First Greater Glasgow

[Trnsprt4Sctlnd]

Precisely what has been reduced in frequency?

I would also like to know where all there staff have went.

 

[JumpinTrainz]

The 2 has been predominantly deckers since the frequency change. It’s been mainly B9TLs and the low height E400s.

Is this a temporary change due to driver shortages or is it permanent? It seems weird to have ordered new singles for the 2 when it clearly needs decker capacity

 

[Glasgowbusguy]

The 46 has seen an huge improvement in its allocation. The last few days it has been mostly electric single deckers and 38 branded deckers, which are very welcome on a route as long and slow as the 46.

 

[PaulMc7]

Are there many if any services more frequent than every 30 mins pre Covid that aren't reduced in some form currently? I highly doubt there will be a need for Pre-covid frequencies anytime soon even if First could find the drivers for it.

Covid, Brexit and the general public will have influenced things heavily when it comes to the source of drivers. The mental toll of dealing with people day in, day out isn't worth it unless the pay was £15-16 an hour for every driver.

 

[Trnsprt4Sctlnd]

Are there many if any services more frequent than every 30 mins pre Covid that aren't reduced in some form currently? I highly doubt there will be a need for Pre-covid frequencies anytime soon even if First could find the drivers for it.

Covid, Brexit and the general public will have influenced things heavily when it comes to the source of drivers. The mental toll of dealing with people day in, day out isn't worth it unless the pay was £15-16 an hour for every driver.

That really doesn't matter if you've not got time for family, yourself or a life outside of work.

COVID or specifically furlough has knocked drivers interest in the driving job as has the long hours involved, I think it's only helped drivers realise how much they never have to put up with and leaving the job is simpler than first thought.

First Glasgows Depot Managers, Supervisors and a few inspectors are expected to be less than reasonable with the guys and girls who drive the company, they may even have a preference of promoting employees to senior positions that have what you may call a "chip on there shoulder" or "Tie-Fixers" as I call them.

I'm always curious reading all the comments as though there is some way out of this, there isn't, that's the brutal truth.

The only real thing for First Glasgow is for us to chat about new buses or bus fires.

 

[PaulMc7]

That really doesn't matter if you've not got time for family, yourself or a life outside of work.

Yes and no especially these days when the cost of living crisis is absolutely huge. It does play a part when you constantly have horrible shifts that don't allow you to do anything but if it's the odd Saturday/Sunday or evening a bigger wage absolutely softens the pain.

I notice this a lot from working in recruitment.

 

[Trnsprt4Sctlnd]

Yes and no especially these days when the cost of living crisis is absolutely huge. It does play a part when you constantly have horrible shifts that don't allow you to do anything but if it's the odd Saturday/Sunday or evening a bigger wage absolutely softens the pain.

I notice this a lot from working in recruitment.

However, we are still talking about a private company that won't negatively allow there bottom line to be affected by wage increases.

As for the cost of living to all First Glasgow bus drivers, how many at Caledonia have cars on Finance, insurance, road tax & maintenance on there own cars, it always an option to have purchased a cheaper car for example, all in hindsight of course.

Our costs of living are partly our own doing to the way we intend to live under the premise that even a slight increase to the costs of living make living in the UK Unbearable or remarkably poorer than they have been for decades.

Truth be told, the more money you make the more money you spend, now that increases to Gas, Electric or Fuel are causing a negative impact.

If we go back only 2-3 decades ago there wasn't so !uch outgoings to family or single persons budgets, everyone needs a car now or even something small like having both Sky, Broadband and a cellular phone now, all additionally costs that many people didn't have decades ago.

 

[PaulMc7]

However, we are still talking about a private company that won't negatively allow there bottom line to be affected by wage increases.

As for the cost of living to all First Glasgow bus drivers, how many at Caledonia have cars on Finance, insurance, road tax & maintenance on there own cars, it always an option to have purchased a cheaper car for example, all in hindsight of course.

Our costs of living are partly our own doing to the way we intend to live under the premise that even a slight increase to the costs of living make living in the UK Unbearable or remarkably poorer than they have been for decades.

Truth be told, the more money you make the more money you spend, now that increases to Gas, Electric or Fuel are causing a negative impact.

