Transdev Blazefield

[busesrusuk]

No, certainly not. The night journeys are being reinstated.

Thanks - was in Manchester on Friday and seemed to have reasonable numbers...

 

[Deerfold]

No, certainly not. The night journeys are being reinstated.

They returned from the beginning of September along with a couple of peak journeys. There's no further changes currently expected.

 

[WY Bus Spotter]

Thanks - was in Manchester on Friday and seemed to have reasonable numbers...

That's good to know.

 

[158756]

Thanks - was in Manchester on Friday and seemed to have reasonable numbers...

The cuts referred to I think are relative to before Covid - frequency has been reduced from 15 to 20 minutes, which probably saved three buses plus any extras used at peak times.

 

[JetBlast]

According to Alex Hornet’s Twitter there is a new brand: “StarBus”. Looks like they have picked up some old Scanias from Nottingham.

https://twitter.com/alextransdev/status/1572177337965486081?s=46&t=zjCjsi6QaBiYgo_2EO_SFg

#StarBus is here - with a better, brighter, new-look, comfortable, ultra-low emission fleet ready to run on school routes and event services across Harrogate and beyond.

 

[WY Bus Spotter]

According to Alex Hornet’s Twitter there is a new brand: “StarBus”. Looks like they have picked up some old Scanias from Nottingham.

https://twitter.com/alextransdev/status/1572177337965486081?s=46&t=zjCjsi6QaBiYgo_2EO_SFg

Not sure it will do the kids 'street cred' any good. Would have looked less tacky in standard Harrogate Bus Co. branding.

 

[RustySpoons]

Not sure it will do the kids 'street cred' any good. Would have looked less tacky in standard Harrogate Bus Co. branding.

The moment they try and attempt to be seen as cool and 'down with the kids' is the moment it comes across as the complete opposite. Look at Urban Cool in Lancashire all those years ago...

I do agree though. Standard Harrogate livery would suit just fine. Is there really any need for yet another brand that doesn't really mean or add anything to the network? Just adds to the confusion, especially as it's still got the Harrogate Bus Co branding too.

Or is this a replacement for the Vamooz brand, which was also created for school and event services and appears to have been forgotten about?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

The moment they try and attempt to be seen as cool and 'down with the kids' is the moment it comes across as the complete opposite. Look at Urban Cool in Lancashire all those years ago...

I do agree though. Standard Harrogate livery would suit just fine. Is there really any need for yet another brand that doesn't really mean or add anything to the network? Just adds to the confusion, especially as it's still got the Harrogate Bus Co branding too.

Or is this a replacement for the Vamooz brand, which was also created for school and event services and appears to have been forgotten about?

Wasn't Urban Cool under the previous regime i.e. pre Hornby?

What this looks like is something more like Vamooz except its a more conventional offer. It's for school and event services but it would appear that model isn't working.

 

[RustySpoons]

Wasn't Urban Cool under the previous regime i.e. pre Hornby?

What this looks like is something more like Vamooz except its a more conventional offer. It's for school and event services but it would appear that model isn't working.

Think Urban Cool may have been early Transdev-era or even late Blazefield. Definitely pre-Hornby though. Wasn't particularly urban or cool but high on the cringe factor. I recall my brother coming home with some Urban Cool promo material he was handed out at school, lots of phrases used by adults trying to seem like they're cool... Embarrassing is how my brother described it!

 

[Deerfold]

We had a Star Bus network in Keighley in the early 2000s.

 

[Leeds1970]

I haven't seen a cancellation for it

it was too late to submit for the October 3rd change so will be mid to late October instead

 

[SCH117X]

Or is this a replacement for the Vamooz brand, which was also created for school and event services and appears to have been forgotten about?

One has been captured on the S36 which was the start of Vamooz

https://www.flickr.com/photos/stazicker/52372714574/

 

[Ken H]

One has been captured on the S36 which was the start of Vamooz

Stupid brand names....

 

[RustySpoons]

Stupid brand names....

Incorrect too.

Strange it's got a nautical theme, and even stranger is that there is 'starboard' branding on the port side.

 

[Andyh82]

The default response here seems to be to dislike and pick at everything

its a slight brand for older school buses to differentiate them from the service fleet, it’s something many operators have done in the past

Maybe they should just run them in as acquired livery like many operators do, like many of the other operators that serve Harrogate schools with double decks

 

[Swimbar]

The default response here seems to be to dislike and pick at everything

its a slight brand for older school buses to differentiate them from the service fleet, it’s something many operators have done in the past

Maybe they should just run them in as acquired livery like many operators do, like many of the other operators that serve Harrogate schools with double decks

The issue is that we are supposed to be happy that every morning our services are cancelled, including wholesale cancellations this morning, but the most important thing to Transdev is that need to know that they have repainted some buses - again!
I don't think that the school children, or the travelling public, are bothered what colour the bus is as long as it turns up.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Incorrect too.

