I won't comment on the competency of the Winkler report as I haven't read it, though TheGrandWazoo obviously has and he was scathing about it's professionalism.
what I will say is that it does appear to have been a box ticking exercise... the report seems to conclude that everything that's being done is right and perfect
why is a compromise neccessary? and how can a compromise be acceptable?
you quote a figure of 56% preferring a low floor bus over 34% preferring a coach... but they are meaningless figures... how many of those passengers were travelling long distance (ie over 90 mins) how many were travelling end to end? how many were just travelling to the nearest town from a village?
Some good points there, in particular:
- The Winckler report appears to have been a box ticking exercise, set up to conclude that everything that's being done is right and perfect and
- your question of how many of those passengers were travelling long distance
I do wonder whether the breif for the report said it has to back WAG up. What raises this suspicion for me is the recomendations that WAG should be pressing ahead with the T5 service and retaining the T9 as part of the network, despite these being in direct contradiction of other findings in the report. Namely, the T9 is 10 miles shorter than the suggested minimum for TrawsCymru and the T5's detour via Fishguard would make Aberystwyth-Cardigan via New Quay almost look like a direct route!
As for the second point, I think it has been stated in the past (probably the documentation that went with the TrawsCambria consultation where that 56% figure came from) that the majority of Traws passengers are making shorter hops rather than traveling the full route. However, it sounds like this was expected:
Winckler Review said:
There is no up to date evidence on passenger demand for express services, although it was concluded in 2003 that demand would not be sufficient to warrant non-stop services.
That probably is another basis for the decision to use low-floor buses*, the majority of passengers are making shorter trips so the vehicles are designed to cater for the majority while making what improvements they can (eg. better seats and legroom) for the minority who travel longer distances. I think that 2003 study (assuming that's what it was) is probably also the reason why a compromise is neccessary, the demand for long-distance travel** isn't high enough to warrant providing both a long-distance service and socially necessary local buses.
* although accessibility for disabled passengers seems to be the main one thrown about by the review and WAG.
** at least that which can be captured by road-based public transport
One of the main criticisms levelled at the 20 run by arriva was the frequent use of ordinary buses (with coach style interiors) when the coaches were unavailable for any reason
Coach style interiors? The ordinary buses I saw on the 20 a couple of times looked to be the same CymruExpress Pulsars meant for the 40/40c and 50 services, and those just had normal bus interiors.
A hard fact about commercial operation.... unless you provide the service people want then it won't be a money spinner... if the 701 is a money spinner then the operator must be doing something right!... in fact judging by the loadings now compared to this time last year I predict that the 701 will need a further journey added to cope with the summer peak demand...
There's two journeys at the moment aren't there? Even with three trips at peak summer demand, it's nowhere near the hourly service on the 40/40c. Sure, the operator's doing something right, but a handful of commertial trips per day is not enough to provide a comprehensive public transport service that can be a real alternative to the car. Take Sundays, when apart from the rail link and the 701 I don't think there is any public transport in Ceredigion. Rather useless unless you happen to be traveling on the right route at the right times.
the common fare structure was abandoned and the price of multi-operator tickets increased. So economic necessity rather than free choice meant people had to stick to one mode or another.
That sounds similar to the problem with the commertial Arriva CymruExpress services, except the mode was still bus and there was no choice (unless you got one of the few Richards Bros services) so everyone who didn't have a free pass had to pay twice*** if they were making a journey which involved different operators.
*** Or buy an expensive West Wales Rover
There was also a public "consultation in Aberystwyth bus station last weekend for 3 hours... the point of the exercise was to get public feedback on the services provided... with specific reference to 40/40c X50 and T2... this was AFTER the tender documents for 40/40c had been released.
it really does make me wonder whether WAG and local authorities are interested in providing the services our community needs or whether, as the evidence suggests they are trying to impose a network that they deem suitable with no reference to anyone...
Well, as stated above the Winckler review looks like it might have been specified to impose WAG's existing views. In fairness though some bus users' surgeries were run in the area a few weeks earlier, with the same aim of gathering feedback on X50, 40/40c etc.
I wonder does the WAG have shares in Optare? they do seem to have a fixation with Tempos... surely if they want the best compromise vehicle they would be better off choosing something more heavyweight such as Scania or Volvo... not a lightly constructed vehicle such as the Tempo?
I thought Optare refered to the Tempo as "heavy-duty"? Perhaps it is the TrawsCymru network manager who has shares in Optare. I think it was him who asked at the surgery in Cardigan whether they needed a full-size bus or could get away with something like a Versa on the X50.
I've said it before and I will say it again... leave the running of bus services to the professionals who know where the custom is, or is likely to be.
So what would a TrawsCymru network designed by the professionals look like? It might be easier to understand what is wrong with WAG's plans if I knew what the alternative was.
I really am surprised that Bryan's Coaches haven't mounted a legal challenge to the fact that there are subsidised journeys operating in direct competition with their commercial operation... something which is deemed illegal in the 1985 Transport Act... surely there can be no operational problem with the timetable for 40/ 40c being retarded by 5 mins so that the 701 is given first pickings of the passengers... which after all is required by law...
or how about approaching the operator and offering a de minimis payment for the affected journeys to encourage them to integrate their service with the tendered service... thus saving the councils money by not providing a duplicate service at those times?
I think I've pointed this out before, but if you leave an hour gap in the 40/40c in one direction to allow for the 701 there may be a 2hr gap in services in the other direction later on. That's because the 701 doesn't turn round and head back at once on reaching Carmarthen or Aberystwyth. The 40/40c vehicle would then not be in the right place to fill the gap.
my opinion of the 701 is slightly biased on account of the lecture the driver elected to give to each of us boarding at Aberystwyth last time I used the service about how we really should have telephoned the day before to let them know we were travelling, which struck me as odd for a supposedly "hop-on" service.
Since they are using coaches, I assume with no standing allowed, on a "hop-on" service, I don't think it is at all supprising that reversations are advised.
Stagecoach have announced the closure of Brynmawr depot due to the cut in concessionary fares re-imbursement...
WAG are providing funding to improve the rail service between Aber and Shrewsbury and on the Heart of Wales line.
How comes WAG can find funds to for a service which it has no statutory duty to provide but cannot (or will not?) find the money to properly fund concessionary fares re-imbursement or socially neccessary bus services... both of which it DOES have a statutory duty to provide?
Can't disagree with that. Could it be that railways are more emotive (and have more votes attached to them??) Surely not
Sad to hear about Brynmawr depot going. Remember when there were depots at Crosskeys, Abergavenny and Tredegar in that part of the world. Can only surmise that the X4 will be Merthyr and the other routes from Blackwood?
It is certainly disappointing that Stagecoach have decided to close the depot. I was hoping they (or one of the other big operators) would mount a legal challange against the WAG's cuts to concessionary fares re-imbursement.