Bus Company Responsibility ?

[Bungle965]

Just had this happen to me. I waited for 30+ minutes for the 18:10 number 500 bus from Hebden Bridge to Keighley, the last bus of the day, before ringing the WY Metro helpline. They told me that it had been cancelled but did not elaborate why. Other waiting passengers got lifts or went off in a taxi, but I took the train to Bradford, legged it from Interchange to Forster Square to make the connection, and got another train to Shipley, then yet another to Steeton. I got to my destination 90 minutes late and a bit miffed off. I've just emailed Keighley & District Buses to see what their side of the story is.

That is quite shocking, defiantly not something that I would expect from a company who has Alex Hornby as the companies MD.
Sam

 

[Antman]

Just had this happen to me. I waited for 30+ minutes for the 18:10 number 500 bus from Hebden Bridge to Keighley, the last bus of the day, before ringing the WY Metro helpline. They told me that it had been cancelled but did not elaborate why. Other waiting passengers got lifts or went off in a taxi, but I took the train to Bradford, legged it from Interchange to Forster Square to make the connection, and got another train to Shipley, then yet another to Steeton. I got to my destination 90 minutes late and a bit miffed off. I've just emailed Keighley & District Buses to see what their side of the story is.

I've worked in a bus company office and basically you make sure that the last bus runs even if you have to get out and drive it yourself, it might be late but it runs and if it doesn't the company has a moral responsibility to pay for taxis etc.

I also think all bus operators should be contactable throughout operating hours.

 

[lyndhurst25]

Update from Keighley & District Buses - the road into Hebden Bridge was closed by the police on Sunday afternoon due to a fatal road accident, so I suppose that there wasn't much that they could have done about that. I'm not sure what time the road was reopened but the accident was at 1.15pm.

http://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/...dge?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

[Antman]

Update from Keighley & District Buses - the road into Hebden Bridge was closed by the police on Sunday afternoon due to a fatal road accident, so I suppose that there wasn't much that they could have done about that. I'm not sure what time the road was reopened but the accident was at 1.15pm.

http://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/...dge?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

I obviously don't know the circumstances of this particular incident but it would help a lot of people if the police allowed buses through any such road closure if circumstances permit.

 

[Deerfold]

I obviously don't know the circumstances of this particular incident but it would help a lot of people if the police allowed buses through any such road closure if circumstances permit.

You really do give some ridiculous replies, don't you?

I doubt the police would close a fairly major road without good reason.

Unfortunately if this road is closed there are few alternatives for any vehicle.

 

[theblackwatch]

I also think all bus operators should be contactable throughout operating hours.

I agree with that. A couple of years ago, when the hourly Western Greyhound bus failed to turn up at Bodmin Parkway, I attempted to call their 'information line', which was (during about 6 tries at calling them) either engaged, not answered, or went to answerphone. The next bus arrived about 10 minutes late, and all we got from the driver (when asked was) "a bus broke down". I found it difficult to defend them when they went bust less than a year later!

Similarly, when a bus failed to turn up 10 mins after departure when I was trying to get away from the Swanage Gala, I rang the firm's helpline, to be greeted with an answerphone telling me the office was open Monday-Friday, 9 to 5. Not much good on a Sunday afternoon when you want to know where your bus is or if it's running...

 

[Deerfold]

Update from Keighley & District Buses - the road into Hebden Bridge was closed by the police on Sunday afternoon due to a fatal road accident, so I suppose that there wasn't much that they could have done about that. I'm not sure what time the road was reopened but the accident was at 1.15pm.

http://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/...dge?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

It reopened in the early hours of this morning.
https://twitter.com/WYP_Keighley/status/754764514244042752

@keighleybus do usually tweet about cancellations, even evenings and Sundays - it's unusual that they didn't yesterday. The bus station controller at Keighley is usually contactable until end of service.