Strange it's got a nautical theme, and even stranger is that there is 'starboard' branding on the port side.

View attachment 121019

The default response here seems to be to dislike and pick at everything

its a slight brand for older school buses to differentiate them from the service fleet, it’s something many operators have done in the past

Maybe they should just run them in as acquired livery like many operators do, like many of the other operators that serve Harrogate schools with double decks

The issue is that we are supposed to be happy that every morning our services are cancelled, including wholesale cancellations this morning, but the most important thing to Transdev is that need to know that they have repainted some buses - again!
I don't think that the school children, or the travelling public, are bothered what colour the bus is as long as it turns up.

It does seem the default response by some posters. No one is saying we should be happy about wholesale cancellations. I criticised them for introducing competitive routes in Team Pennine when they couldn't resource what they'd inherited from Yorkshire Tiger. Should they take on the X98/99 and not be able to run other stuff from York as a consequence, then they'll deserve pelters in that direction too.

To be balanced, they are informing passengers of the cancellations and offering some limited compensation. Sadly, I've had too many instances of other operators simply saying nothing about non-runners. The whole industry is rolling out service reductions and revised timetables, yet they are not keeping pace with driver availability. I do appreciate that people are only directly affected by their local firm, and in this case, it would be Transdev, but the criticism that they get is quite something when you compare it with the neighbouring firms. Arriva Yorkshire is a pale shadow of the firm that used to be there, and First West Yorkshire is perfunctory at best.

I'm not seeing what would be achieved by not repainting vehicles? Is the argument that they must be distracted by this and not focussing on service delivery? Or that unless everything is spot on, don't post any positive PR puff until you rectify the operational issues?

FWIW, the nautical theme is a bit lost on me. I can only guess that they went for Star, which produced a pun in "Starboard" and so it went on. I confess it doesn't do much for me with anchors and haddock and the like. I don't think it's any attempt to court the "YOOF" market, in much the same way as Pendle Wizz isn't appealing to the 1990's clubber. They could've gone with standard Harrogate livery. Then again, many operators have gone down the line that they wanted to differentiate those school/contract ops from the standard fleet. It's a point of view often discussed.

The X98/99 is a bigger issue. This is just PR puff.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Any business that makes a big PR effort to stand out, is also painting a big target on it's back when things go backside-over-bosom. That's just how it seems to work. The obvious example to point to would be Virgin Trains and their "Arrive Awesome" tagline.

Meanwhile First and Arriva aren't constantly launching snazzy new branding and liveries, nor doing big launches with Ray Stenning or local celebrities in tow, so their failings get overlooked. The more you attract attention, the more attention you'll get.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Any business that makes a big PR effort to stand out, is also painting a big target on it's back when things go backside-over-bosom. That's just how it seems to work. The obvious example to point to would be Virgin Trains and their "Arrive Awesome" tagline.

Meanwhile First and Arriva aren't constantly launching snazzy new branding and liveries, nor doing big launches with Ray Stenning or local celebrities in tow, so their failings get overlooked. The more you attract attention, the more attention you'll get.

That I get - you tick the box marked publicity and you do get more attention. Transdev do court publicity and get more scrutiny - that's understandable but think of the alternative...

If we take Arriva and First (though quite a few First firms ARE launching snazzy branding and liveries - just not in West Yorkshire) as you say... then is it better to be anonymously poor or at least to be conspicuously trying to be better if not always succeeding?

Should that be how we judge things? Travelling on a hammered First Halifax Eclipse thinking.... "well it's threadbare and hammered, but in fairness, they never offered anything better so I can't be disappointed". Is that it?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

That I get - you tick the box marked publicity and you do get more attention. Transdev do court publicity and get more scrutiny - that's understandable but think of the alternative...

If we take Arriva and First (though quite a few First firms ARE launching snazzy branding and liveries - just not in West Yorkshire) as you say... then is it better to be anonymously poor or at least to be conspicuously trying to be better if not always succeeding?

Should that be how we judge things? Travelling on a hammered First Halifax Eclipse thinking.... "well it's threadbare and hammered, but in fairness, they never offered anything better so I can't be disappointed". Is that it?

