'Parliamentary' bus services

[telstarbox]

Are there any bus services which are run on a token service level to satisfy obligations to councils etc, similar to Parliamentary trains?

 

[northwichcat]

There are some very limited service routes under contract to the local authority such as http://www.ghacoaches.co.uk/Timetables/RR3MS12A.html

 

[WatcherZero]

Some developers sponsor Parliamentary like bus services for x years to new housing/office estates as a planning condition.

 

[Deerfold]

Are there any bus services which are run on a token service level to satisfy obligations to councils etc, similar to Parliamentary trains?

It's not long since that question was asked.

Generally bus companies can easily give up services with 56 days' notice.

First in Scotland have more difficulty giving them up but this is because of undertakings they gave when taking on the Scotrail franchise to ensure they did not simply remove buses to encourage rail use.

There are some very limited service routes under contract to the local authority such as http://www.ghacoaches.co.uk/Timetables/RR3MS12A.html

These are usually to provide a shopping service to otherwise unserved places - and it possible to make a reasonable return journey.

Some developers sponsor Parliamentary like bus services for x years to new housing/office estates as a planning condition.

These are usually either to a minimum specification for either frequency or price.

Such as this one:

http://www.wymetro.com/site/handlers/buses/timetables/pdf.ashx?route=553&code=

 

[northwichcat]

These are usually to provide a shopping service to otherwise unserved places - and it possible to make a reasonable return journey.

There used to be one that did Sandbach-Knutsford-Altrincham in the morning and Altrincham-Knutsford-Sandbach in the afternoon on Tuesdays and Fridays only. The bus was the only service to serve the village of Rostherne near Knutsford and there were complaints that if someone in Rostherne caught a bus to Knutsford on Tuesday they'd have to wait until Friday to go back.

 

[Rich McLean]

There is the 113 from Tavistock to Dawlish, which only runs up to 3 times a year. It runs on the 5th Saturday of the month between March and October, and it does indeed run

Beat that

http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/aug/28/britains-rarest-bus-service

 

[Deerfold]

There is the 113 from Tavistock to Dawlish, which only runs up to 3 times a year. It runs on the 5th Saturday of the month between March and October, and it does indeed run

Beat that

http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/aug/28/britains-rarest-bus-service

I can come close with the W13 which runs on the 5th Tuesday of the Month:

http://www.mkweb.co.uk/.documentlibrary?get=14548

Oddly there is also a W13 which runs every month but with a different route.

And note that part of this route also only runs on request...

 

[gnolife]

The only one that resembles that anywhere round here is the 303, 304 and 305 in Marple.
303 runs Tuesdays and Fridays on two circular trips to High Lane
304 runs Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays on two and a quarter round trips to Hyde. (the first one starts partway on the route, in Compstall)
305 runs Tuesdays and Fridays on one clockwise, and one counter-clockwise circle of Marple. These interwork with the 303, with one 303 provided, then the 305 CW then another 303, then the 305 CCW

 

[splashoutradio]

The only one that resembles that anywhere round here is the 303, 304 and 305 in Marple.

I remember when the 306 used to run to Rowarth. That was a scenic route.
There's quite a few monthly and fortnightly bus services in the Peak district - 446 being the one that comes to mind (this is the only service for some settlements on the route).
http://www.derbysbus.info/times/timetables/446C_090706.pdf

 

[robertclark125]

A lot of the Scottish Express services run by Fishers Tours of Dundee only run fortnightly, and some of those are not all year round.

 

[Deerfold]

The only one that resembles that anywhere round here is the 303, 304 and 305 in Marple.
303 runs Tuesdays and Fridays on two circular trips to High Lane
304 runs Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays on two and a quarter round trips to Hyde. (the first one starts partway on the route, in Compstall)
305 runs Tuesdays and Fridays on one clockwise, and one counter-clockwise circle of Marple. These interwork with the 303, with one 303 provided, then the 305 CW then another 303, then the 305 CCW

Oh, if you're looking at buses that only run weekly or some days of the week you'll find hundreds - even London has some of those.

Some of the Dalesbuses only run monthly in Winter e.g http://dalesbus.org/825.html

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Oh, if you're looking at buses that only run weekly or some days of the week you'll find hundreds - even London has some of those.

Some of the Dalesbuses only run monthly in Winter e.g http://dalesbus.org/825.html

Indeed, some of the buses up the dales have some intriguing problems so that a town like Leyburn has/had some Friday only services for the market but with Good Friday or other holidays falling on a Friday, then these can be moved to Thursday!

In the past, that caused problems as the same operator also did a service from Leyburn to Ripon on a Thursday so some reallocation of resources was necessary!

 

[CatfordCat]

Broadly speaking, there isn't the same process for a bus operator or council to go through to withdraw a bus service, so there isn't the same need to maintain a 'parliamentary service' as an alternative to closure.

Most councils - especially in the current financial climate - will not seek to maintain any council service that isn't being used.

As far as bus services are concerned, councils use a variety of criteria to decide which services to keep and which to pull the plug on. Support cost per passenger is a fairly blunt instrument (that tends to count against very rural services), some councils will try to include social factors, e.g. a bus that's the only link that a village has with the outside world will score more points than a weekly market day service to a more distant town when that village already has another bus service.