 

[lyndhurst25]

It reopened in the early hours of this morning.
https://twitter.com/WYP_Keighley/status/754764514244042752

@keighleybus do usually tweet about cancellations, even evenings and Sundays - it's unusual that they didn't yesterday. The bus station controller at Keighley is usually contactable until end of service.

It would be useful if there were the phone numbers of the actual bus operators on bus stops. The only number on the stops in Hebden Bridge was for WY Metro Enquiries in Leeds. They knew that the bus was cancelled but didn't seem to have any more information than that. I don't have a smartphone to check Twitter (not that it would have helped here as it wasn't tweeted) and there are no realtime displays at the bus stops in Hebden Bridge, so I can't think of any other easy ways that the information could have been passed on. The TLC minibuses were still running around Hebden Bridge on local services however - one possible option would have been to get their drivers to inform passengers waiting at stops what the situation was with the 500 Keighley service. Anyway, I shouldn't complain too much as some poor guy lost his life and that puts it all into perspective.

 

[Antman]

You really do give some ridiculous replies, don't you?

I doubt the police would close a fairly major road without good reason.

Unfortunately if this road is closed there are few alternatives for any vehicle.

Grow up!

I've been allowed through a blockade in a lorry before because there was no alternative route, get the picture now?:roll:

Obviously circumstances vary.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I agree with that. A couple of years ago, when the hourly Western Greyhound bus failed to turn up at Bodmin Parkway, I attempted to call their 'information line', which was (during about 6 tries at calling them) either engaged, not answered, or went to answerphone. The next bus arrived about 10 minutes late, and all we got from the driver (when asked was) "a bus broke down". I found it difficult to defend them when they went bust less than a year later!

Similarly, when a bus failed to turn up 10 mins after departure when I was trying to get away from the Swanage Gala, I rang the firm's helpline, to be greeted with an answerphone telling me the office was open Monday-Friday, 9 to 5. Not much good on a Sunday afternoon when you want to know where your bus is or if it's running...

At very least they could have a twitter feed that is staffed during operating hours.

 

[PeterC]

I've been allowed through a blockade in a lorry before because there was no alternative route, get the picture now

Cancel the bus and you get a few complaints on boards like this. Let the bus through and there will be press coverage about exposing the poor passengers to the "upsetting" sight of the accident.

 

[Antman]

Cancel the bus and you get a few complaints on boards like this. Let the bus through and there will be press coverage about exposing the poor passengers to the "upsetting" sight of the accident.

Not really, it would obviously be cleared with officers at the scene of the accident to make sure nobody saw anything they shouldn't.

 

[Stan Drews]

Not really, it would obviously be cleared with officers at the scene of the accident to make sure nobody saw anything they shouldn't.

The reason roads remain closed in circumstances like this, is because they are treated as potential crime scenes, and allowing vehicles through could contaminate any potential evidence. Obviously in some cases the road could be physically blocked by the vehicles involved.

 

[Antman]

The reason roads remain closed in circumstances like this, is because they are treated as potential crime scenes, and allowing vehicles through could contaminate any potential evidence. Obviously in some cases the road could be physically blocked by the vehicles involved.

I know, I've done recovery work in the past.

 

[Andyh82]

The road into Hebden Bridge is fairly narrow so if there had been an accident I imagine the whole road was blocked.

The post above is a good example of what happens on twitter everyday. We've gone from the company MD being blasted to what turns out to be a fatal accident.

Ideally you'd get scrolling messages on the real time displays but that doesn't seem to happen as much as it could.

 

[theblackwatch]

I'm sure passengers would be more sympathetic if they knew the reason from the start. In this day and age, there isn't really an excuse for not being able to keep your punters informed.

 

[Antman]

I'm sure passengers would be more sympathetic if they knew the reason from the start. In this day and age, there isn't really an excuse for not being able to keep your punters informed.

Exactly, it's astonishing that some bus operators have social media accounts that are only staffed during office hours!