Luton Airport Parkway bus

[Carefree]

On a recent trip to Lorraine Chase's favourite place, I found the criminally over-priced FCC bus from Parkway to Airport was delayed by a time in excess of 30minutes. This would appear to be a daily event, with peak time roads to the airport being so clogged that what should be a 10min walk takes 40mins by bendy bus. Can I claim under Delay Repay?

On a linked issue: this bus used to be free under the previous franchisee. At the same time, there used to be a signposted walking route (should anyone want to make the journey by foot). Recently a new road has been opened, supposedly to speed up the bus transfer. Around the time this opened, FCC started charging £1.50 each way for the bus, and the walking route disappeared (it is, to my knowledge, now impossible to walk from Parkway to Airport without either walking along an unpaved dual carriageway, or clambering over a central reservation). Is there a case for monopoly abuse in FCC's pricing of this route?

The original planning application for the Parkway station was passed by Luton Borough Council on the condition that a covered walkway (or travelator) would be installed from Parkway to Airport. Needles to say, this has never been built. How would the lack of such a route, as required by a quasi-judicial authority, contribute to the relevant authority's understanding of FCC's monopoly abuse?

 

[Squaddie]

The original planning application for the Parkway station was passed by Luton Borough Council on the condition that a covered walkway (or travelator) would be installed from Parkway to Airport.

Is that feasible? It's about 2km from Parkway station to the departure building.

 

[Carefree]

Luton Airport Parkway to Luton Airport departures is 800m. Plenty of airports I can think of with covered walkways/travelators longer than that. And feasible or not, it's a legal requirement.

 

[causton]

Certainly there is a way to get from the Parkway to the Airport by walking!

http://g.co/maps/97833

Not too sure about the final leg under the bridge (just south of the 'Starbucks Coffee' map icon) but as my nan used to live in Luton my dad had to drive that way with me during roadworks, and there is definitely a path up the penultimate roundabout

 

[Mutant Lemming]

a 10min walk ?

.. have the oylmpic selectors been informed of your potential ?

 

[Simon11]

On a recent trip to Lorraine Chase's favourite place, I found the criminally over-priced FCC bus from Parkway to Airport was delayed by a time in excess of 30minutes. This would appear to be a daily event, with peak time roads to the airport being so clogged that what should be a 10min walk takes 40mins by bendy bus. Can I claim under Delay Repay?

On a linked issue: this bus used to be free under the previous franchisee. At the same time, there used to be a signposted walking route (should anyone want to make the journey by foot). Recently a new road has been opened, supposedly to speed up the bus transfer. Around the time this opened, FCC started charging £1.50 each way for the bus, and the walking route disappeared (it is, to my knowledge, now impossible to walk from Parkway to Airport without either walking along an unpaved dual carriageway, or clambering over a central reservation). Is there a case for monopoly abuse in FCC's pricing of this route?

The original planning application for the Parkway station was passed by Luton Borough Council on the condition that a covered walkway (or travelator) would be installed from Parkway to Airport. Needles to say, this has never been built. How would the lack of such a route, as required by a quasi-judicial authority, contribute to the relevant authority's understanding of FCC's monopoly abuse?

Fcc don't run the buses....................

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Certainly there is a way to get from the Parkway to the Airport by walking!

http://g.co/maps/97833

....

If you click on the public transport icon, it produces a much shorter and more direct route of just 1.3 miles!

 

[island]

Fcc don't run the buses....................

I think they run this one.

 

[Simon11]

I think they run this one.

Nope, run by first buses northampton.

 

[PTF62]

I found the criminally over-priced FCC bus from Parkway to Airport was delayed by a time in excess of 30minutes. This would appear to be a daily event, with peak time roads to the airport being so clogged that what should be a 10min walk takes 40mins by bendy bus.

The people to blame for that are the greedy beggars who run Luton airport, who now charge for people wanting to drop off and pick up (apart from charging for trolleys, plastic bags, security check in, the air that you breath...). So people try to avoid the charge, and it just causes traffic chaos. There was no chaos before they introduced the charge, there is now.