That shouldn't be how we judge things, but it often is how we judge things. If you over-promise and under-deliver, you're opening yourself up for more criticism than if you just kept quiet and still under-delivered.

I'm normally pretty sceptical of promises from bus operators, having lived through the shambles that was Yorkshire Tiger... but Team Pennine when they launched did seem to be a success on my route at the time, and buses were noticeably busier within a few weeks as word got around. That said, I do find some of Transdev's other branding efforts quite naff: for example who came up with "Vamooz", and what were they smoking at the time? That would be a sacking offence in my book!

 

[RustySpoons]

Cityzap will be withdrawn from the 19th November.

https://mobile.twitter.com/cityzapbus/status/1572589258908770304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1572589258908770304%7Ctwgr%5E313b555e634c75f54d4ac27ae7774091221f037a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelwestyorks.proboards.com%2Fthread%2F6418%2Fcityzap-withdrawn%3Fpage%3D1

#Cityzap zaps for the final time on 19 Nov. We've carried 1m customers since we started, but sadly the effects of COVID and rising costs mean that #Cityzap is no longer sustainable. We hope to see you on #Coastliner which will continue as usual.

Quite unexpected. I know someone posted about it a few days back but I misunderstood and just assumed it was ENTCS passes that were not going to be accepted. Anyway...

I wonder if it didn't have to cover the cost of the new ADLs it'd still be a viable service? Also wonder where the remaining ADLs will end up.

 

[dodecahedron67]

Disappointing, yet understandable.

Really liked using cityzap as being only 20 min longer than the train but being free for myself it was a happy tradeoff and my preferred method of York/Leeds transfer

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

That shouldn't be how we judge things, but it often is how we judge things. If you over-promise and under-deliver, you're opening yourself up for more criticism than if you just kept quiet and still under-delivered.

I'm normally pretty sceptical of promises from bus operators, having lived through the shambles that was Yorkshire Tiger... but Team Pennine when they launched did seem to be a success on my route at the time, and buses were noticeably busier within a few weeks as word got around. That said, I do find some of Transdev's other branding efforts quite naff: for example who came up with "Vamooz", and what were they smoking at the time? That would be a sacking offence in my book!

On this board, you would expect that people are more experienced and knowledgeable about the relative performance/approach of different bus companies.

Branding is always a subjective thing. Vamooz is a rather non-specific amorphous brand but is it any different from others that we don't bat an eye at - Persil? Asda? Esso? I have to say that the Stenning stuff in Go North East land (Berries, Cityrider etc) being either bizarre or anodyne is much more difficult to justify.

View attachment 121042



Quite unexpected. I know someone posted about it a few days back but I misunderstood and just assumed it was ENTCS passes that were not going to be accepted. Anyway...

I wonder if it didn't have to cover the cost of the new ADLs it'd still be a viable service? Also wonder where the remaining ADLs will end up.

It won't help having new vehicles to pay for. However, when those can be instead used on the X98/99 and as the traffic can be largely taken up by Coastliner, you can see why they've done it.

 

[RustySpoons]

Branding is always a subjective thing. Vamooz is a rather non-specific amorphous brand but is it any different from others that we don't bat an eye at - Persil? Asda? Esso? I have to say that the Stenning stuff in Go North East land (Berries, Cityrider etc) being either bizarre or anodyne is much more difficult to justify.

I remember Alex Hornby discussing Vamooz when it launched in one of the trade press magazines. The name was chosen because it was unique and easy to remember. And for a new venture that could be adapted to various operators across the country (as it was originally intended) it would work better than something aimed at a more local target market.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I remember Alex Hornby discussing Vamooz when it launched in one of the trade press magazines. The name was chosen because it was unique and easy to remember. And for a new venture that could be adapted to various operators across the country (as it was originally intended) it would work better than something aimed at a more local target market.

Yeah, and I guess that makes sense. Obviously, the model hasn't really worked but I was never offended by the Vamooz name, nor bowled over by it.

I'd certainly prefer firms to try and make a difference rather than the Arriva subsidence into a moribund existence. That doesn't just mean flash liveries and Stenning-ness (as Go North East has had those and they seemed a bit superfluous compared to what was already there). Stagecoach achieved much before the departures of Souter and Warneford and did that whilst in the confines of a corporate structure.

Transdev does court publicity, and they clearly don't always get things right. Publicity is not always backed up by performance but to suggest it's all style and no substance is not true either. They are certainly better than most firms IME.

 

[RustySpoons]

Also worth mentioning, the X41 is set to continue.

