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Bristol Metrobus

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swifty

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So Metrobus still hasnt got an operator and supposedly a new route will be starting in a few months - any ideas what route?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-37167430

The first of the new bus routes are due to be completed in the next few months.

Work on some of the routes is due to be finished, in fact some already is, although it doesn't mean they'll be up and running. Having looked through the proposal they're after for buses running the routes I'm not surprised no one is jumping to operate them commercially!

Who thought that diverting the 903 via the AVTM route would be a good idea?
 
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TheGrandWazoo

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The first route will be Ashton Vale-Temple Meads. Expected to be running from July next year. Don't know when the other routes are expected to start.

The whole Metrobus scheme might colapse, because they still haven't found an operator to agree to run the services. http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/is-the...ite-elephant/story-29671140-detail/story.html


The Post are hardly known as an impartial organ. Love the comments page with a person saying how buses don't even have such things as opening windows....Or that Metrobus won't serve the Northern part of the city. Hmmm....

Let's look at some of the other lines in the article....

There are growing fears Bristol's £200 million transport scheme is on the point of collapse just a year before it is due to finally come into operation.

Fears from whom....The Post? Evidence?????

The West of England Partnership, which is driving the project, is still locked in talks with various operators but there appears to be no sign of any progress or compromise.

If things are being done secretly and discreetly, you wouldn't see any signs of progress or compromise. Why would there be? My firm does deals all the time - we don't say anything until after they're signed - doh!

The major bus companies are said to be fearful of agreeing to run the Metrobus because they believe the system will not be profitable in its current form.

Said by whom? And, of course, they need to make a profit. As we've seen with the X74, Bradley to Bristol express doesn't necessarily make a profit

Costs include setting up a depot big enough to house 50 buses and running services at regular intervals throughout the day.

Er yeah.... them's the costs of a bus operation. Part of it depends if a) one business gets all the contracts and b) what constitutes a depot. Wessex could simply get a larger yard in Avonmouth and still maintain the vehicles at their depot. If RATP got one of the contracts (i.e. 16 vehicles worth), it isn't much different to when CT Plus got the P&R contracts.

So far no company has agreed to take on the contract and with the first phase of Metrobus due to be up and running within 12 months time is starting to run out.

Well, that's repeating what was above and 12 months is not critical



I'd suspect that some funding will come from not having the 903 and I suspect that First will reduce other routes to also support Metrobus. However, I can't see this being allowed to collapse; how could the local area ask for any more funding in the future if it were??

In better news though http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/bristo...-of-the-year/story-29671927-detail/story.html
 
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carlberry

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The first route will be Ashton Vale-Temple Meads. Expected to be running from July next year. Don't know when the other routes are expected to start.

The whole Metrobus scheme might collapse, because they still haven't found an operator to agree to run the services. http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/is-the...ite-elephant/story-29671140-detail/story.html

Usual Post reporting quality! If nothing has been arranged and announced by 4 months before the start date then there might be a real story but, even then, the answer would be to reduce the criteria until they get a bidder. There’s also the question of how much of the £200 is actually spent on dedicated routes that offer no benefit (or access) to existing services which would be useless and how much has been spent providing facilities that existing services will benefit from anyway even if the Metrobus routes never run.
 

THarris123

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I like how it says that you can't use cash at the machines at the bus stops. That's encouraging for Bristol Pounds.
 

Bletchleyite

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I like how it says that you can't use cash at the machines at the bus stops. That's encouraging for Bristol Pounds.

A completely new system requires modern methods of payment - so contactless on board from day one and other methods of paying by cash to buy a pre-paid card e.g. in shops.

I bet it'll end up with "pay the driver" and be slowed down by that, just like the Cambs one has.
 

TheGrandWazoo

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I like how it says that you can't use cash at the machines at the bus stops. That's encouraging for Bristol Pounds.

It might be that any ticket agent will be expected to accept Bristol Pounds anyway. At least there's always parity between those and Sterling ;)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
A completely new system requires modern methods of payment - so contactless on board from day one and other methods of paying by cash to buy a pre-paid card e.g. in shops.

I bet it'll end up with "pay the driver" and be slowed down by that, just like the Cambs one has.

I somehow suspect that you may be right.

I don't know how much Cambridge has been slowed down - there's the usual raft of twirlies and the fact that it's reliable means it's gained a significant quantity of other pass holders. Can't say I've noticed too much delay when I've travelled on it.
 

Busaholic

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They're meant to keep the money in Bristol rather than have it go elsewhere

'cos you can't spend them anywhere else?! A bit like the 400 French francs I have in small coinage waiting for the day when it all becomes useable again.:)
 

THarris123

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Do we know what sort of vehicles will be used on Metrobus? Will they all be new?

Will the operator need to open a new depot somewhere for Metrobus? Or will they use existing depots?

What services will we see withdrawn due to Metrobus? 90? 75? 73?
 

TheGrandWazoo

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Do we know what sort of vehicles will be used on Metrobus? Will they all be new?

Will the operator need to open a new depot somewhere for Metrobus? Or will they use existing depots?

What services will we see withdrawn due to Metrobus? 90? 75? 73?

Calm down! None of the above is decided and won't be for a while. Certainty not before the operator(s) is/are chosen.

The only givens are dual door and likely there will be age/emission rules. The only other certainty is the 903 will go as it's is on a short term contract and wasn't retendered with the other P&R.

