data/

 

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/02/20/oyster_security_flaws/

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"The new service, introduced by the Sheffield Bus Partnership, aims to make bus travel easier, more affordable, convenient, economical, and more reliable than ever before."

 

Do they think we're stupid?? I would place my house on the fact that only one of these aims might be achieved- economical (for them)

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I only catch the bus when it turns up.

Then I guess you dont get the bus then ;)

 

Does this mean you will be finally able to buy a valid ticket on the service that it is valid for?

 

In the case of the 'travelmasters'.

 

Ticket X covers all services, yet you can't buy it on every service?

 

The ticket should be available on every service!

Ive only ever had one issue with the City Wide ticket, where I had to call SYPTE and put the driver on the phone with them to make them accept it. This happened the first week the service launched and since then no problems.

 

Travelmasters annoy me, as you can only buy online a South Yorkshire wide one and not a Sheffield one

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Well if its anything like what happened last summer with the 41/120 then god help us. There was nothing wrong with it before hand and then they went and messed everything up and confused a hell of a lot of passengers. So much for forward thinking and getting people onto buses.

 

Am I right in thinking they actually want to reduce the amount of buses on the main services as we've already seen on the 120? Please dont let these take charge of our bus network as then we will end up with situations like the 120, 1 bus number/service with 4 different termini points (Halfway/Crystal Peaks/Hallamshire Hospital/Fulwood).

 

What is the need for SYPTE? All they look to be doing is costing us more in our council tax for the same service that could be done inhouse within the council for a fraction of the cost?

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about time that something collaborative was brought into action, I have been saying for months they should do this, and what they have said about combined/synchronised time tables etc (easing the strain on each company, and reducing waiting time for passengers) I have also said should be done..

 

I welcome it, IF it's done well, it will be really good...

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about time that something collaborative was brought into action, I have been saying for months they should do this, and what they have said about combined/synchronised time tables etc (easing the strain on each company, and reducing waiting time for passengers) I have also said should be done..

 

I welcome it, IF it's done well, it will be really good...

 

You only have to look at the state that the 120 is now in (52 the same?) to realise that with their meddling we now have a much worse service than before.

 

Wait until this Optio crap starts coming onto your route. :rant:

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This scheme is being pushed forward by the PTE and no other. Some silly bugger gave them a little bit of power and this is what you get. The bus company cheifs are saying they think its good because they dare not say what they really think. Interesting they are eventually including the tram. is it not interesting that it was not included in the optio scheme despite being run over the exact same corridor as the optio orange? A little bit of protection for their best mates?

 

Not true, it's being put forward by SYPTE / SCC / First / Stagecoach / TM Travel / Sheffield Community Transport.

 

Here's the reasons why this is being brought in:

 

SYPTE have for some time now been working on the introduction of Quality Contracts, which is basically franchising of services, like they currently have in London.

 

There are some significant risks involved in putting an arrangment like that in place. Firstly, SYPTE have to demonstrate that they have fully exploered every possible alternative means of delivering the necesary services. This is important, as operators are not keen to see Quality Contracts imposed, so they will mount a legal challenge if they can.

 

Secondly, there is a significant financial risk - if under Quality Contracts, the service packages are put out to tender and the prices come back significantly higher than expected, SYPTE and the South Yorkshire Local Autorities (because they fund the PTE) will need to find the additional money. No-one else has introduced Quality Contracts so there is not much of an evidence base to draw on for contract prices etc, so it will be very dificult to estimate costs and there is a very real budget risk.

 

The voluntary parnership, which is now being progressed delivers many of the objectives of a Quality Contract, without the major risks and demonstrates that SYPTE have actively explored all the options for service delivery.

 

The work on Quality Contracts is still being progressed, in case the voluntary partnership doesn't deliver.

 

The operators also obtain efficiencies from collaborating on timetables, as they don't need as many buses on particular routes. It provides a stable network, simpler ticketing and agreed service standards.

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Not true, it's being put forward by SYPTE / SCC / First / Stagecoach / TM Travel / Sheffield Community Transport...

 

 

.... operators are not keen to see Quality Contracts imposed, so they will mount a legal challenge if they can.

 

You're contradicting yourself. If the operators don't want Quality Contracts imposed, why would they want something which achieves all the characteristics of a Quality Contract? It's far more believable that they are only "supporting" this because they think its their best chance of avoiding a QC whether they want one or not.

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Looks like First have seen a way to make more money, then!

 

Look forward to a biased questionnaire which will be used to say that we all want to pay more for a reduced better service.

 

I prefer First, to travelling cattle class on Stagecoach buses - the lack of leg room is ridiculous :huh:

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