D&G have finally seen sense and will have the 2 & 9 operating an even 15 minute headway between Hanley & Newcastle. First withdrawing the 21A & 23A completely from the same date.
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Staffordshire Bus News
- Thread starter Simon75
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D&G have finally seen sense and will have the 2 & 9 operating an even 15 minute headway between Hanley & Newcastle. First withdrawing the 21A & 23A completely from the same date.
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Interesting to see the First Potteries cuts just as I'd come to moan about the incredible rise in annual ticket cost.
I've been really lucky for the last few years to get their Black Friday offers but choked when I saw this year's price. Even with the 20% off it's significantly more expensive than last year's full price. Last year Potteries Area annual ticket was £449, now £715. Only £5 cheaper than 12 monthly tickets (which unless you never had a week of not travelling on their buses you just wouldn't do).
No idea when the price changed (no response on twitter, I'll ask in the shop) so not sure if they're scamming the Black Friday customers or just trying to kill off the annual ticket.
I've seen no publicity about the change, anyone who budgets carefully to buy will be in for a shock!
I've been really lucky for the last few years to get their Black Friday offers but choked when I saw this year's price. Even with the 20% off it's significantly more expensive than last year's full price. Last year Potteries Area annual ticket was £449, now £715. Only £5 cheaper than 12 monthly tickets (which unless you never had a week of not travelling on their buses you just wouldn't do).
No idea when the price changed (no response on twitter, I'll ask in the shop) so not sure if they're scamming the Black Friday customers or just trying to kill off the annual ticket.
I've seen no publicity about the change, anyone who budgets carefully to buy will be in for a shock!
Thanks Thin man, no wonder that passed me by. Just found that the multi-operator Smart ticket is only £540/year, even cheaper than First's Black Friday offer. It appears to cover the same operating area but significantly cheaper and choice of operators (which as First continue to give up routes is getting more important!)
Baxenden Bank
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Full list of First changes, from their website.
Published much earlier than they normally do. No timetables yet.
Published much earlier than they normally do. No timetables yet.
Baxenden Bank
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Well, a three month potteries ticket is more expensive than a three month network ticket (bought on-line or by app)!
Until recently an annual potteries ticket was more expensive than an annual network ticket - at least according to their website.
Also you can buy daily (scratch-off version), potteries or network tickets from the travel shop, at the app prices i.e. £4.00 or £5.50. But nowhere does it say so!
Exact Fare Only, really, when did that happen?
Attention to detail, perhaps one day.
What they need is an 'interview without coffee' with Trading Standards.
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Baxenden Bank
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The smart ticket covers a wider area than the potteries ticket. Look carefully at the boundaries quoted on the D & G website. They give you to Wetley Rocks on the 16 instead of Cellarhead. Plus you get the Arriva 164 to Baldwins Gate.
It's certainly something they've wanted to bring in for ages.
I've basically been insulted by various drivers for daring to want change from a fiver - it's got to the point where I prefer not to travel.
Exact Fare Only, really, when did that happen?
Attention to detail, perhaps one day.
What they need is an 'interview without coffee' with Trading Standards.[/QUOTE]
Exact fare only works if up to date fares are posted at each bus stop (and kept up to date!) or if there is a flat fare system, such as the one that Lothian have.
Attention to detail, perhaps one day.
What they need is an 'interview without coffee' with Trading Standards.[/QUOTE]
Exact fare only works if up to date fares are posted at each bus stop (and kept up to date!) or if there is a flat fare system, such as the one that Lothian have.
MedwayValiant
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If I were an extreme cynic ...
Is it their intention to make their cash fares awkward figures like £2.37, in the knowledge that they're going to make quite a lot of money out of the change they don't give?
Is it their intention to make their cash fares awkward figures like £2.37, in the knowledge that they're going to make quite a lot of money out of the change they don't give?
Man of Kent
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It appears to be a standard phrase that appears on many (but not all) regional versions of First's website.
Possibly something written from Scotland, where most of First's ops are indeed fare box fitted.
Possibly something written from Scotland, where most of First's ops are indeed fare box fitted.
Robertj21a
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Exact fare only works if up to date fares are posted at each bus stop (and kept up to date!) or if there is a flat fare system, such as the one that Lothian have.[/QUOTE]
I can't even find the 'exact fares' wording - which page is it on ?
Man of Kent
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I can't even find the 'exact fares' wording - which page is it on ?[/QUOTE]
https://www.firstgroup.com/potteries/tickets/ticket-types
atraindriver
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It only had the start date when I found out but it makes sense that its only for the market's.