If we go back only 2-3 decades ago there wasn't so !uch outgoings to family or single persons budgets, everyone needs a car now or even something small like having both Sky, Broadband and a cellular phone now, all additionally costs that many people didn't have decades ago.

I fully agree with this except needing a car. In Glasgow, you don't need one in most areas but people are genuinely clueless about their public transport options or are quick to forget that buses only get delayed by cars causing traffic. I've heard loads of people over the years saying a bus being every 10 mins isn't good enough. I think I'd love to have the 2 back every 10 mins all day to be honest. The timing of every 12 mins makes me just miss them after work constantly if they're on time. The 3 being every 15 mins causes the same thing.

 

[Trnsprt4Sctlnd]

I fully agree with this except needing a car. In Glasgow, you don't need one in most areas but people are genuinely clueless about their public transport options or are quick to forget that buses only get delayed by cars causing traffic. I've heard loads of people over the years saying a bus being every 10 mins isn't good enough. I think I'd love to have the 2 back every 10 mins all day to be honest. The timing of every 12 mins makes me just miss them after work constantly if they're on time. The 3 being every 15 mins causes the same thing.

Precisely why I say that everyone seems to need a car, they really don’t, not everyone, if you need one then simply all measures to limit there use will need to be adhered to.

We can try and deny it but if we face it car use will become more difficult even if through financial means.

If we have to go down a route which is more public transport oriented the sticking part of it is the cost of public transport, not that it’s sadistically more expensive than car use, it isn’t at the moment, but it is priced in a way which many can’t justified simply because it’s called “public” transport.

 

[PaulMc7]

Precisely why I say that everyone seems to need a car, they really don’t.

We can try and deny it but if we face it car use will become more difficult even if through financial means.

Here's hoping the fuel costs rising and the move towards electric cars prices people back onto public transport because if it doesn't then the industry could be pretty screwed very quickly.

The general public don't understand why bus tickets cost what they do especially singles. They are expensive but if people actually knew why they'd aim their fury at someone different IMO. It's 100% the bus company's fault according to most.

 

[route101]

One thing I think would be useful for the first app is to show what time the bus is due at each stop when you look to see the bus on the map and it gives you the next stops.

Google maps gives you the times for stops.

 

[Trnsprt4Sctlnd]

Here's hoping the fuel costs rising and the move towards electric cars prices people back onto public transport because if it doesn't then the industry could be pretty screwed very quickly.

In a city like Glasgow, buses will always be socially necessary, not everyone can afford a car of course.

I take issue with First Glasgow and the industry in general. Being the operators that are currently dominant, they're meant to change that perception that public transport is not outmoded and if they can’t even keep staff satisfied why will anybody have faith in a bus service ever again?

 

[PaulMc7]

In a city like Glasgow, buses will always be socially necessary, not everyone can afford a car of course.

I take issue with First Glasgow and the industry in general being the operators that are currently dominant, there meant to change that perception that public transport is not outmoded, if they can’t even keep staff satisfied why will anybody have faith in a bus service ever again.

This is spot on sadly. It also doesn't help when you can have 2-3 buses in a row missing too on certain routes. Fix that and you immediately get people back onside but there's no signs of timetable changes coming. Only thing currently is losing SPT services in July and the 242 timetable change at the end of June.

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

The other thing that seems to pass by companies is that reducing frequencies will in-turn increase running times, which tends not to be factored into the emergency timetables pushed out at short-notice. More passengers on each bus means more dwell time at stops, which leads to an even more unreliable service and more disgruntled passengers.

 

[PaulMc7]

The other thing that seems to pass by companies is that reducing frequencies will in-turn increase running times, which tends not to be factored into the emergency timetables pushed out at short-notice. More passengers on each bus means more dwell time at stops, which leads to an even more unreliable service and more disgruntled passengers.

The only time this seemed to be considered was the very first set of lockdown timetables and that's because it was thrown together and the very low frequencies lead to massive amounts of recovery time on some routes.

I notice this in the morning with the 2. If it's on time where I get on it usually stays on time but if it's even 4-5 mins late the next one ends up with it instantly and usually ahead of it. It only takes one stop to throw timings out of the window. I get why they don't overload running time because some routes would be held at every timing point with being early but there's some that definitely need far more in parts.

Recovery time being lower probably adds another reason as to why drivers leave too. On some routes the reliability is so poor they won't get any time to breathe even for a minute.