From James Daly, Bury North MP.

X41 bus service to continue

Recently it was confirmed, thanks to support from our neighbours Lancashire County Council, that the X41 will continue to operate at its current timetable.

This is an important link between Ramsbottom and Manchester but also connecting to Edenfield and further up towards Accrington.

With the 511 and 480 also being retained, Bury North will keep all of our current bus routes.

I still feel the X41 is one of the most neglected services across Transdev's network. Very rarely promoted or advertised which is a shame as it's still an essential service to a lot of people and still has potential, despite the mess that was made of it when rerouting it through Ramsbottom. There's a lot of mumbling on social media at the moment about the morning rush hour journeys being standing room only.

As LCC are supporting it, would the route not have had to be put out to tender?

 

[M803UYA]

View attachment 121042

Would 70 plate double deckers be the fault of COVID and rising costs, though? Surely that's a management decision to invest in new vehicles and increase the operating costs through higher depreciation charges? Did the company need to invest in 'new' for this route when the route couldn't support the investment, couldn't they have refurbished midlife double decks or bought from Ensign? Again, management decision. Why not just say 'we have tried this and it hasn't worked'.....

 

[Tetchytyke]

Did the company need to invest in 'new' for this route when the route couldn't support the investment, couldn't they have refurbished midlife double decks

Unless the "refurbished midlife double deckers" are fully amortised then there's still a cost attached. And they don't normally get fully amortised until about the 12-13 years mark.

There's also the argument that you don't revive a flagging route that once had promise with older buses. Arriva tried that by putting pleather seats and USB ports in a 15yo bus and calling it MAX. It fooled nobody.

The real costs will be fuel and driver wages.

The X98/99 is a bigger issue.

Assuming First were intent on binning off the X98/X99 regardless, then Transdev really were left with little choice but to take the routes on. If they left it then they'd be leaving a prime route into the heart of their territory wide open for competitors.

 

[Andyh82]

Transdev have provided a detailed explanation on their website

We created Cityzap as a fresh new concept in city to city travel back in 2016.​

It captured the imagination of car users, rail travellers and more as it reinvented travel between Leeds and York. In that time we’ve carried over a million customer journeys. So confident in its future, we made the decision at the start of 2020 to invest over £1.4million in our new SkyClass fleet.

Then, COVID happened.

None of us could predict the scale in which our lives changed. This affected travel patterns and how, and when, people made their journeys. Working from home has severely impacted the demand for commuting into cities regularly, and many concessionary customers are still yet to return to bus travel as often as they used to.

This has had a profound impact on Cityzap. Customer recovery on many routes is as much as 110% compared to 2019 where we have encouraged people back to bus – and new users too - but on Cityzap it has been as low as 50% in recent months. As you can imagine, this trend can’t continue and is unsustainable to manage.

Like every business at the moment, our fuel and energy costs are rising fast - while even at our value for money fares - which are much cheaper than the train between York and Leeds - leisure customers are now less likely to make fewer discretionary trips for shopping, days out and so on.

This could not have been anticipated when we introduced Cityzap in 2016, nor as we moved beyond the pandemic, but is the reality we now must respond to. The combined impact of the Covid pandemic and sharply rising energy costs are being felt by every bus operator in the country.

This all means - sadly - that Cityzap will no longer run after 19 November. The SkyClass fleet will begin to disappear from Cityzap after 25 September to prepare them for use elsewhere. Comfortable buses will replace them for now until 19 November. Our investment will not be wasted and will see use elsewhere within West Yorkshire as we make the most of our investment in public transport and seek to keep elements of our vision alive that the demand for fast travel into our key cities is there.

We thank our colleagues for making Cityzap an award winning pioneer and delivering for each day. They will all continue to have secure jobs with us. And, most of all, we thank you - our amazing customers - for zapping with us. It’s been a great journey - and we hope we’ll continue to see you on Coastliner which will serve Leeds and York as normal.

Sorry, we can't find this page!

www.transdevbus.co.uk

Please ensure that any quoted text from external sources is within quote tags. Thanks

 

[Ianigsy]

A shame - it had become my default way of getting to York, being about a third cheaper than an unrestricted train ticket and the longer journey time was barely noticeable if you happened to be going to the Knavesmire end of York. It’s a pity a way couldn’t be found to keep a couple of fast Coastliner journeys in the peaks- I know somebody who travels several days a week from Otley to study at York College and catches the 6.45 X84 from Otley as is to make the Cityzap which gets her to York for the start of the day.