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Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
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Thursday, June 7th, 2012
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via email
Monday, May 21st, 2012
I would like to highlight to you that despite the recent cuts to many of First Glasgow being blamed on BSOG and Concession card grant cuts the folllowing. JMB Travel Ltd commenced operating a new service 56, Shotts to Hamilton on 9th December 2011 operating every 30 mins. First have ran a 15 min frequency on this route from they began it. First Glasgow responded to this competition by re-timetabling buses with a frequency of up to every 6 mins from Shotts with a bus 4 mins in front of JMB and 2 mins behind. Shotts is only a small village and does not require that amount of buses. I think it is terrible that First are allowed to take predatory action on small local operators and when they’re gone the fares go up and frequencies down!! So Shotts, a small tiny mining village in Lanarkshire has a higher frequency bus service than many parts of the City!!!!!
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SPT responds regarding 317 bus
Friday, May 18th, 2012
We have started sending specific issues with buses to the relevant provider for response. Andrew Jones contacted the website with a gripe about e 317. You can see his post here
Patrick sent it on to SPT who have a remit for taking over ‘socially necessary’ routes that are dropped by the commercial operators. The response shows that socially necessary bus services are chronically underfunded, especially at a time when commercial bus companies are dropping routes left, right and centre. It also raises the question of our regulatory framework which is, undoubtedly, not serving passengers.
“Dear Mr Harvie
The operation of service 317 is subsidised by SPT after 1800 on Monday to Saturday and all day on Sundays. You may be aware that SPT has very limited funding for the provision of socially necessary local bus services. Accordingly, we seek to operate as much as we can in the most cost effective way and a one bus 90 minute timetable is the best that can be afforded during those times of day to maintain a bus service along this line of route.
However, the operation during Monday to Saturday daytime hours is completely unsubsidised. SPT has no powers to control or specify the routes and timetables of commercially operated bus services. I would note that well over 90% of all bus services are provided in this way. SPT has no funding available to enhance service levels where a bus route is continuing to be operated. SPT’s budget is therefore targeted towards areas and communities which would not receive a bus service at all were it not for the provision of a subsidised service and this budget is fully committed for the 2012/2013 financial year.
Service 317 was provided on a commercial basis by McKindless. After that operator ceased trading, the full service was subsidised by SPT. Stuart’s Coaches then offered to operate the Monday to Saturday daytime service on a commercial, unsubsidised basis. With bus industry costs rising and issues surround other sources of funding, such as the cap on Scottish Government funding for the national concession card free travel scheme, bus operators are constantly seeking ways of reducing their costs of operation.
In summary, I would note that whilst the service level reduction being brought in on this commercial bus service is regrettable, SPT is unable to fund or indeed justify funding a restoration of the hourly timetable on this route.
I hope that these notes explain the situation for you.
Yours sincerely
Network Planning Team Leader
Consort House, 12 West George Street, Glasgow, G2 1HN “
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Update on 31 Bus
Friday, May 4th, 2012
I wrote to First and to SPT at the beginning of March about concerns that the servie would be cut. Here are the letters that I got back from them both. First Bus letter – Ronnie Park
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Shadow Cyclist Vs The Bus
Friday, April 27th, 2012
One of our Twitter followers @Southsidepaddy sent us this excellent link to a training video for Lothian Buses. Utterly compellng viewing and I hope FirstBus have a similar training video for Glasgow.
I don’t know whether it is the music, or the dramatic tension of ’will the cyclist survive?’ that makes it so watchable!
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via email
Monday, April 23rd, 2012
I really feel that FirstGlasgow are doing all they can to hide the existence of FirstCard. There’s nothing about it on the website and there is no way of knowing which shops stock it, which means a confusing trawl around local shops at the weekend. I resorted to Twitter and some people were very helpful, but it’s a bit of a joke that they don’t list stockists on the web.
What you can find out loads about on the web however is the much pricier Firstweek tickets (which can be at least £20 dearer than a Firstcard for the monthly one!) with a paypoint locator to tell you which shops stock it.
I can’t afford £50 for a monthly bus ticket and it seems a bit sinister to me!
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Bus price hikes are top concern of Glasgow travellers
Monday, April 2nd, 2012
A survey of bus users in Glasgow reveals almost 90 per cent don’t feel involved when changes are made to their service.
The finding comes as First Group hike fares this week by a massive 50 per cent for child all day tickets and 28 per cent for singles. Later this month a severe reduction in services will cut off many neighbourhoods in the city.
The survey is part of the Better Buses campaign launched last week by Patrick Harvie, the Green MSP for Glasgow.
So far almost 100 bus users have completed the survey at www.betterbuses.org. Dozens of comments have also been received on Twitter at @betterbuses.
Mr Harvie said:
“The initial results of the Better Buses survey back up what many constituents have told me in recent months – there is no attempt to consult them before services are cut or fares are jacked up.
“Private operators have a track record of behaving like the buses are their personal enterprise when in fact they are a vital public service.
“I look forward to receiving more comments via the Better Buses website and on Twitter so I can help the bus users of Glasgow build a case for better regulation, better services and better prices.”
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BetterBuses are working with Fixmytransport.com
Thursday, March 29th, 2012
We are now on Fixmytransport.com. BetterBuses has signed up to the site and will be adding comments to issues concerning bus transport in Glasgow. We’ll be encouraging Glasgow’s bus users to get in touch with us and record issues for our Big Plan for Better Buses and campaign.
If you haven’t come across Fixmytransport.org before, it is a website you can use this site to contact any transport operator in the UK – they send your message direct to their Customer Services department and put it online, too. Others can read about the problems, and offer support and advice.
http://www.fixmytransport.com/profiles/better-buses
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