This waiting room is for bus passengers and kiosk customers only

[175mph]

Other than the obvious such as homeless people using it to rest in, what other ways could a bus station waiting room be misused in that being used by anyone other than bus passengers or kiosk customers?

 

[skyhigh]

Taking drugs, use as a covered smoking shelter, a nice spot for eating a takeaway on a Saturday night, public toilet, holding gymnastics classes... quite a lot of things really

 

[Dentonian]

Other than the obvious such as homeless people using it to rest in, what other ways could a bus station waiting room be misused in that being used by anyone other than bus passengers or kiosk customers?

Excuse my ignorance but in this context, what is meant by "kiosk"? Also, when you say "waiting room" do you mean coach station, rather than bus station. Not many urban bus stations have seperate waiting rooms that I can think of.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Excuse my ignorance but in this context, what is meant by "kiosk"? Also, when you say "waiting room" do you mean coach station, rather than bus station. Not many urban bus stations have seperate waiting rooms that I can think of.

Some bus stations do have waiting rooms such as Taunton

 

[Typhoon]

Crawley has a very nice waiting room.

https://www.metrobus.co.uk/travel-shops/

It is combined with the travel shop which, I am sure, ensures it remains a very nice waiting room.

No gymnastics classes here! Opportunities for flower arranging, though.

 

[Dentonian]

Some bus stations do have waiting rooms such as Taunton

Funnily enough, I've just remembered that the old Bolton Bus Station had a waiting room. The coincidence being I visited the new Interchange today. That facility doesn't have a waiting room, and it hasn't taken long for the toilets to descend to squalor - not sure what the 20p a visit pays for, obviously not a cleaner! Otherwise, it is an impressive facility, apart from one major complaint from the locals; *its in the wrong bl**dy place* and is destroying the market.

 

[175mph]

Excuse my ignorance but in this context, what is meant by "kiosk"? Also, when you say "waiting room" do you mean coach station, rather than bus station. Not many urban bus stations have seperate waiting rooms that I can think of.

At the Scunthorpe bus station we have a small indoor waiting room with a sweets kiosk as well.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Otherwise, it is an impressive facility, apart from one major complaint from the locals; *its in the wrong bl**dy place* and is destroying the market.

That can't be right - it's near the rail station and that HAS to be the correct location

Joking aside, there are a few bus stations that have waiting rooms or similar. That said, I was in Swindon bus station yesterday and the range of people in the dismal Stalinist surroundings was like something out of a Hieronymus Bosch work

 

[carlberry]

That can't be right - it's near the rail station and that HAS to be the correct location

That didn't help in Cardiff!!!

 

[radamfi]

Bus stations for local transport tend to be at the rail/metro station, although some countries don't follow this pattern. Therefore, if the rail/metro station has a waiting room, then you have a waiting room.

 

[carlberry]

Bus stations for local transport tend to be at the rail/metro station, although some countries don't follow this pattern. Therefore, if the rail/metro station has a waiting room, then you have a waiting room.

And if it's just bus passengers they don't deserve a waiting room! And if you don't have a rail/metro ticket you cant use it anyway!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

And if it's just bus passengers they don't deserve a waiting room! And if you don't have a rail/metro ticket you cant use it anyway!

To be fair to Radamfi, you’re perhaps talking about frequent local feeder services from a rail station.

However, as we removed many of our rail services or intermediate stops in the UK, we have a lot of longer distance, low frequency (hourly if that) services to serve out of town destinations and that lends itself to waiting somewhere other than Costa or some shabby bus shelter on a town centre street.

 

[radamfi]

One of the advantages of having the bus station at the rail station is that all passengers, regardless of mode, can take advantage of the facilities at the site. This works best when buses stop right next to the building, so no roads or taxi ranks separating the buses from the building.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

One of the advantages of having the bus station at the rail station is that all passengers, regardless of mode, can take advantage of the facilities at the site. This works best when buses stop right next to the building, so no roads or taxi ranks separating the buses from the building.

