Llandudno
Established Member
- Joined
- 25 Dec 2014
- Messages
- 2,211
Just returned from an enjoyable walking weekend in the Lake District.
Used trains and buses to get there and was amazed at the quality, frequency and reliability of the bus services in the National Park.
Modern Stagecoach vehicles, with network branding, buses running 7 days a week with many routes operating until late evening. Excellent marketing of the bus network including various rover ticket options both on line and in old fashioned leaflets. Most bus stops with up to date timetable displays and even a queue conductor on duty at Windermere station offering advice and selling tickets to speed boarding times.
I think virtually all the Lake District network is commercially operated by Stagecoach.
Now compare this with the ‘rag tag and bobtail’ network of buses operating in the Snowdonia or Peak District National Parks. A plethora of operators mainly running contract services, some with clapped out old buses, no branding, no through tickets, no service coordination, no connection with rail services.
Very little marketing of the few routes that are operating and in the case of North Wales most timetable cases displaying out of date information.
No wonder Snowdonia and the Peak District car parks are full when the sun comes out!
Used trains and buses to get there and was amazed at the quality, frequency and reliability of the bus services in the National Park.
Modern Stagecoach vehicles, with network branding, buses running 7 days a week with many routes operating until late evening. Excellent marketing of the bus network including various rover ticket options both on line and in old fashioned leaflets. Most bus stops with up to date timetable displays and even a queue conductor on duty at Windermere station offering advice and selling tickets to speed boarding times.
I think virtually all the Lake District network is commercially operated by Stagecoach.
Now compare this with the ‘rag tag and bobtail’ network of buses operating in the Snowdonia or Peak District National Parks. A plethora of operators mainly running contract services, some with clapped out old buses, no branding, no through tickets, no service coordination, no connection with rail services.
Very little marketing of the few routes that are operating and in the case of North Wales most timetable cases displaying out of date information.
No wonder Snowdonia and the Peak District car parks are full when the sun comes out!