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Bus "full"

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Bikeman78

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I took the children for a bus ride into town today. The single deckers have a reduced capacity of 17. We were the last people allowed on, the bus ran set down only for the rest of the journey. This will do them no favours, turning people away when the bus is at a third of normal capacity. I'm not sure why they bother. People can happily pack onto trains so what's the difference?

Normally routes 44/45 and 49/50 have several double deckers but today there were none. I always check the app before setting off and aim for a decker to avoid being left behind. I've no idea where they all were today. I found one on the 30 to Newport on the journey home but that's a booked working.
 
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daodao

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I took the children for a bus ride into town today. The single deckers have a reduced capacity of 17. We were the last people allowed on, the bus ran set down only for the rest of the journey. This will do them no favours, turning people away when the bus is at a third of normal capacity. I'm not sure why they bother. People can happily pack onto trains so what's the difference?

Normally routes 44/45 and 49/50 have several double deckers but today there were none. I always check the app before setting off and aim for a decker to avoid being left behind. I've no idea where they all were today. I found one on the 30 to Newport on the journey home but that's a booked working.
Cardiff Bus currently only have 22 DD buses; they used to be almost exclusively DD (with just a few SD buses for circular routes 1 and 2 that went under low bridges), but about 20 years ago they changed that policy. By 2005 (when I left Cardiff), the only route for which DD buses were particularly assigned (on weekdays) was joint route 30 (as Newport Transport invariably used DD buses on this route).
 

Class 33

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Additionally, I've even seen some instances in Bristol when the "Sorry Bus Full" is on the destination display when there's still plenty of seats available to accommodate this social distancing nonsense. For instance double deckers, when there's only been about 4 people downstairs and about 3 people upstairs! Ridiculous!

We should be in the closing weeks of all this (anti-)social distancing nonsense now anyway. Just over 8 weeks to go and it should all be over!
 

Darandio

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Additionally, I've even seen some instances in Bristol when the "Sorry Bus Full" is on the destination display when there's still plenty of seats available to accommodate this social distancing nonsense. For instance double deckers, when there's only been about 4 people downstairs and about 3 people upstairs! Ridiculous!

Saw that here plenty of times in the early days of this nonsense. There was even a case where a bus with the message stopped at the hospital and let someone get off only for the driver to stop an old dear from boarding by pointing up to the destination display and say the bus was full.
 

Gloster

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I can understand the theory behind it, but - as one expects - the practice is erratically applied. The only time I have actually been affected by it was at schools’ going-home time when a fairly full bus came in, one person got off, the driver indicated that I could get on and, as I stepped forward, I was shoved aside by a woman who had just arrived at the stop. The driver did let me on after her.

But then we have a shop where the member of staff who mans the door insists that, even if you are the only customer in the shop, you must always walk in the direction of the arrows in the aisles. Even if it means that you are doing a solitary trip around the shelves. This chap loves the little power he has.
 

duncanp

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But then we have a shop where the member of staff who mans the door insists that, even if you are the only customer in the shop, you must always walk in the direction of the arrows in the aisles. Even if it means that you are doing a solitary trip around the shelves. This chap loves the little power he has.

Oh dear, the lunatics have really taken over the asylum.

Or perhaps as you say, there are a lot of tin pot little Hitlers around who enjoy ordering other people about to try and make themselves look big, and us, who are the customers who pay their salaries, small.

When this is all over, those tin pot little Hitlers ought to remember the but I have underlined above.
 

lxfe_mxtterz

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Already posted some of this in a separate thread, but I feel it belongs here too:

I commute using the same route about four times a week, and throughout the pandemic my outbound morning service has constantly driven past me displaying "Bus Full" (current record is three full buses in a row <(). There were a few times I just gave up and decided to leave the house an hour and a half earlier to get the slow bus to a stop close enough and walk the remaining 20 minutes from there!

The ironic thing is that on Sundays and bank holidays - when hardly anybody uses the route - they love to put on high-specification Enviro 400 MMCs. On a regular day, what do we get? Enviro 200s and Optare Solo SRs!

I don't ask for a big, fancy Enviro 400 MMC every day, but you'd think they'd at least put some larger buses on (ALX 400s have turned up on weekends sometimes) or at least increase the frequency - as more often than not, it's not just me left stranded at the bus stop, it's three or four other people as well!

Edit: May I also add that the frequency has actually decreased ever since COVID-19 became a thing - and look what we're stuck with? A gamble of whether you're going to get in on time or not...
 

Bikeman78

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Cardiff Bus currently only have 22 DD buses; they used to be almost exclusively DD (with just a few SD buses for circular routes 1 and 2 that went under low bridges), but about 20 years ago they changed that policy. By 2005 (when I left Cardiff), the only route for which DD buses were particularly assigned (on weekdays) was joint route 30 (as Newport Transport invariably used DD buses on this route).
In the early to mid 2000s the only deckers they had were approx 20 Volvo Ailsas. Completely indestructible but not low floor so generally only schools and rush hour trips. They did two round trips to Barry on the 96 which were good fun. 2007 was an Indian summer for them. The diagrams had been rewritten for the new Scanias that arrived late so the Ailsas clattered around all day to St Mellons, Llanrumney and Pontprennau.