Some councils will make an effort not to cut a village off completely, so you may end up with a service that's not used by that many people, although there's a growing trend to try and cover this sort of circumstance with demand responsive / community transport schemes rather than conventional bus services.

Although as someone has said, there can be bus services put on as part of a planning agreement, and funded for X amount of time by the developer - these will usually keep going as long as the money / legal agreement lasts, even if there is limited use.

 

[telstarbox]

Although as someone has said, there can be bus services put on as part of a planning agreement, and funded for X amount of time by the developer - these will usually keep going as long as the money / legal agreement lasts, even if there is limited use.

Do services of this type ever become self-sustaining?

 

[WatcherZero]

Sometimes, depends how quickly the development becomes occupied. If it quickly fills up the population keeps the service going when the money runs out either as a council subsidised service or a commercial service, however if the uptake is slow you may find the money to operate it running out just as people start taking up residence leaving a public transport void.

 

[TrainfanBen]

Stagecoach in Warwickshire X14:

???-Allesley Village-Holyhead Road-Coventry City Centre > ??? > A46 > Leamington.
Seen in Coventry city center at about 8:00 am

Seemingly once daily. I don't know if its a private service or not, as I've seen people (adults) getting onto it.

I don't know if this would qualify as parliamentry in any way but any ideas? I can't find it on the Stagecoach website and it doesn't appear on timetables at bus stops.

 

[overthewater]

http://www.travelinemidlands.co.uk/...tputFormat=0&itdLPxx_sessionID=EFA3_464954086

Its a college bus.

 

[CatfordCat]

Do services of this type ever become self-sustaining?

I can't immediately think of specifics, but I am sure there must be some.

It depends if the development is sustainable in the first place, or whether it's all cul-de-sac off cul-de-sac sort of development that's almost impossible to serve by bus.

And whether it's designed with buses in mind or whether buses were seen by the developer as a nuisance to be kept as far away from homes as possible.

And whether the bus service has been there at an early enough stage for people who might use it to move to the new development, or whether it's introduced after all the houses have been occupied by people who don't use buses and who will then make an almighty fuss about having buses going near their home and devaluing their property...

Stagecoach in Warwickshire X14:

???-Allesley Village-Holyhead Road-Coventry City Centre > ??? > A46 > Leamington.
Seen in Coventry city center at about 8:00 am

Seemingly once daily. I don't know if its a private service or not, as I've seen people (adults) getting onto it.

I don't know if this would qualify as parliamentry in any way but any ideas? I can't find it on the Stagecoach website and it doesn't appear on timetables at bus stops.

Opinion is divided in whether it's a good idea to include services like this on roadside timetables and so on. Some operators / councils are obsessive about including even the most obscure services in every bit of publicity, some take the line that including services like this causes more confusion than help - especially when they are for things like colleges, therefore only run on college days, which won't even match school terms.

Unless such services genuinely provide a useful service for settlements that have no other means of transport, I'd incline towards the latter approach.

 

[Statto]

There was on F89 Birkenhead-Cranage Hospital which only operated on the 4th Saturday of each month, was more frequent at one time operating on the 2nd & last Saturday of each month, the F89 was withdrawn not that long ago either, think it was operating around 2000.

 

[TrainfanBen]

I can't immediately think of specifics, but I am sure there must be some.
It depends if the development is sustainable in the first place, or whether it's all cul-de-sac off cul-de-sac sort of development that's almost impossible to serve by bus.
And whether it's designed with buses in mind or whether buses were seen by the developer as a nuisance to be kept as far away from homes as possible.
And whether the bus service has been there at an early enough stage for people who might use it to move to the new development, or whether it's introduced after all the houses have been occupied by people who don't use buses and who will then make an almighty fuss about having buses going near their home and devaluing their property...
Opinion is divided in whether it's a good idea to include services like this on roadside timetables and so on. Some operators / councils are obsessive about including even the most obscure services in every bit of publicity, some take the line that including services like this causes more confusion than help - especially when they are for things like colleges, therefore only run on college days, which won't even match school terms.

Unless such services genuinely provide a useful service for settlements that have no other means of transport, I'd incline towards the latter approach.

Now I know for sure it is a college service it does make sense not to appear on timetables.


Thanks all for the X14 info

 

[34D]

Opinion is divided in whether it's a good idea to include services like this on roadside timetables and so on. Some operators / councils are obsessive about including even the most obscure services in every bit of publicity, some take the line that including services like this causes more confusion than help - especially when they are for things like colleges, therefore only run on college days, which won't even match school terms.

Unless such services genuinely provide a useful service for settlements that have no other means of transport, I'd incline towards the latter approach.

the WYPTE way is to list the school services (by number) at the top of the timetable poster, but not to actually include it's times. Most services are included on the Real Time Information system (often as scheduled time only) but operators can elect to have them removed if they wish.

 

[DunsBus]

The wackiest working I've ever heard of was East Midland's method of getting buses from its short-lived Frontrunner South East operation in London back to base for maintenance - this consisted of one journey from Essex to the Midlans late on a Friday evening and a return working late on Sunday night. This was run as a registered service to avoid dead mileage.