Single buses on busy routes

[dutch 68]

It was a lovely day today with sunshine a cold breeze and a little bit of snow.

After a long walk on stanedge there were some 20 people waiting at foxhouse to take a bus back to Sheffield.

There are roadworks going on in hathersage so no complaints about the bus being 25 minutes late.

 

But when it came it was full and it was only a single bus.

 

I complaint with the driver that he could not be bothered to take a double bus on such a nice day on this route on a day when it would be obviously going to be busy. He just blamed his boss and I told him his boss does not deserve one penny from me if he cannot even figure out what type of busses to use on a day like today.

Things are getting a lot worse and downhill since the so called intelligent improvements.

[swede1973 10]

Cant remember tha last time i caught the bus so i cant comment but a mate of mine who gets them all the time is always grumbling about them been late or just plain dirty but this is Thurnscoe to Barnsley route.

[haddy 10]

Hardly drivers fault that it's a single decker they do as there told. Just because it's nice weather doesn't mean that there going to swop the bus. There maybe only one trip through the day where a decker is needed so rest of the time the extra diesel used is a wate. They have got to make a profit

[1295galaxy 20]

The Bus Services in Sheffield have got worse not better since the changes they have made,single buses is so annoying now days when there massive ques of people waiting for the buses,there is still not enough buses after 6.00pm to help people get too or home from work,the drivers are also just sitting at the stops wasting time,just wish the bus service was back like it use to be,as people still keep asking the drivers which way they are going

[jensen1378 10]

1: none of this is the drivers fault. My dad is a bus driver in Sheffield and while I'm sure he would change many thing, it's not him that can. 2: Just waiting at stops as it was put. They don't just sit and wait there for the fun of it. There are certain stop points all around, not every stop, just some that a bus has to be at at a correct time and leave at the correct time. If a bus is due at 1215 and the bus arrives at 1209 then the bus has the stay there until it's alloted time of 1215. It's just how it works. All its not the driver, they can just change a bus just because it's a nice day lol. How easy do you think it is to get bus out there. Buses have times to leave the depot and all this is planned weeks before. There are 100's of buses to send out and be out there all day. I'm not saying it's perfect as it's far from it. Fortunately my dad works for the better of the two companies. im sure you can appreciate this somehow.

[Andy C 85]

A large operation like First does not work on the basis of the driver wandering into the depot and choosing which bus he fancies driving that day - buses are all allocated as part of the scheduling considering the wider network requirements, time of day, maintenance cycle etc.

 

The Peak District services do not switch to the summer timetables until Easter when more and bigger buses operate - the time of year there is more demand from tourists, walkers and other full fare paying passengers that justify it.

 

Also Derbyshire buses are nothing to do with the Sheffield Bus Partnership as they are cross border services - the likes of the 272 is operated commercially by First during the day with some extra trips like in the evening funded by Derbyshire County Council for the benefit of Derbyshire residents.

[1978 14]

If you look at the timetable at the Fox House stop it's mind bogglingly complicated! However, with 25 minutes to wait it should be possible to spot there are several buses to Sheffield, depending on the day of the week (and season) !

 

On a Sunday there's the 65 operated by TM (Hulley's provide a 65a midweek that doesn't go to Fox House), see; http://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com/timetables/sheffield/533.htm

 

TM's 215 serves Fox House - but not on Sundays

 

The 271/272 is operated by First, TM and Hulleys, although on Sundays it's mostly First, see: http://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com/timetables/sheffield/796.htm

 

I work near Fox House at least one day a week and hear First's double-deckers grinding up the hill from Toads Mouth. I wouldn't be surprised if one had broken down and been replaced by the first bus available. That might explain the lateness and the single-decker.

 

Many years ago I can recall a bus route blind often saying DUPLICATE. That seems to have been replaced by "Sorry, not in service". Such is progress.

 

In passing I can't help mentioning that the Peak Park want to see fewer cars in the Peak District and wish to see more visitors coming by bus and train. I understand all car parks were rammed full today, with many cars parked in places that may soon acquire yellow lines to help better passage of moving vehicles.

 

Updated 16.2.2016 Double yellow lines were being applied today either side of the entrance to Longshaw car park.

Edited February 17, 2016 by 1978
Updated bus route details for 271/272

[nomoney 10]

I think it was in the seventies that the stantard fare was 20np could be wrong but you could travel any where in south yorkshire for that,but Thatcher was not happy as the sheffield council was claming £20 million a year for running the services,then she brought in privatetesion ,which opened the door for small companys to run but they in turn got bought out,and in turn we have really only have two companys running the buses,if a route does not make money they will reduce the service.

[1978 14]

The OP highlights a major problem on the 272 and 65 routes. Most journeys across the year are fairly lightly loaded. On lovely days like yesterday they can be overloaded.

 

I've heard stories of standing passengers on the upper deck. Of buses turning passengers away before departure from Sheffield.

 

There are often parties of 10 - 20 walkers with kit trying to pile in and that in itself delays services. I've seen 2 or 3 such groups at Fox House cramming onto already well filled buses. The obvious answer is to summon up a duplicate bus, but drivers aren't easily available at short notice on Sundays, not least because they may be out walking or cycling in the Peak District!

