The Plymouth Herald reports that the Liskeard depot and associated routes of Western Greyhound have been purchased by Go Ahead's Plymouth Citybus and will be rebranded as Go Cornwall Bus.
It remains to be seen what will happen to the rest of Western Greyhound.
Our Council Check series is taking a break for a couple of weeks. In the meantime you can catch up with the scores so far and read all previous reviews here.
Monday, 8 December 2014
Sunday, 7 December 2014
Council check: SESTran
This week's local authority is SESTran, which takes care of transport for several authorities in South-East Scotland, including Edinburgh. How do they promote the bus routes in their region?
Where do the buses go?
There's a regional public transport map, but it has a disclaimer stating that it doesn't include routes that are wholly within one council area. SESTran suggests trying the local councils for local routes, but they're under the impression that SESTran is taking care of everything. It then suggests Traveline Scotland, on which you can search for all routes serving a particular area, but it is rather clunky and awkward to use. 3 out of 5.
Timetables
Not provided. The best place for these is Traveline, which in Scotland is not as user-friendly as it is in the Midlands and South of England. 1 out of 5.
Fares
No information on single tickets or operators' own tickets. There is however a region-wide multi-operator and multi-modal ticket, the One-Ticket. No mention of Plusbus, which is available in Bathgate & Livingstone, Dunfermline, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Kirkcaldy and Linlithgow. 2 out of 5.
Summary
Not comprehensive and leaves you scrambling around several other websites in order to find complete information. Not really good enough for the transport portal of the region containing Scotland's capital. SESTran scores 6 out of 15.
Where do the buses go?
There's a regional public transport map, but it has a disclaimer stating that it doesn't include routes that are wholly within one council area. SESTran suggests trying the local councils for local routes, but they're under the impression that SESTran is taking care of everything. It then suggests Traveline Scotland, on which you can search for all routes serving a particular area, but it is rather clunky and awkward to use. 3 out of 5.
Timetables
Not provided. The best place for these is Traveline, which in Scotland is not as user-friendly as it is in the Midlands and South of England. 1 out of 5.
Fares
No information on single tickets or operators' own tickets. There is however a region-wide multi-operator and multi-modal ticket, the One-Ticket. No mention of Plusbus, which is available in Bathgate & Livingstone, Dunfermline, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Kirkcaldy and Linlithgow. 2 out of 5.
Summary
Not comprehensive and leaves you scrambling around several other websites in order to find complete information. Not really good enough for the transport portal of the region containing Scotland's capital. SESTran scores 6 out of 15.
Sunday, 30 November 2014
Council check: Cumbria County Council
Each Sunday, we take a look at a local authority's attempts to publicise the bus routes on its patch. This week, it's the turn of Cumbria County Council.
Where do the buses go?
A range of maps cover the whole county, including separate enlargements for the main towns. 5 out of 5.
Timetables
Bus timetables for all routes in the county are here. 5 out of 5.
Fares
Nothing about single fares, but this page gives details of the day tickets available. Unfortunately some of the information is out of date, such as the prices of Stagecoach Dayrider tickets. Plusbus, available in Barrow, Carlisle, Kendal, Whitehaven, Windermere and Workington, is mentioned. There is no multi-operator ticket, but then Stagecoach run all of the major routes anyway. 1 out of 5.
Summary
Cumbria is very geared up to welcome tourists. Maps give a good overview of which bus goes where and timetables are easy to find. A point has been deducted for the out-of-date prices given for Stagecoach tickets, but this is overall a good effort for one of the main tourist regions of the UK. Cumbria County Council scores 11 out of 15.
Where do the buses go?
A range of maps cover the whole county, including separate enlargements for the main towns. 5 out of 5.
Timetables
Bus timetables for all routes in the county are here. 5 out of 5.
Fares
Nothing about single fares, but this page gives details of the day tickets available. Unfortunately some of the information is out of date, such as the prices of Stagecoach Dayrider tickets. Plusbus, available in Barrow, Carlisle, Kendal, Whitehaven, Windermere and Workington, is mentioned. There is no multi-operator ticket, but then Stagecoach run all of the major routes anyway. 1 out of 5.
Summary
Cumbria is very geared up to welcome tourists. Maps give a good overview of which bus goes where and timetables are easy to find. A point has been deducted for the out-of-date prices given for Stagecoach tickets, but this is overall a good effort for one of the main tourist regions of the UK. Cumbria County Council scores 11 out of 15.
Sunday, 23 November 2014
Council check: Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
Each Sunday, we look at how one of our local transport authorities provides information on the buses running in its region. Today, it's the turn of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, better known as SPT.
Most people know they oversee public transport in Glasgow, but they cover a few neighbouring council areas too, not that their own website will tell you what their region actually is. According to Wikipedia, they cover the following council areas:
The Daytripper map shows the whole region:
Where do the buses go?
Don't ask SPT, they won't tell you. No maps of any description. Not even a list of routes. You can search by area for a list of routes over at Traveline Scotland, but that site is very clunky and SPT don't tell you about it anyway. 0 out of 5.
Timetables
There is a timetable section, but it only covers those routes that are subsidised by SPT. Most bus routes are commercial and SPT offers absolutely no help (other than a list of commercial operators) to potential passengers regarding those routes. Traveline does have timetables for all routes, but SPT don't tell you that, and it's rather difficult to use anyway. 1 out of 5.
Tickets
There is a region-wide multi-operator and multi-modal ticket, the Daytripper. But there is no information on single or return fares, nor on operators' own day tickets. No mention of Plusbus, which is available in Glasgow, Kilmarnock and Ayr. 1 out of 5.
