Aireline 60 bus on board announcements (Previously 760)

[ASharpe]

I had the displeasure yesterday of riding one of the new 60 buses in West Yorkshire (connecting Keighley to Leeds). Someone has decided it would be a fantastic idea to put in a pre-recorded announcement for every single bus stop.

If it was a short tourist route and the announcements brief I wouldn't mind so much. But this is a 20 mile route and the announcements are far too long, frequent and in a terrible yorkshire accent.

I was glad I was only 6 stops and not all the way into Leeds. I can't imagine the drivers like it much.

Has anyone else been on the route and what do you think of it?

• Specially created audio announcements on board, delivered in an authentic Yorkshire accent, featuring proud Yorkshireman Eric Scaife of the Yorkshire Dialect Society, who was selected after the bus company launched its own quest to find the perfect Yorkshire voice for its new buses

http://www.keighleybus.co.uk/news.jsp?newsID=2135

 

[ooo]

Where they saying more than just the stop name then?

 

[ASharpe]

Some of them are almost like adverts, but mostly it's the superficial "the next stop is" type filler that gets far too repetitive. But honestly it's the odd accent that is the worst thing about it.

Apparently there are 86 stops on the route and 85 back depending on your perspective - each and every one of them with an announcement - around 1 per minute but more in some places.

 

[Deerfold]

I'm fairly sure they're not at every stop. But they are very long and in a very broad accent. Even as a local, some weren't easy to understand.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

They're also on the 70 and 71 (formally the 770 and 771), one announcement that sticks in my mind is "we'll be shortly arriving at the Pax Inn*" which gives me a mental image of four thirtysomething flatcapped Yorkshiremen and their pettite rosy cheeked wives going t'pub for a pint of the best at that time a'neet. As a Yorkshireman (minus the flatcap and whippet) even I think that its cringeworthy.

* - The Pax Inn itself is a stop and a watering hole in Thorpe Arch.

 

[SUB62]

I had the displeasure yesterday of riding one of the new 60 buses in West Yorkshire (connecting Keighley to Leeds). Someone has decided it would be a fantastic idea to put in a pre-recorded announcement for every single bus stop.

If it was a short tourist route and the announcements brief I wouldn't mind so much. But this is a 20 mile route and the announcements are far too long, frequent and in a terrible yorkshire accent.

I was glad I was only 6 stops and not all the way into Leeds. I can't imagine the drivers like it much.

Has anyone else been on the route and what do you think of it?



http://www.keighleybus.co.uk/news.jsp?newsID=2135

Imagine how the locals feel on the Bronte Bus who've been doing this journey all their lives. Good for tourists though.

 

[theblackwatch]

The announcements were first introduced on the 36 last year. On my first journey, from Harrogate to Leeds, it took me till Harewood to work out that the voice, which I recognised, was that of Look North presenter Harry Gration! I quite like the announcements, as unlike the railway, they seem to have a more personal/human element to them. I've not heard the ones on the 60 to compare them, but the ones on the 1 (Harrogate-Knaresborough) also seem fine to me.

 

[Smidster]

We have had the "joy" of these for around the last 6 months on the Bronte services - the rationale is to improve accessibility which is fine but it does have a significant negative effect for other travelers.

The distance between stops is so short on those routes that the thing just doesn't shut up

 

[SCH117X]

Maybe they need to be selective, on the 36 only the major stops are announced although at least one is obviously tourist orientated as inbound to Harrogate from Ripon the stop at the Royal Hall gets mentioned but is not that heavily used (unlike the outbound stop). On the 60 the announcements are by Eric Scaife of the Yorkshire Dialect Society "who was selected after the bus company launched its own quest to find the perfect Yorkshire voice for its new buses" http://www.keighleybus.co.uk/news.jsp?newsID=2135

The announcements were first introduced on the 36 last year. On my first journey, from Harrogate to Leeds, it took me till Harewood to work out that the voice, which I recognised, was that of Look North presenter Harry Gration!

Apparently Harry gets more social media references to his announcements on the 36 then he does for his TV work!

 

[ooo]

Maybe they need to be selective, on the 36 only the major stops are announced although at least one is obviously tourist orientated as inbound to Harrogate from Ripon the stop at the Royal Hall gets mentioned but is not that heavily used (unlike the outbound stop). On the 60 the announcements are by Eric Scaife of the Yorkshire Dialect Society "who was selected after the bus company launched its own quest to find the perfect Yorkshire voice for its new buses" http://www.keighleybus.co.uk/news.jsp?newsID=2135

Apparently Harry gets more social media references to his announcements on the 36 then he does for his TV work!

I'd say only saying selected stops is in some ways worse than not saying any as you expect to hear them and so don't to pay as much attention to your location. Therefore if you were going to a stop which wasn't announced then you may be more likely to miss it

 

[Bungle965]

From what I have read, an equilibrium needs to be found so that the announcements are not constantly going off.
There are a few comments about the voices used, I do agree that the voice used is a bit 'thick' after listening to it whereas I never found the 36 to be that intruding when I used it, perhaps you need a trip over to the right side of the Pennines and use the Vantage service with it's awful text to speech voice!
Sam

 

[theblackwatch]

I did (part of) the 60 for the first time since its relaunch/rebrand earlier on today. Despite being Yorkshire born and bred, even I struggled to understand some of the announcements in what must be the broadest Yorkshire accent I have ever heard (at first I thought it was an old chap sat behind me taking)! Earlier in this thread, I expressed my enthusiasm for the announcements on the 36 buses, which I still stand by, but I have to agree with other posters on here regarding the ones on the 60.

"How do, we're off t'Leeds."
"Change here f't buses t'Leeds university."

 

[96tommy]

Yeah the announcements on the 60 are pretty shocking. Unfortunately, the Coastliner have them now on their new buses. They announce most stops with what is quite an annoying enthusiastic voice