First Bus Company need to learn how to run a bus service

[Brian Hanson]

It's about time First Bus Company learnt how to run a bus service. On Saturday evening (12/01/13) I was due to meet a friend in the city centre at 7.00pm, so I made my way to Herdings bus terminal at 6.25pm to catch the 6.31pm bus. Unfortunately the bus never arrived at the terminal.

 

At 6.45pm a number 48 bus arrived at the terminal. As I tried to enter the bus the driver informed me the bus was now 'Out of service'. This bus left the terminal at 6.50pm, but the bus stop timetable stated this bus wasn't due to leave until 7.01pm.

 

At 7.15pm another number 48 bus arrived at the terminal and again I was told by th driver the bus was now 'out of service'. This bus left the terminal at 7.20pm, but the bus stop timetable stated it wasn't due to leave until 7.31pm.

 

At 7.45pm another number 48 bus arrived at the terminal, luckily I was allowed to get on this bus. I asked the driver what time he would be leaving the terminal. The driver replied; ''7.50pm''.

I asked the driver if he could explain his reason for leaving the terminal at 7.50pm when the bus timetable stated he wasn't due to leave until 8.01pm.

 

The driver explained he was going by his timesheet. He showed me the timesheet and quite clearly it stated he had to leave the terminal at 7.50pm. After I told the driver about the previous two buses leaving the terminal ten minutes too early the driver laughed and said; ''Yes, they'd be going by their timesheet like me''.

 

The problem is obviously clear now, the bus drivers' timesheets and the bus stop timetables do ''NOT'' match each other and this is why people stand ages waiting for a bus to arrive.

 

When you think of how many bus stops there is in the city of Sheffield it must cost the First Bus Company a huge amount of money to have all the timetables printed. All that money wasted because the bus company haven't had the common sense to make sure the timetables match their drivers' timesheets.

 

I bet a group of young children could run the bus service better!

[Annie Bynnol]

The 47 buses leave Herdings Raeburn Rd/Raeburn Pl. at xx:19 and xx:49 on Sat. Eve

The 48 buses leave Herdings Raeburn Rd/Raeburn Pl. at xx:01 and xx:31 on Sat. Eve

 

Since the buses left at the times you observed then the driver is looking at a 47 route timesheet.

The timetable at the bus stop is showing the departure times for the 48 route.

 

Timetables at bus stops in South Yorkshire are not printed by First

Edited January 13, 2013 by Annie Bynnol
added "on Sat. Eve"

[tbtc]

At 6.45pm a number 48 bus arrived at the terminal. As I tried to enter the bus the driver informed me the bus was now 'Out of service'. This bus left the terminal at 6.50pm, but the bus stop timetable stated this bus wasn't due to leave until 7.01pm

 

There probably are a number of buses arriving at termini at that time of the evening that then run back empty to the garage (hence showing "out of service", as the evening service isn't as often as the daytime service), and the time that he runs back empty to the garage obviously wouldn't be shown on a timetable (as it's irrelevant to the public).

 

Not sure I see your point here?

[Michael_N]

It's about time First Bus Company learnt how to run a bus service. On Saturday evening (12/01/13) I was due to meet a friend in the city centre at 7.00pm, so I made my way to Herdings bus terminal at 6.25pm to catch the 6.31pm bus. Unfortunately the bus never arrived at the terminal.

 

At 6.45pm a number 48 bus arrived at the terminal. As I tried to enter the bus the driver informed me the bus was now 'Out of service'. This bus left the terminal at 6.50pm, but the bus stop timetable stated this bus wasn't due to leave until 7.01pm.

 

At 7.15pm another number 48 bus arrived at the terminal and again I was told by th driver the bus was now 'out of service'. This bus left the terminal at 7.20pm, but the bus stop timetable stated it wasn't due to leave until 7.31pm.

 

At 7.45pm another number 48 bus arrived at the terminal, luckily I was allowed to get on this bus. I asked the driver what time he would be leaving the terminal. The driver replied; ''7.50pm''.

I asked the driver if he could explain his reason for leaving the terminal at 7.50pm when the bus timetable stated he wasn't due to leave until 8.01pm.

 

The driver explained he was going by his timesheet. He showed me the timesheet and quite clearly it stated he had to leave the terminal at 7.50pm. After I told the driver about the previous two buses leaving the terminal ten minutes too early the driver laughed and said; ''Yes, they'd be going by their timesheet like me''.

 

The problem is obviously clear now, the bus drivers' timesheets and the bus stop timetables do ''NOT'' match each other and this is why people stand ages waiting for a bus to arrive.

 

When you think of how many bus stops there is in the city of Sheffield it must cost the First Bus Company a huge amount of money to have all the timetables printed. All that money wasted because the bus company haven't had the common sense to make sure the timetables match their drivers' timesheets.

 

I bet a group of young children could run the bus service better!

 

Don't forget the 47/48 swap numbers at Raeburn Rd so as it pulls in on a 48 like you described, they park up and then depart as a 47. So they are going out at their correct times from reading your message.

[Brian Hanson]

Don't forget the 47/48 swap numbers at Raeburn Rd so as it pulls in on a 48 like you described, they park up and then depart as a 47. So they are going out at their correct times from reading your message.

 

 

Yes, the bus drivers are leaving the terminal at the correct times stated on their Timesheet. But they leave ''TEN MINUTES'' too early because their timesheets do not match the bus stop timetables. Hence the reason why people end up waiting for a bus that never turns up on time. Because it (the bus) passed their bus stop ''ten minutes'' earlier.

[silverknight]

Each timetable at bus stops has a date of publication it should be Oct 2012 and the 47/48 will have a new timetable from end of Jan 2013.Also each stop has a reference stop number also used for YNB (your next bus text service)

 

The Pte have been known to issue the wrong timetable info before know!

[tbtc]

Yes, the bus drivers are leaving the terminal at the correct times stated on their Timesheet. But they leave ''TEN MINUTES'' too early because their timesheets do not match the bus stop timetables. Hence the reason why people end up waiting for a bus that never turns up on time. Because it (the bus) passed their bus stop ''ten minutes'' earlier.

 

Are you sure that you've not got it the wrong way round?

 

The 48 arrives (via Hemsworth) and then departs at approximately 19:19 / 19:49 as a 47 (via Leighton Road).

 

The 18:31 48 that you were wanting should have arrived as a 47 (via Leighton Road).

 

So the anti-clockwise buses (i.e. arriving as a 48, leaving as a 47) were correctly running to time - the problem was that one bus (an anti-clockwise one) appears to have been missing (?)

[Zablade]

No bus company in the country is running a 'bus service' these days. They are running a profit making business enterprise.

[Leah-Lacie]

If the stop where the 48 changes to a 47 is showing 48 departure times, then surely the timetables are just attached to the wrong stop on the wrong side of the road?

 

 

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[Mr Bloom]

No bus company in the country is running a 'bus service' these days. They are running a profit making business enterprise.

 

Except for in LONDON, of course, where they were the only place in the country allowed to be exempt from Thatcher's 'deregulation' and have always remained so. Time for some pressure to be put on Thatcher's no 1 fans, Cameron and Clegg, methinks. I think this must be the only country in the world where the population would allow successive governments to get away with this scandal for so long.