Summary
So, you have no way to find out which bus goes where, let alone a comprehensive route map, no easy access to timetables for the majority of routes and next to no information on fares. The only thing SPT can seem to do right is promote the Daytripper ticket. For a region of huge interest to tourists from elsewhere in the UK and from abroad, this is a shockingly poor offering. SPT scores just 2 out of 15.
Most people know they oversee public transport in Glasgow, but they cover a few neighbouring council areas too, not that their own website will tell you what their region actually is. According to Wikipedia, they cover the following council areas:
- Argyll and Bute
- West Dunbartonshire
- East Dunbartonshire
- North Lanarkshire
- South Lanarkshire
- City of Glasgow
- South Ayrshire
- East Ayrshire
- North Ayrshire
- Inverclyde
- Renfrewshire
- East Renfrewshire
The Daytripper map shows the whole region:
Where do the buses go?
Don't ask SPT, they won't tell you. No maps of any description. Not even a list of routes. You can search by area for a list of routes over at Traveline Scotland, but that site is very clunky and SPT don't tell you about it anyway. 0 out of 5.
Timetables
There is a timetable section, but it only covers those routes that are subsidised by SPT. Most bus routes are commercial and SPT offers absolutely no help (other than a list of commercial operators) to potential passengers regarding those routes. Traveline does have timetables for all routes, but SPT don't tell you that, and it's rather difficult to use anyway. 1 out of 5.
Tickets
There is a region-wide multi-operator and multi-modal ticket, the Daytripper. But there is no information on single or return fares, nor on operators' own day tickets. No mention of Plusbus, which is available in Glasgow, Kilmarnock and Ayr. 1 out of 5.
Summary
So, you have no way to find out which bus goes where, let alone a comprehensive route map, no easy access to timetables for the majority of routes and next to no information on fares. The only thing SPT can seem to do right is promote the Daytripper ticket. For a region of huge interest to tourists from elsewhere in the UK and from abroad, this is a shockingly poor offering. SPT scores just 2 out of 15.
Sunday, 16 November 2014
Council check: Durham County Council
This week, we judge how well Durham County Council promotes the buses on its patch.
Where do the buses go?
A series of semi-interactive maps cover the whole county. Town and city centre enlargements are included. 5 out of 5.
Timetables
Click on a route number within the maps and a link to the pdf timetable pops up on screen. 5 out of 5.
Fares
Durham's advice is to check with the bus operator, which isn't really good enough when they could have told us about the Explorer North East multi-operator ticket. Nothing about operators' own tickets, nor about Plusbus, which is available in Durham. 0 out of 5.
Summary
Good maps with integrated timetable information, totally let down by the lack of information on tickets, even though a regionwide multi-operator ticket does exist. Durham County Council scores a total of 10 out of 15.
Where do the buses go?
A series of semi-interactive maps cover the whole county. Town and city centre enlargements are included. 5 out of 5.
Timetables
Click on a route number within the maps and a link to the pdf timetable pops up on screen. 5 out of 5.
Fares
Durham's advice is to check with the bus operator, which isn't really good enough when they could have told us about the Explorer North East multi-operator ticket. Nothing about operators' own tickets, nor about Plusbus, which is available in Durham. 0 out of 5.
Summary
Good maps with integrated timetable information, totally let down by the lack of information on tickets, even though a regionwide multi-operator ticket does exist. Durham County Council scores a total of 10 out of 15.
Tuesday, 11 November 2014
Court backs wheelchair priority / Pensioners' passes causing cuts
A wheelchair user in Wetherby wanted to travel by bus, but couldn't because a mother with a pushchair would not vacate the wheelchair space. The bus driver only requested for her to move and she refused, so the wheelchair user couldn't travel. Today a judge at Leeds County Court has ruled that situation in breach of the Equality Act 2010 and First have had to pay damages to the man who couldn't travel. Full story at the Guardian.
More bus cuts are on the way due to council funding cuts in Hampshire, Derbyshire and elsewhere. One letter-writer to the Derbyshire Times blames pensioners' passes for making so many routes unviable, a point that this blog has made before.
More bus cuts are on the way due to council funding cuts in Hampshire, Derbyshire and elsewhere. One letter-writer to the Derbyshire Times blames pensioners' passes for making so many routes unviable, a point that this blog has made before.
Sunday, 9 November 2014
Council check: East Sussex County Council
Each Sunday, we look at the bus-promoting activities of a local transport authority. Today, it's the turn of East Sussex County Council.
Where do the buses go?
This interactive map shows all bus routes in the county. There are also enlarged maps of the major towns. 5 out of 5.
Timetables
There are links to timetables from the interactive map and also on Traveline. 4 out of 5.
Fares
Details of some day tickets, including the multi-operator Discovery ticket are here. It is not exhaustive however, missing out some of the single-operator local day tickets. Plusbus, available in Lewes, Eastbourne, Hastings and Rye, is mentioned. 3 out of 5.
Summary
Excellent maps, timetables linked to on third-party sites, but not enough information on fares. East Sussex County Council scores a total of 12 out of 15.
Where do the buses go?
This interactive map shows all bus routes in the county. There are also enlarged maps of the major towns. 5 out of 5.
Timetables
There are links to timetables from the interactive map and also on Traveline. 4 out of 5.
Fares
Details of some day tickets, including the multi-operator Discovery ticket are here. It is not exhaustive however, missing out some of the single-operator local day tickets. Plusbus, available in Lewes, Eastbourne, Hastings and Rye, is mentioned. 3 out of 5.
Summary
Excellent maps, timetables linked to on third-party sites, but not enough information on fares. East Sussex County Council scores a total of 12 out of 15.
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