On a linked issue: this bus used to be free under the previous franchisee.

The bus was free up until about 4 years ago, well into FCC's franchise. The charge was introduced when FCC introduced the bigger bendy buses, increased the frequency of the buses and introduced a 24 hour timetable. Previously the buses were run by NCP, the car park operator.

When the buses were free, it was frequently impossible to get on the bus as it was full to capacity, and the last regular bus stopped (IIRCC) about 23:30 before starting again about 6am. During the night they only used to run every hour or so, so not great for an early or late flight (unless the driver was bored, and then they used to run more frequently).

it is, to my knowledge, now impossible to walk from Parkway to Airport without either walking along an unpaved dual carriageway, or clambering over a central reservation

You would have to be a bit mad to attempt it, but there is a footpath all the way and there is no need to climb over barriers. A footpath will take you part way up the bus flyover, before it diverts off to take you to the roundabout at the bottom of Airport Way, and then there is a footpath all the way to the airport. About 1.3 miles, so 30 minutes walking.

Anyway, the reason I know about the route to the airport from the train station, is not that I get the train there, but the car park is much cheaper than any of the airport car parks, as you can get weekly or two weekly tickets just like any railway station car park.

 

[Lee_Again]

Luton Airport Parkway to Luton Airport departures is 800m. Plenty of airports I can think of with covered walkways/travelators longer than that. And feasible or not, it's a legal requirement.

800m, never.

The bus fare was introduced when the old busses were replaced by the new (then) bendy buses.

You'll never walk to the terminal. Not only is further than 1 mile it is up-hill. I can't imagine the bus ever taking 40 minutes. Not saying it never has, but regulaly, I doubt it.

If I ever have to fly from Luton I was always park at the station. It's a fraction of the price of the main car parks and the bus is more frequent.

 

[ji459]

The original planning application for the Parkway station was passed by Luton Borough Council on the condition that a covered walkway (or travelator) would be installed from Parkway to Airport. Needles to say, this has never been built.

Are you saying that was a condition specified in the planning permission? If so, have you asked Luton Council why they are not enforcing the condition?

 

[causton]

If you click on the public transport icon, it produces a much shorter and more direct route of just 1.3 miles!

I was unsure about this way, as I didn't know if the bit under the railway lines actually existed in real life! But if that way works, then so be it

 

[TUC]

Nope, run by first buses northampton.

In other words, they're run by First. I don't think the fact that the trains and the buss are run by different companies within the group mean that FCC have no interest in the issue.

 

[oversteer]

If I ever have to fly from Luton I was always park at the station. It's a fraction of the price of the main car parks and the bus is more frequent.

The Parkway station is probably closer to the airport than the official long stay car park !

 

[F Great Eastern]

I never paid for the bus, if you printed your tickets at home through the FCC website if you were traveling from London, all tickets include the price of the bus.

Sadly though the print at home offer that ran for around three years ended at the end of July.

http://www.mobitix.thetrainline.com/fcc/advancePurchase.aspx

 

[Simon11]

I never paid for the bus, if you printed your tickets at home through the FCC website if you were traveling from London, all tickets include the price of the bus.

Sadly though the print at home offer that ran for around three years ended at the end of July.

http://www.mobitix.thetrainline.com/fcc/advancePurchase.aspx

Hey

If you wish to just travel to the station your destination is luton airport parkway.

If you want to travel by bus you pay £1.50 to luton airport.

Or you could purchase a ticket to luton airport which includes the bus.

 

[F Great Eastern]

I know how it works - I used this route very often a few years ago! When the print at home trial was running, it cost £10 for a ticket from any London Thameslink station to Luton Airport, including the bus.

The standard walk up fare for the same journey is 12.50 without the bus and 14.00 with the bus - as you can see the print at home tickets were cheaper, but obviously you do not have that choice anymore so no more £10 fares for me!

