Bus contract could possibly go

[downfader]

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/8620487.Passenger_fury_over_shake_up_on_Hampshire_buses/

Been a bit of hoohah down here in Southampton. Twice in a year First have raised prices and cut services and it seems from speaking to people down here that they are not happy with it. Last time I was on a bus (about 3 months back after doing some shopping) I overheard other passengers grumble. The thing was REALLY late, and REALLY packed, but the only one you could take unless you fancied a long walk in the rain.

I overheard someone say they worked for Bluestar (a local rival to First) and a load of people started asking why they didnt run this particular route (10 and 10a) so the guy starts giving details of who to write to, LOL! Talk about drumming up business.

The above article is only a snippet of what I hear locally. I know so many people who rely on First and their services and I just think they've shot themselves in the foot. Loads of unrealistic ticket prices (cheaper by car, even with parking etc factored in), never any time tables on their stops, add in the many arguments and problems they seem to create for their drivers and management - strikes seem so common now. Friends who relied on buses now car-pool, or walk. One workmate got on, asked for a stop 3-4 stops down and less than a mile (knackered after work).. was told "thats £2.15 luv!" She got off and said she'd rather walk.

I just feel this is a shame, I love the buses here. If customers desert them as I think they have been it could be the end of those services. Makes you wonder if the privatisation has worked? I've had family working for them and they have left too, citing an unreasonableness on the companies part.

What are the buses like around your way? Are they a good service and a good price?

 

[summerdays]

Mostly its complete domination by First Bus. AFAIK the council have just put out to tender some of their subsidized routes which First currently run. The bus are OK if you allow a reasonable amount of time and want to travel into the city, but if you want to go around the city then they are a waste of time. They have a day ticket that allows you to hop on and off the bus ... and I think that costs about £3.70? ish. But I don't get it often enough to be able to tell you the price. A return normally costs me almost the same so I usually buy that one for the convenience of using it multiple times.

We also have a few showcase routes which are really nice because I end up with a lovely wide cycle lane

 

[marinyork]

Briefly, it's a very similar situation here except we may have lost patience with First a number of years earlier than you did. Bus prices are a complete rip off for normal tickets. There are a few concessions they've made but on the whole it's all terrible. In January I expect the fare rises to be particularly bad. It's already £4.30 for a day ticket. Could there be a £5 day ticket come January? Scary stuff. Weekly tickets are £17.50. In January will they stave off huge rises and be £18 or £18.50 or will it be £20?

 

[the_mikey]

Something similar is happening in Bristol, the cost of getting onto a bus here is frightening, I'd rather not go than pay the £4.50 or more it costs to get into Bristol by bus. Bristol city council is putting a few of it's subsidised routes out to tender with suggestions that the first bus prices are far too high.

 

[downfader]

Thanks for the replies.

I think the monthly ticket is near £50 down here. I think a day one is close to a fiver. One of the managers down here was fussing about prices being so high because the elderly get to travel for free, but I was told by our council that its paid for by them, not First.

I know they're a business and have to make money but its a bit daft.

 

[Bigsharn]

Being in the trade, I can tell you that FirstGroup are (generally speaking) grumpy, ignorant and extortionate when it comes to pricing (as well as being complete arses about the littlest of things).

Just an example, FirstYork ran a service from the station to the University, this summer it was £3.50 return... Another company came in with a nicer service (drivers and managerial staff are helpful and courteous, and mostly well-humoured) because First wouldn't extend their service to another part of the campus, even with subsidaries offered.

Now, First have their fares dropped to £2 return (to match the price of the Unibus service), stopped taking the Unibus' staff passes and started running to the new campus.

</rant at First>

 

[marinyork]

Thanks for the replies.

I think the monthly ticket is near £50 down here. I think a day one is close to a fiver. One of the managers down here was fussing about prices being so high because the elderly get to travel for free, but I was told by our council that its paid for by them, not First.

I know they're a business and have to make money but its a bit daft.

The council do indeed 'reimburse' the operator. Guidance is they do so on the 'average fare foregone'. There was even a row in Scotland iirc when the operator went nuts and decided to use a totally different set of data to many other places. There are endless rows about money shortfalls at the council. Also there are many minor variations on how LAs run the scheme.

 

[downfader]

Being in the trade, I can tell you that FirstGroup are (generally speaking) grumpy, ignorant and extortionate when it comes to pricing (as well as being complete arses about the littlest of things).

Just an example, FirstYork ran a service from the station to the University, this summer it was £3.50 return... Another company came in with a nicer service (drivers and managerial staff are helpful and courteous, and mostly well-humoured) because First wouldn't extend their service to another part of the campus, even with subsidaries offered.

Now, First have their fares dropped to £2 return (to match the price of the Unibus service), stopped taking the Unibus' staff passes and started running to the new campus.

</rant at First>

First used to do the Unilink here but progresively it got worse. Many staff members at the hospital needed the service, as did the medical students, to get to the Uni for lectures, research and meetings. I did hear that buses wouldnt turn up and that the fare was expensive on that route too.

They lost the contract for the Unilink in 2009 I think and Bluestar have been doing it ever since.

 

[Bigsharn]

That's not a surprise in honesty...

Come to think of it, I better request a name change before someone traces back to my real name and I get a Firstbus crashing into the front of my house "accidentally"