Baxenden Bank
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First Potteries fares to increase at SEVEN TIMES the rate of inflation from 9 December. Network Day ticket rises from £6 to £7 which is a 16.67% increase, inflation last month was 2.4%. That's the CPI rate, the governments preferred measure and the one to which many 'cost of living' increases are tied to.
Basically stuff you passengers, we are writing the worlds longest ever suicide note.
Basically stuff you passengers, we are writing the worlds longest ever suicide note.
Baxenden Bank
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Details of Christmas / New Year service levels announced on the First Potteries website.
Their descent into a 'between school times only' service for ENCTS holders continues unabated and at a frenetic pace.
Their descent into a 'between school times only' service for ENCTS holders continues unabated and at a frenetic pace.
Remember, that's not the list of last buses, it's the list of buses after 1730 which they can't be bothered operating!
atraindriver
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Robertj21a
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To be fair, the comment should actually include the original date from when the Network Day £6 fare started. If it's more than a year before this latest increase then it won't be 16.67% as such - but I doubt that it will come down to anywhere near 2-3% as that would require the last increase to be over 6 years ago ! (not denying that it's still a sizeable increase all at once).
Robertj21a
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Wow ! - fair enough, that 16.67% is pretty accurate.
TheGrandWazoo
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Not disputing the size of increase (and it is high) but if you're going to increase by inflation, it would go from £6 to £6.14. Day tickets usually do increase by more.
TBH, I'm more surprised by the earliness of the finish. Much earlier than even Worcester
Robertj21a
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TheGrandWazoo
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You not heard of the Hanging Gardens of Trentham? Or the sun kissed beaches of the Trent Riviera?
Baxenden Bank
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Well, the first one is reasonably accurate. The re-established gardens of Trentham Hall being popular, along with the adjoining (and recently extended retail park) First even managed to directly serve it for a few months, but then decided that it was simply too much effort aka they needed to shave a bus off the 21 workings to meet their target. Sun kissed beaches mmm, perhaps not, the Duke of Sutherland moved out of Trentham Hall because of the stench from the River Trent. Much improved nowadays but I still wouldn't swim in it myself.
The actual 'annual rate' of increase depends on what period you pick for analysis. I have the data back to 1991. In reality people look at the actual increase now without reference to the time since the last change. That's how BT get away with an inflation busting increase every nine months - people see it as an annual increase when it is nothing of the sort.
Comparison of First Potteries fares is complicated. Ticket area validities and types have changed over time so a direct like-for-like comparison is problematical. Taking a simple home to Hanley journey (for anyone in the city, not just my home). In 1991 a double-up / return / two-trip ticket was £1.40. In 2014 that had reached £4.00 and remains at £4.00 in January 2019. No increase since 2014 sounds like good news, except that CPI inflation would have it at £2.45, and RPI inflation would have it at £2.94. A day ticket for the Potteries was £2.20 and will be £5.00 in January when inflation would have it at £3.45 (CPI) or £4.63 (RPI).
Taking the Network Day Ticket with it's 16.67% annual increase. In June 2005 the equivalent ticket was £6.75, so £7.00 (come January) looks quite good. However in December 2005 that ticket was merged with the Potteries ticket and reduced to £3.50. A different story. More recently, under Mr Eggleton's tenure, it was £5.00 in January 2013, £5.50 in July 2014, £6.00 in November 2017, and now to £7.00 in January 2019.
Baxenden Bank
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Publicity isn't the issue. It's the impact on ridership (or revenue) that matters, and the consequent further cutbacks.
Table BUS0109a
Passenger journeys on local bus services by local authority1,2: England, from 2009/10
Figures for Stoke-0n-Trent:
2009/10 15.6m
2010/11 14.m
2011/12 14.0m
2012/13 12.7m
2013/14 13.4m
2014/15 12.0m
2015/16 10.7m
2016/17 10.m
Which came first, a decline in use followed by service cuts. Or severe service cuts followed by a decline in use?
Supermarkets operate in a competitive environment with other supermarkets and with smaller players. Bus companies have competing modes but rarely competing bus companies. Supermarket 'yo-yo' prices on certain products is annoying. Milk hasn't changed in price for years. Bread varies by relatively small amounts £1.00 to £1.35. Butter, always on offer at one of the supermarkets and full-price at the other three. You just have to know which is the one this month. Household products double/halve in price on a regular basis as you say. Difficult to know what the 'real' price for a box of soap-powder is nowadays. I just buy at it's lowest price and maintain a stockpile.
Baxenden Bank
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The £540 is only available if your employer signs up to the scheme, otherwise it's 4 x 3 months = £780.
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