 

[island]

Hey

If you wish to just travel to the station your destination is luton airport parkway.

If you want to travel by bus you pay £1.50 to luton airport.

Or you could purchase a ticket to luton airport which includes the bus.

Railcard discounts are applied to the bus supplement when you buy the ticket all the way to Luton Airport, but not if you pay cash at the station.

 

[Edvid]

Unless you buy the supplement from the ticket machines at LTN

It seems they also charge you for station-bound tickets at the Holiday Inn Express stop (without discounts)...

 

[island]

If you're at the Holiday Inn Express stop, you may as well walk the rest of the way, no?

 

[Simon11]

If you arrive at luton airport parkway, you can buy a bus ticket with usual discount at the fcc ticket office and I would assume fcc tvm.

However I think bus staff selling tickets are unable to provide the discount since they have machines suitable for the bus industry and not for rail.

 

[AlterEgo]

On a recent trip to Lorraine Chase's favourite place, I found the criminally over-priced FCC bus from Parkway to Airport was delayed by a time in excess of 30minutes. This would appear to be a daily event, with peak time roads to the airport being so clogged that what should be a 10min walk takes 40mins by bendy bus. Can I claim under Delay Repay?

No.

You can claim compensation for delays provided by "road transport" (such as a taxi or bus) provided that transport is operating in lieu of a train service, like a rail replacement bus.

It's somewhere in the NRCoC, which I don't have direct access to right now....

 

[Carefree]

The bus was free up until about 4 years ago, well into FCC's franchise. The charge was introduced when FCC introduced the bigger bendy buses, increased the frequency of the buses and introduced a 24 hour timetable. Previously the buses were run by NCP, the car park operator.

When the buses were free, it was frequently impossible to get on the bus as it was full to capacity, and the last regular bus stopped (IIRCC) about 23:30 before starting again about 6am. During the night they only used to run every hour or so, so not great for an early or late flight (unless the driver was bored, and then they used to run more frequently).

Previously the buses were contracted by a partnership including Thameslink Rail, Luton Borough Council, Luton Airport and NCP. They ran as long as there was a train to take people away from the station at the other end (and frequently longer than this - I once found an Itailian businessman at the station who had taken the bus expecting to get a train to London, only to find he had a four hour wait for the next train). The main difference now is that the trains run (roughly) 24 hours.

During the hours of airport operation, the buses are no more frequent than they were before. And in actuality, at some times in the day they are less frequent. The FCC claim that they run every 10mins now is almost entirely untrue.

800m, never.

Apologies - 1.5km point-to-point (ie. just under a mile). Still know of airports with walkways that exceed this.

You'll never walk to the terminal. Not only is further than 1 mile it is up-hill. I can't imagine the bus ever taking 40 minutes. Not saying it never has, but regulaly, I doubt it.

I appreciate that your fitness may not permit a journey taking you a mile up a Bedfordshire hill, but please don't make assumptions about mine. I have actually walked it before: in 6ins of snow, pulling my own case, and that of an elderly stranger: after the buses were all cancelled one February day.

I can imagine the bus taking 40 mins, because this Monday when I was on it, it did. It did so because the new slipway from the station was completely full of stationary traffic, and the driver took a detour via Luton town to get there. Staff told me this is a frequent journey time and alternative route in early mornings. I can confirm that, even in 6ins of slow, it doesn't take this long by foot.

Are you saying that was a condition specified in the planning permission? If so, have you asked Luton Council why they are not enforcing the condition?

This condition was attached to the planning application by Luton Borough Council. At the time, the planning committee required the airport owner to build a covered walkway. At the time, the airport owner was... Luton Borough Council. You work it out!

 

[AlterEgo]

Luton Borough Council can't be trusted with anything.

They had a perfectly good and intact railway between Luton and Dunstable but ripped it up to give the townsfolk a guided busway. Why does a bus even need to be guided? It's got a bloody steering wheel! Light rail technology on heavy rail infrastructure was the answer, but that ship has sailed. An absolute travesty.