However, other speculation would probably just be endless wiffle as before an operator is selected, no-one can know.
 

freetoview33

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We are sure of the following:

What routes there are
Minimum service frequency
Brand new single Decker, dual door, ultra low emissions
903 withdrawn.

Now for the pretty sure.

There is no chance the 73 will go. Metrobus route from town to cribbs won't serve Parkway! Plus no link from Gloucester Road to Bradley Stoke. This situation might well change if the metrobus extension happens. Even then I doubt the 73 would go! It might just go back to single decks.

The Northern part of the 75 and 76 will most likely be untouched. The Southern parts might well change. To be amalgamated with the 90. (So instead of 3 current routes you have 2 new ones, then metrobus) unless they split them again,
 

Class 33

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Do we know what sort of vehicles will be used on Metrobus? Will they all be new?

Will the operator need to open a new depot somewhere for Metrobus? Or will they use existing depots?

What services will we see withdrawn due to Metrobus? 90? 75? 73?

I doubt the 73 & 75 would be axed. And can't see how there would be a need to make route changes to these due to MetroBus either. As there would still need to be bus services between Centre/Broadmead/Gloucester Road/Horfield/Filton through to Parkway Station, Little Stoke, Patchway, Bradley Stoke and Cribbs Causeway.

I would think though that the X73 & X48 would be axed. As there then wouldn't be a need for these services with the new MetroBus services to Cribbs Causeway and Emersons Green.
 
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Colly405

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Now, I've not really been following Metrobus in great detail. I understand, vaguely, the routes, and I've experienced the side effects of the new build work in town and Stapleton/Frenchay.

What I don't know (and apologies if everyone else does) is what exactly *is* Metrobus?

Is it a guided bus system, that will use buses with guide-wheels, but where there are just some (a few?) sections of proper guided busway, where the rest of the running is either on segregated normal roads or on mixed use normal roads?

Thanks!
 

nerd

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Is it a guided bus system, that will use buses with guide-wheels, but where there are just some (a few?) sections of proper guided busway, where the rest of the running is either on segregated normal roads or on mixed use normal roads?

sounds a reasonable summary to me Colly.

But I think there may be an issue underlying your question; as Metrobus has been knocking around so long as a scheme, that its operating identity as an 'enhanced bus' service is pretty blurred.

There is a general agreement that the standard 'stopping bus' model; though it satisfies well a large number of users, is seriously deficient as a potential alternative mode to private car use over peak periods. Some model of 'enhanced bus' would seem to be needed.

So far, in this country, it seems two very different 'enhanced bus' models of service have emerged.

- the first - as per the Cambrigeshire Busway, Luton Busway, Leigh-Salford-Manchester Busway and Gosport-Farnham Busway - is based around higher specification standard buses, mostly seated accommodation, with a peak period speed in service substantially faster than a stopping bus, running at high frequency (4 services per hour or better), with limited stops, over longer distances (normal journeys greater than 5km). These have a lot in common with commercial services such as York-Leeds Cityzap, and Ripon-Harrogate-Leeds route 36; even though these have no access to busway reservation. Riding them is nothing like riding a tram.

- the second - as per the Birmingham Sprint services and the Belfast BRT services - are based on high capacity articulated buses, with a high proportion of accommodation standing, a limited top speed, multiuple access doors and pre-ticketing to encourage high proportion of short distance journeys (2km-5km). They are often marketed as 'the bus that thinks its a tram'; with the subliminal message that, if you eat your crusts and finish your greens, they might turn into trams some day,

My impression is that the Metrobus routes conform better to the first model, but that the specification of the kit has more in common with the second. The first model does, it seems, often incorporate sections of guided buswheel running; but need not do so. None of the current proposals in the second model seem to use guide-wheel track. Maybe that aspect is a red herring?
 
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Marc

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We are sure of the following:
Minimum service frequency

not really. minimum services frequencies need willing operators to run the routes -or- local councils with deep enough pockets to pay to run the routes. uncle marven's £900m cuts are not likely to be to pay for metrobus!!

the one thing everybody knows is that there will be plenty of buses to uwe frenchay.

Now for the pretty sure.

There is no chance the 73 will go. Metrobus route from town to cribbs won't serve Parkway! Plus no link from Gloucester Road to Bradley Stoke. This situation might well change if the metrobus extension happens. Even then I doubt the 73 would go! It might just go back to single decks.

The Northern part of the 75 and 76 will most likely be untouched. The Southern parts might well change. To be amalgamated with the 90. (So instead of 3 current routes you have 2 new ones, then metrobus) unless they split them again,

gloucscter road will still need a solid high frequency bus service. whether those buses run on to bradley stoke or patchway or wherever remains to be seen.
 

BBC

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I'm pretty convinced first have won most of it. The clearing of the 70/71 out of hengrove (with nothing going the other way) is a tiny bit suspect !
 

matt_splat

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if i was a betting man i would put money on first with ct plus running a little bit

i can't see wessex being involved
 

freetoview33

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if i was a betting man i would put money on first with ct plus running a little bit

i can't see wessex being involved

Yes. Rotala seem much more concerned with Diamond. But it is a much larger operation. Where Wessex has been struggling for ages. And are a fraction of there former self.
 

nfk2001

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if i was a betting man i would put money on first with ct plus running a little bit

i can't see wessex being involved

Couldn't agree more with this, and it will be good to see CT Plus picking up more service work over this year.
 
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