In the current timetable, the Saturday timetable to St Mellons requires 10 vehicles. Normally several of them are deckers so why they would reduce that to zero on the first Saturday when the shops are open is anyone's guess. I'm sure there is some strange logic behind it somewhere.
 

RomeoCharlie71

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I do think the enforcement of social distancing ought to be dropped on buses particularly as summer approaches. If someone thinks a bus is too full they can wait on the next one. There are suitable mitigations in place - ventilation, extra cleaning and (dare I say) face coverings.

On Stagecoach in my neck of the woods you get 11 on a minibus, 17 on a midi-bus, 19 on a single decker and 32 on a double decker. All "advisory" - some drivers enforce it more rigorously than others. The Traveline Scotland app tells you how many seats are left free (unlike the Stagecoach app).

The ironic thing is that on Sundays and bank holidays - when hardly anybody uses the route - they love to put on high-specification Enviro 400 MMCs. On a regular day, what do we get? Enviro 200s and Optare Solo SRs!
You will probably find deckers operating dedicated school services instead. The E400MMCs will be used on Sunday as they are the newest buses (cheapest to run) and (should be) less prone to requiring engineering attention when there are less staff on duty.
 

Ianno87

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The capacity limits need to get ditched, especially now that reliability starts to dip as road traffic increases again. The last thing anybody wants is waiting for a late bus, and the not even being able to board that when it comes.
 

scotrail158713

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I'm glad that any of the buses around me seem to have avoided this practice. It's down to my own judgement whether or not I'd feel safe getting on a bus, not the company's.
 

Butts

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I'm glad that any of the buses around me seem to have avoided this practice. It's down to my own judgement whether or not I'd feel safe getting on a bus, not the company's.

First had alternate seats "out of use" with accompanying "wrap arounds" when I got a service from Edinburgh to Falkirk recently.
 

Class 33

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The capacity limits need to get ditched, especially now that reliability starts to dip as road traffic increases again. The last thing anybody wants is waiting for a late bus, and the not even being able to board that when it comes.

Yes it really needs to get ditched. It's one thing when you're in a city and unable to board a bus and you may just have to wait anything between a few minutes to about 15 minutes for the next bus, but it's another thing if it's the last bus of the night or in a very rural location when the next bus isn't for another hour or two!(and then that service might have also reached it's severely reduced capacity by the time it gets to your stop!). It's absolutely ridiculous. Needs to be ditched now.
 
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Kite159

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Yes it really needs to get ditched. It's one thing when you're in a city and unable to board a bus and you may just have to wait anything between a few minutes to about 15 minutes for the next bus, but it's another thing if it's the last bus of the night or in a very rural location when the next bus isn't for another hour or two!(and then that service might have also reached it's severely reduced capacity by the time it gets to your stop!). It's absolutely ridiculous. Needs to be ditched now.

Agreed

Otherwise that passenger in the location where the buses are only hourly will change their habits to avoid the gamble of the bus arriving with space on board.
 

Merseysider

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This.

It’s complete nonsense - there’s no need for social distancing with masks & open windows providing nobody’s coughing all over the place.

I work in a school, and all too often at the end of the day, buses will claim they’re “full” with about 10 people on board just to avoid making the school pickup.

I’ve actually sacked off the bus for my commute the last 2 weeks of work for this very reason - Uber one way and walking (1 hour) the other - much more reliable!
 

duncanp

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This.

It’s complete nonsense - there’s no need for social distancing with masks & open windows providing nobody’s coughing all over the place.

I work in a school, and all too often at the end of the day, buses will claim they’re “full” with about 10 people on board just to avoid making the school pickup.

I’ve actually sacked off the bus for my commute the last 2 weeks of work for this very reason - Uber one way and walking (1 hour) the other - much more reliable!

This is nothing new.

When I was at school in the 1970s ( a.k.a The Stone Age :D )buses would often sail past the stop nearest to my school in order to avoid picking up all the rowdy little oiks.

This was in London, and in those days bus passes for senior citizens and disabled people weren't valid between 4pm and 7pm. So there was a mini rush hour between 3:30 and 4:00 with kids coming out of school and OAPs trying to get home before the deadline. Inevitably the bus would appear at 4:01 after having waited 25 minutes, with lots of arguments ensuing about whether the OAPs should have to pay.

Now living in the West Midlands, I have only been left behind at the bus stop once recently due to the Bus Full sign being in operation. Most of the the time the bus drivers either apply common sense or can't be bothered because it is, understandably, too much hassle for them.
 

VauxhallandI

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This.

It’s complete nonsense - there’s no need for social distancing with masks & open windows providing nobody’s coughing all over the place.

I work in a school, and all too often at the end of the day, buses will claim they’re “full” with about 10 people on board just to avoid making the school pickup.