 

TM operate a half hourly service to Bakewell via Chatsworth. Maybe a half hourly 272 would help.

[dutch 68]

I do agree that it is not the drivers fault. But if you let the driver know how you feel about it the driver can let the boss know how customers feel about it.

I was feeling relaxed and balanced even while waiting for the bus to come, because there are delays due to roadwork's in hathersage that was no problem to me.

 

But I could feel the anger rising from all these people and myself when it was clear they could not even bother to put a double bus on there yesterday.

Don't they realize that a Sunday can be the busiest day of the week on that route? We can figure it out on forum and we don't even work for them.

 

---------- Post added 15-02-2016 at 09:03 ----------

 

If you look at the timetable at the Fox House stop it's mind bogglingly complicated! However, with 25 minutes to wait it should be possible to spot there are several buses to Sheffield, depending on the day of the week (and season) !

 

On a Sunday there's the 65 operated by TM (Hulley's provide a 65a midweek that doesn't go to Fox House), see; http://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com/timetables/sheffield/533.htm

 

TM's 215 serves Fox House - but not on Sundays

 

The 272 is operated by First, TM and Hulleys, although on Sundays it's mostly First, see: http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/polopoly_fs/1.310586!/file/272.pdf!

 

I work near Fox House at least one day a week and hear First's double-deckers grinding up the hill from Toads Mouth. I wouldn't be surprised if one had broken down and been replaced by the first bus available. That might explain the lateness and the single-decker.

 

Many years ago I can recall a bus route blind often saying DUPLICATE. That seems to have been replaced by "Sorry, not in service". Such is progress.

 

In passing I can't help mentioning that the Peak Park want to see fewer cars in the Peak District and wish to see more visitors coming by bus and train. I understand all car parks were rammed full today, with many cars parked in places that may soon acquire yellow lines to help better passage of moving vehicles.

 

Few years ago I was on a old double bus going uphill near fox house and it sounded like the engine exploded and the bus had to go out of service.

That time me and my dad were the only passengers and could laugh about it on a cold miserable weekday when they could have easily used a single bus that day.

 

I think the problem with this route is that its demand increases significantly on weekends and needs even more capacity on nicer days depending on the weather as well.

If these people who are responsible for running this route can't figure it out by now there is nothing wrong in asking the drivers to send them the message.

Edited February 15, 2016 by dutch

[Andy C 85]

I do agree that it is not the drivers fault. But if you let the driver know how you feel about it the driver can let the boss know how customers feel about it.

I was feeling relaxed and balanced even while waiting for the bus to come, because there are delays due to roadwork's in hathersage that was no problem to me.

 

But I could feel the anger rising from all these people and myself when it was clear they could not even bother to put a double bus on there yesterday.

Don't they realize that a Sunday can be the busiest day of the week on that route? We can figure it out on forum and we don't even work for them.

 

---------- Post added 15-02-2016 at 09:03 ----------

 

 

Few years ago I was on a old double bus going uphill near fox house and it sounded like the engine exploded and the bus had to go out of service.

That time me and my dad were the only passengers and could laugh about it on a cold miserable weekday when they could have easily used a single bus that day.

 

I think the problem with this route is that its demand increases significantly on weekends and needs even more capacity on nicer days depending on the weather as well.

If these people who are responsible for running this route can't figure it out by now there is nothing wrong in asking the drivers to send them the message.

 

The thing with the Peak District services the extra capacity is scheduled in for the summer timetable, things are cut back a little in winter.

 

It isn't simply a case of deciding on the day the weather is nice to take a different bus out. If you want to do that you have to decide which other route loses a double decker.

 

The other issue is that in a lot of cases all those extra passengers are on free passes and it isn't financially viable to put extra capacity in for those passengers - economically free passes have to fill existing capacity that would otherwise be empty or the local authority needs to pay for extra services.

 

Did you actually manage to get on the bus by the way? The capacity does include standing room. And how much did you pay for a ticket?

Edited February 15, 2016 by Andy C

[dutch 68]

The thing with the Peak District services the extra capacity is scheduled in for the summer timetable, things are cut back a little in winter.

 

It isn't simply a case of deciding on the day the weather is nice to take a different bus out. If you want to do that you have to decide which other route loses a double decker.

 

The other issue is that in a lot of cases all those extra passengers are on free passes and it isn't financially viable to put extra capacity in for those passengers - economically free passes have to fill existing capacity that would otherwise be empty or the local authority needs to pay for extra services.

 

Did you actually manage to get on the bus by the way? The capacity does include standing room. And how much did you pay for a ticket?

 

Yes we got on, one woman was carrying a baby but someone got up for her.

I cannot medically drive anymore and have always said kindly thank you to the drivers before and appreciated the service.

That route is extremely difficult to match its supply to the demand with anything from empty to rampacked buses depending on week/holiday/season/weather.

 

Maybe there should be more flexibility here arranging the schedule that understands that a computerized standard schedule does not work here financially.

These empty buses could be reduced depending on supply/demand and capacity could be increased when needed.

For example: Police does not put officers around every weekend. They match it to the games.

 

Maybe a light simple schedule with a buffer system for days like yesterday would work better here also? At least not use a single bus when it is busy and doubles when not needed.