Sheffield Bus Network Changes - September 2019

[Paul Worrall]

We were given to understand by First Buses that the new time table changes which came into force on 01.09.19 would improve the service.  This is not the case and the service is even worse than before - if that's possible! On Wednesday 18 September around 15:00 I noticed a 97 and 98 playing cat and mouse up Abbeydale Road. I then attempted to get the 16:01 97 at the Five Trees Drive stop towards town. Nothing actually arrived until 16:50, however at approximately 16:20 a bus came past heading to towards town with 'Sorry Not In Service' showing on the display.

This is a regular feature, the bus which is due at a specific time often displays not in service and drives empty down Abbeydal Road South, leaving passengers stranded.

 

When is this service going to improve? It's bad enough having to pay excessive charges for Sheffield buses without the added insult of an extremely poor service!

 

Wazzie Worrall

[Tomm06]

The great new is, if the relentless war on the personal motor vehicle gains enough traction, we will all be dealing with this

[burghley]

I've had this issue leaving Kilner Way on the 97 service on a regular basis.

Last time, the First website showed a bus was due, it never arrived, then had to wait an hour for the next one. When I asked the driver where the previous bus was, he pulled a face and sarcastically said 'Don't know. Not my problem.' 

When I lodged a complaint with First, I didn't get anything back other than the usual meek 'sorry for the disruption. We will check with our depot.' (standard response) 

 

Since the timetable change I have yet to see improvement. Been dealing with more no shows or services arriving 10 mins later than advertised isn't great service. So feel the pain. Something needs to be done about this. 

 

[bluecanary]

Same for the 95, sadly.  Was never the most reliable service but the new changes have achieved the unlikely outcome of making it worse!

 

I fear that many, myself included, will just end up using cars and taxis more as a result.

[Guest busdriver1]

3 hours ago, Paul Worrall said:

 

When is this service going to improve? It's bad enough having to pay excessive charges for Sheffield buses without the added insult of an extremely poor service!

 

Wazzie Worrall

If you really think the fares in Sheffield are extortionate you need to travel a bit more. They are some of the lowest in the country....

As for the reliability of the services, talk to the PTE and the council, They are the ones who control the traffic systems including the policing of vehicles parked in bus lanes on Abbeydale road on a regular basis but do nothing about it. No company can run a reliable bus service in a Town like Sheffield without the authorities stepping up and playing their part.

[Andy C]

the 97/98 timetable didn't actually change on 1st September, the reduced summer timetable just continued.

 

It is a route that suffers from a number of traffic congestion blackspots, there can be a lot of delays along Abbeydale Road and out towards the Northern General too. The growing issues of delays on Abbeydale Road is the reason TM Travel rerouted the 218 away from Abbeydale Road. Cars parked in the bus lane doesn't help things here either. 

 

The bus operators do take action to improve reliability in the face of regular traffic congestion by scheduling the journey time to be longer, however that  means the same number of buses cannot provide the same frequency of service.

 

Once the service is in a significant state of disruption from traffic delays, service reformation has to take place, which generally involves some buses going out of service and running empty non-stop to where the timetable requires the bus and driver to be which may be the other side of the City from where they actually physically are. You also need to take into account when running late the driver may be coming to the end of his shift or be hitting the maximum number of hours the law allows behind the wheel without a break.

 

The issues facing such buses are ones that bus companies cannot tackle alone, the council needs to be addressing traffic congestion, providing more bus priority measures and properly enforcing the ones we already have.

 

Public transport in Sheffield is not expensive, in fact in some respects it is unsustainably cheap. A weekly pass costs £2 per day for a single operator pass or about £2.47 a day for unlimited travel on any bus or tram in the City.

Edited September 19, 2019 by Andy C

[Retro Queen]

Just to say that putting in a complaint about the bus services does seem to get results.

 

As I was waiting for a bus this morning someone at the bus stop told me that the 32 bus was going to be stopped from going on Herries Road altogether but people were up in arms about it, especially people who live further up Shirecliffe and that is more or less their only bus.

 

It seems the NHS also put in a complaint on behalf of the older people who live round here and would be cut off without a bus service, so its back on again - only every hour and not a brilliant service but at least its back.

[Paul Worrall]

97/98 – The Comedy Continues!

It has already been reported the way that the 97/98 often play ‘cat and mouse’ up and down Abbeydale Rd rather than keeping to the prescribed timetable, this inefficiency often results in there being no buses either way for at least half an hour.

Today (20.09.19) First Buses excelled themselves on their comedy routine.

At 13:45 - Dore & Totley Station, there were x2 - 98’s playing ‘cat and mouse’ towards town.  Maybe one of these 98’s should have displayed ‘Sorry Not in Service’?

When are First Buses going to get their act together and honour their service/timetable commitments?

 

Wazzie Worrall

[Ms Macbeth]

What can I say about the 52a. This service supposedly replace the local s6 and more recently the 31 for journeys up Dykes Hall Road and onwards. Only First go further than Hillsborough corner now, Stagecoach have withdrawn that part of the service. 

 

I waited across from the Cathedral this afternoon, the display clearly showed a 52a due within minutes, as did my phone tracker. It never came.  Fortunately I can use my pass so caught the tram to Hillsborough Park. Anyone with just a First bus pass isn't so lucky.  I was able to complete my journey on the 61, an hourly service run by yet another company.  The cost of using different services impacts on younger people, the poor service on all travellers.  There are lots of older people who rely on a bus to travel from Hillsborough up to Far Lane and beyond, just to get up the hill.  It's no longer a local service, it has to get from Woodhouse to town, then through Broomhill and Crookes before Hillsborough.   

Edited September 22, 2019 by Ms Macbeth

[Resident]

20 minutes ago, Ms Macbeth said:

What can I say about the 52a. This service supposedly replace the local s6 and more recently the 31 for journeys up Dykes Hall Road and onwards. Only First go further than Hillsborough corner now, Stagecoach have withdrawn that part of the service. 

 

I waited across from the Cathedral this afternoon, the display clearly showed a 52a due within minutes, as did my phone tracker. It never came.  Fortunately I can use my pass so caught the tram to Hillsborough Park. Anyone with just a First bus pass isn't so lucky.  I was able to complete my journey on the 61, an hourly service run by yet another company.  The cost of using different services impacts on younger people, the poor service on all travellers.  There are lots of older people who rely on a bus to travel from Hillsborough up to Far Lane and beyond, just to get up the hill.  It's no longer a local service, it has to get from Woodhouse to town, then through Broomhill and Crookes before Hillsborough.   

You realise half the city was shut for a road race and the rest was heaving with students arriving thanks to the epic planning skills of Sheffield Council. 

 

Services were severely affected. 

On 20/09/2019 at 21:35, Paul Worrall said:

97/98 – The Comedy Continues!

 

It has already been reported the way that the 97/98 often play ‘cat and mouse’ up and down Abbeydale Rd rather than keeping to the prescribed timetable, this inefficiency often results in there being no buses either way for at least half an hour.

 

 

Today (20.09.19) First Buses excelled themselves on their comedy routine.

 

At 13:45 - Dore & Totley Station, there were x2 - 98’s playing ‘cat and mouse’ towards town.  Maybe one of these 98’s should have displayed ‘Sorry Not in Service’?

 

 

When are First Buses going to get their act together and honour their service/timetable commitments?

 

 

 

Wazzie Worrall

 

Usually when 2 run together it means one is delayed, usually due to traffic issues (which may have been from a previous route the late bus ran). 

 

If the bus runs out of service then the PTE won't pay it's tender.