Only if the rail station is in an appropriate location (e.g. Bath) and not somewhere peripheral (e.g. Bolton).

 

[radamfi]

Only if the rail station is in an appropriate location (e.g. Bath) and not somewhere peripheral (e.g. Bolton).

I assume you mean that Bolton rail station is peripheral to the town centre. If so, many rail stations in Europe are at least as far from the town centre, yet still have the bus station there.

 

[Private Baxter]

A social hub. There used to be a sign up in the waiting room at Wells bus station advising people that the waiting room was for people waiting for a bus, rather than for people to sit in all day!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I assume you mean that Bolton rail station is peripheral to the town centre. If so, many rail stations in Europe are at least as far from the town centre, yet still have the bus station there.

Yes and yes, and for the reasons explained.

 

[175mph]

A social hub. There used to be a sign up in the waiting room at Wells bus station advising people that the waiting room was for people waiting for a bus, rather than for people to sit in all day!

That reminds me of when an elderly person sat in the waiting room and thought it was a restaurant and kept demanding to know where the waiter was.

 

[fowler9]

Some schoolkids use Liverpool South Parkway as a hang out. Doesn't really bother me unless they are going wild.

 

[Dentonian]

One of the advantages of having the bus station at the rail station is that all passengers, regardless of mode, can take advantage of the facilities at the site. This works best when buses stop right next to the building, so no roads or taxi ranks separating the buses from the building.

Not very useful to anyone (except Rail commuters) if all the shops, indoor markets and other facilities are next to the old bus station site!

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

Not very useful to anyone (except Rail commuters) if all the shops, indoor markets and other facilities are next to the old bus station site!

Except of course that the majority of Bolton's shops, including the indoor market, are most definitely not next to the old bus station. At least the new facility is handily close to Bolton's main pedestrianised shopping street. Swings and roundabouts... except that you don't approve of anything that appears to favour anything associated with vehicles that travel on rails.

 

[Deerfold]

I do rather naughtily wait in a NX waiting area when waiting for a Megabus coach overnight.

 

[Dentonian]

Except of course that the majority of Bolton's shops, including the indoor market, are most definitely not next to the old bus station. At least the new facility is handily close to Bolton's main pedestrianised shopping street. Swings and roundabouts... except that you don't approve of anything that appears to favour anything associated with vehicles that travel on rails.

Double correction - albeit the first is one of emphasis.

1. I "don't approve" of anything that threatens those that depend on road public transport - especially high density, low car ownership catchment areas.
2. The criticisms of Bolton Interchange's location are far more widely voiced by Boltonians themselves and have been from the inception of the move from Moor Lane. I merely repeated an overheard conversation on the subject. Besides, the Indoor Market IS next to the old Moor Lane site - whilst it lasts. Locally voiced fears are that its on the brink of collapse and many traders, as well as shoppers, rightly or wrongly blame the relocation of the "bus station". Whilst the Interchange is across the road from one part of the shopping street, it is no closer to the town centre overall.

 

[175mph]

I do rather naughtily wait in a NX waiting area when waiting for a Megabus coach overnight.

Was there any staff around who could have told you to move?

 

[Deerfold]

Was there any staff around who could have told you to move?

I've done it several times. There's always staff present.

 

[radamfi]

1. I "don't approve" of anything that threatens those that depend on road public transport - especially high density, low car ownership catchment areas.

Out of interest, what do you think of dedicated busways? One of your main issues with trams is that the gaps between stops can be really large, but on busways they can be bigger than on Metrolink. The Leigh to Manchester busway may well have increased overall road public transport patronage, but historical parallel services have declined. Is that acceptable?