 

[Glasgowbusguy]

Google maps gives you the times for stops.

One feature that the McGill's app has that in my view is brilliant , is a notification when your bus is near your stop , and surly first could roll that out

 

[PaulMc7]

One feature that the McGill's app has that in my view is brilliant , is a notification when your bus is near your stop , and surly first could roll that out

I wouldn't get your hopes up because it's First to be honest. I could definitely do with this though as my bus normally says "due" and it's about 5-6 stops away

 

[AndrewTaylor95]

Wonder why First never went with the same type of app like McGill's and WCM where you can see what type of bus it actually is, that seems more accurate as well.

 

[PaulMc7]

Wonder why First never went with the same type of app like McGill's and WCM where you can see what type of bus it actually is, that seems more accurate as well.

The sad thing it's not hard to be more accurate than Firsts.

 

[Trnsprt4Sctlnd]

The sad thing it's not hard to be more accurate than Firsts.

I’m not overly familiar with the app, if I’ve used the bus I always just ask the driver for a ticket.

I see on twitter some people are having problems with the tap on tap off thing.

Surely what’s the point behind it if traditionally the drivers there are issuing tickets anyways? It just seems to further undermine the purpose the driver is there for, not just driving.

 

[PaulMc7]

I’m not overly familiar with the app, if I’ve used the bus I always just ask the driver for a ticket.

I see on twitter some people are having problems with the tap on tap off thing.

Surely what’s the point behind it if traditionally the drivers there are issuing tickets anyways? It just seems to further undermine the purpose the driver is there for, not just driving.

It seems to be adding time to journeys from what I've experienced. I don't use it but it seems to be charging people the wrong amounts pretty regularly if it even works at all for them. Hopefully it's just teething problems and it all gets sorted out though.

 

[sannox]

First seemed a bit ambitious launching it at once- given McGill's only did it on one service as a trial first.

 

[Trnsprt4Sctlnd]

It seems to be adding time to journeys from what I've experienced. I don't use it but it seems to be charging people the wrong amounts pretty regularly if it even works at all for them. Hopefully it's just teething problems and it all gets sorted out though.

So what I’ve read, it calculates the fare from the distance you went from when you first tap on to the time you tap off?

From experience the ticketer can drop GPS easily, what happens then?

The £1.80 fare doesn’t get you that far to begin with to be honest.

 

[PaulMc7]

So what I’ve read, it calculates the fare from the distance you went from when you first tap on to the time you tap off?

From experience the ticketer can drop GPS easily, what happens then?

The £1.80 fare doesn’t get you that far to begin with to be honest.

To be fair I've read how it works once and didn't get it but it does seem to be problematic especially as that £1.80 fare has no consistency with drivers. Some charge people different amounts on a daily basis depending on who you get.

 

[GusB]

Surely if there are inconsistencies with drivers charging different amounts, this will be eliminated by using tap on tap off (TOTO), as you'll be charged the correct fare as determined by the distance that you travel.

If there is a GPS glitch or you're otherwise charged the wrong amount, this can be raised with the company, and you can check your journey history through the website.

Tap On, Tap Off

How to Tap On Tap Off You can now Tap On Tap Off when buying adult fares in most of the areas we operate in across Glasgow.

www.firstbus.co.uk

I have a query about the Tap On Tap Off service, where can I get help?
Contact our customer service team for assistance here

 

[lastbus]

The uptake of people using Tap on Tap off hasn’t been great.

 

[PaulMc7]

The uptake of people using Tap on Tap off hasn’t been great.

I'm not surprised by that to be honest. An all day is handy to have just incase you need it randomly and they're not much more expensive that the Tap on Tap off system. The monthly direct debit is such good value to be honest and the fact it didn't change price is confusing but I'm definitely not complaining at all.

 

[adrock1976]

It would be far simpler and easier if the single fare was a flat fare like it is in London.

Also, do concession card holders still have to state destination? By eliminating that, it would help to speed up boarding.

 

[Volvodart]

There has been no change to concession card use.

 

[route101]

It seems to be adding time to journeys from what I've experienced. I don't use it but it seems to be charging people the wrong amounts pretty regularly if it even works at all for them. Hopefully it's just teething problems and it all gets sorted out though.

Problem I have with tap in tap out is I forget to tap out. I haven't used it in Glasgow yet.