I’ve actually sacked off the bus for my commute the last 2 weeks of work for this very reason - Uber one way and walking (1 hour) the other - much more reliable!
I’m no fan of either but masks do not replace social distancing if you want to follow the governments science. In fact that is a perfect example how these little rags have taken on super powers
 

Eyersey468

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Yes it really needs to get ditched. It's one thing when you're in a city and unable to board a bus and you may just have to wait anything between a few minutes to about 15 minutes for the next bus, but it's another thing if it's the last bus of the night or in a very rural location when the next bus isn't for another hour or two!(and then that service might have also reached it's severely reduced capacity by the time it gets to your stop!). It's absolutely ridiculous. Needs to be ditched now.
I agree it needs to go ASAP. We have always been told the limits are guidelines and not a hard and fast rule so we have some discretion, we have also been to not to leave anyone vulnerable or if its the last bus of the night. Our management seems to be working on it being dropped in June.
To be honest I hold off putting the bus full sign up for as long as I can, though there has been a few times I have had nearly 60 on a double decker so have had no choice
 

Gloster

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I haven’t seen much on the Isle of Wight, but yesterday a driver allowed four students to get on, and then refused the fifth and last, who had to go back and wait twenty minutes for the next bus. The bus was moderately full, a bit over half the available seats (the six that are marked out of use excluded) downstairs were in use. It was a fairly young driver, who may still have the school mindset of keeping to the rules.
 
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Darandio

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Took only my second bus trip today since everything all started as I try to avoid them like the plague but I had no choice. No issues with the bus being full but it was still absolutely terrible, there were 28 Covid related stickers or notices on the windows along with huge markers on the floor and two hideous taped off areas at the front. That was without the four big cartoon heads wearing masks staring down at you from the overhead advertising space.

For what was already worth avoiding due to being an expensive service this is way over the top and thoroughly off putting.
 

johncrossley

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If trains don't have capacity restrictions then it makes no sense for buses to have them. Especially given that trains mostly don't have opening windows. Also, as far as I can tell, buses in neighbouring countries allow all seats on the bus to be used.
 

Jamiescott1

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If trains don't have capacity restrictions then it makes no sense for buses to have them. Especially given that trains mostly don't have opening windows. Also, as far as I can tell, buses in neighbouring countries allow all seats on the bus to be used.
I was in France last summer and the bus was full and standing (probably over the capacity for the bus)
 

gray1404

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*Mod note* Some posts have been copied across from a duplicate thread in the Buses & Coaches section of the forum

As anyone noticed buses becoming classed as "full" and unable to pick up more passengers post lockdown? Although areas of the economy are being reopened and "stay at home" orders no longer the place, I am concerned this is causing problems on local buses as they are still only carrying fewer passengers then normal. COVID-19 maximum capacity. During the lockdown I never had any problems boarding but this past week I have been on a couple of buses that have become full en-route and unable to pick up passengers.

The journeys I have noticed this on is the Arriva 47 Southport to Liverpool. I shall shortly be making a journey on the Stagecoach X5 Milton Keynes to Oxford and Thames Travel X39/X40. Given the X5 is still only hourly I hope passenger numbers are not rendering the service full.
 
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goldisgood

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Living around Oxford and being out in the last few weeks I have only seen one full bus, (a single decker on the 280) - most services should be double decker on the X39 and X40 which you mention, and should have plenty of space being back to pre-pandemic frequency (they were never particularly busy back then, so can't imagine them posing too much of an issue at the moment). I can't say too much on the X5 unfortunately, but as you mention it is only hourly and I'd hope that this is due to the passenger levels, and that it will return to half-hourly when required.
 

Bletchleyite

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Living around Oxford and being out in the last few weeks I have only seen one full bus, (a single decker on the 280) - most services should be double decker on the X39 and X40 which you mention, and should have plenty of space being back to pre-pandemic frequency (they were never particularly busy back then, so can't imagine them posing too much of an issue at the moment). I can't say too much on the X5 unfortunately, but as you mention it is only hourly and I'd hope that this is due to the passenger levels, and that it will return to half-hourly when required.

I used the X5 from MK to Oxford on Monday, and the largest number on board was I think 4.
 

gray1404

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I used the X5 from MK to Oxford on Monday, and the largest number on board was I think 4.

@Bletchleyite Thanks for the update, I had visions of it being full off Oxford with/or people going to Bicester Village. This puts my mind at ease a bit!

Annoyingly, the service is only hourly from Milton Keynes Central (MKC) and my train arrives as xx:14 and the X5 leaving at xx:20. Tight connection platform to bus! Likewise returning, the bus arrives at MKC at xx:21 and my train leaves at xx:19. Long wait! The sooner this service returns to half hourly the better! They still haven't fixed the issue of Merseytravel disabled ENTS pass not being accepted on the card readers on the X5 either. :(

On the wider topic of buses being deemed full due to COVID-19 despite seats being free, this can only get worse as more areas of the economy open and we enter the summer season. My fear is it will become "normal" (buses becoming full) until all social distance measures end - otherwise getting the bus could be a real issue running on such reduced capacity.
 
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