What about the Translohr system, which are basically trolleybuses but look like a tram?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Translohr

Have you actually investigated what happens when proper integration actually happens? Have you actually spent time travelling around on buses in integrated areas to see how it really works? The Netherlands should be your idea of hell, given it has the highest cycle use in the world and largely follows continental style integration. But that doesn't stop investment in buses. There are a lot of dedicated busways and there seems to be always busway construction somewhere in the country. Buses often have priority at traffic signals, with buses equipped with transponders to turn lights green. Very high frequency bus routes are rare, with typical urban frequency being 15 minutes, but most suburbs and large villages are served from early morning to late evening, seven days a week. Fleet replacement is continual. If anything, quite modern buses are withdrawn from service rather quickly. Some buses are sold to central/eastern Europe but many simply get scrapped early.

 

[Dentonian]

Out of interest, what do you think of dedicated busways? One of your main issues with trams is that the gaps between stops can be really large, but on busways they can be bigger than on Metrolink. The Leigh to Manchester busway may well have increased overall road public transport patronage, but historical parallel services have declined. Is that acceptable?

What about the Translohr system, which are basically trolleybuses but look like a tram?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Translohr

Have you actually investigated what happens when proper integration actually happens? Have you actually spent time travelling around on buses in integrated areas to see how it really works? The Netherlands should be your idea of hell, given it has the highest cycle use in the world and largely follows continental style integration. But that doesn't stop investment in buses. There are a lot of dedicated busways and there seems to be always busway construction somewhere in the country. Buses often have priority at traffic signals, with buses equipped with transponders to turn lights green. Very high frequency bus routes are rare, with typical urban frequency being 15 minutes, but most suburbs and large villages are served from early morning to late evening, seven days a week. Fleet replacement is continual. If anything, quite modern buses are withdrawn from service rather quickly. Some buses are sold to central/eastern Europe but many simply get scrapped early.

Overall, I think Busways are marginally better but I accept quite a few passengers - and even Councillors - were surprised when parrallel services to LGB were withdrawn. I think it has saving graces insofar as the stops are at least well positioned close to walkways from the residential areas they serve, and maybe its the view you get from the upper deck, but stops don't seem to be as far apart as on Metrolink; Also of course, Vantage bus seats are FAR more comfortable than Metrolink spine breakers and the walkways alongside the Busway are wide enough to drastically reduce conflict with all but the most reckless cyclist. Additionally, it has been a rip roaring success in terms of anticipated patronage and has proved the concept of buses "done properly" as a mode to all but the most class ridden media types.

It is many years since I travelled extensively on public transport abroad and my health means its unlikely I ever will again. For instance, iirc the last time I was in the centre of Amsterdam was 2006. As regards Cycling, it largely depends on the degree of criminality in Europe and how well segregated cycle priorities are from pedestrian paths. Bus priority/transponders at Traffic lights are probably THE biggest quick fix from the public sector side we should do in this country. I have missed more connections through red traffic lights than virtually any other reason - albeit I normally allow for such failures to "integrate" in my plans. Similarly, red traffic lights combined with TC remoteness from the real world are the biggest causes of poor off-peak punctuality in GM.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

As regards Cycling, it largely depends on the degree of criminality in Europe

I am confused on that one....

 

[Dentonian]

I am confused on that one....

What percentage of European cyclists stick to the road or designated Cycle lanes and/or clearly marked "shared" spaces - and also observe Red lights (including and especially pedestrian crossings)? In the UK it is a tiny minority.

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

What percentage of European cyclists stick to the road or designated Cycle lanes and/or clearly marked "shared" spaces - and also observe Red lights (including and especially pedestrian crossings)? In the UK it is a tiny minority.

In the Netherlands it is technically an offence to cycle on the highway where a separate cycle path is provided. It's extremely unusual to see this offence being committed. Having gone to the trouble of providing as much segregation of cyclists from other traffic as possible few cyclists have any desire to "mix it" with other traffic except when absolutely necessary. As Radamfi has said you really should have a good look at how transport works there even if cycling might be inappropriate for your own needs.