Dorset bus user blasts timetable changes (From Bournemouth Echo)

Marc West, Yellow Buses’ planning & schedules manager, said: “The introduction of our summer timetable on June 6 sees various changes, including enhanced services on a number of routes.

“All the details can be found on our website at bybus.co.uk.

“In Mrs White’s case she will be able to change from a 4a to a later 2b bus at her usual location, giving her 16 minutes to spare and still get to Castlepoint for 07.55am.”.........
.... obviously Mr West has never used the buses. Has anybody actually got to their destination on time using YellowBuses? They only care about the money making routes, sod the rest of them. Wouldn't it be nice to have a prompt clean and polite service? What have we got? Late (if running at all) dirty, and some drivers really should have been put out to pasture years ago, or at a minimum, sent on a "be polite to customers" course. I catch W&D whenever possible, much better service.

rainbowkisses wrote:
Marc West, Yellow Buses’ planning & schedules manager, said: “The introduction of our summer timetable on June 6 sees various changes, including enhanced services on a number of routes. “All the details can be found on our website at bybus.co.uk. “In Mrs White’s case she will be able to change from a 4a to a later 2b bus at her usual location, giving her 16 minutes to spare and still get to Castlepoint for 07.55am.”......... .... obviously Mr West has never used the buses. Has anybody actually got to their destination on time using YellowBuses? They only care about the money making routes, sod the rest of them. Wouldn't it be nice to have a prompt clean and polite service? What have we got? Late (if running at all) dirty, and some drivers really should have been put out to pasture years ago, or at a minimum, sent on a "be polite to customers" course. I catch W&D whenever possible, much better service.

Rainbow kisses you live in a rainbow coloured world W&D have the same standard of driver as transdev half dont speak decent english and those that do dont know any part of the town but the roads to the route they drive. I do agree thou bring back clean buses and drivers who are there to provide a service not make money.

rainbowkisses wrote:
Marc West, Yellow Buses’ planning & schedules manager, said: “The introduction of our summer timetable on June 6 sees various changes, including enhanced services on a number of routes.

“All the details can be found on our website at bybus.co.uk.

“In Mrs White’s case she will be able to change from a 4a to a later 2b bus at her usual location, giving her 16 minutes to spare and still get to Castlepoint for 07.55am.”.........

.... obviously Mr West has never used the buses. Has anybody actually got to their destination on time using YellowBuses? They only care about the money making routes, sod the rest of them. Wouldn't it be nice to have a prompt clean and polite service? What have we got? Late (if running at all) dirty, and some drivers really should have been put out to pasture years ago, or at a minimum, sent on a "be polite to customers" course. I catch W&D whenever possible, much better service.

There are always going to be people unhappy when bus companies make changes, but I for one, am very pleased with the services they provide.

Yes, sometimes they can be late but there is usually good reason for this, (traffic, weather, both) Ive even seen someone stop a bus just to ask the time!

And as for being dirty, the 4a I caught this morning was brand new and spotless.

I would also add, if the driver does not inspect the ticket, then the fault lies with HIM for not enforcing the company's rules and conditions of travel.

Unbelievable.

This woman has an every 30 min or more bus service on her doorstep which takes ten mins. She then has a six minute wait before catching an every 15 minute service, which takes seven minutes. In total, a daily commute of 33 minutes, with numerous other buses should something go awry, and journey times so short they could easily be walked or cycled in the summer.

Yellow Buses cut the waiting time to one minute, thus reducing her commute to 28 mins. How does she thank them for this slight lie-in? By writing to not only her MP but the leader of the country...

Bus times do change from time to time - it's a fact of life. This "pointless" change probably has significant benefits for many other users elsewhere in the timetable. If she wants to guarantee getting to work on time get an earlier bus, there are ones available.

I used to work with someone who commuted daily by train from Liverpool to Hook (village just north of Basingstoke) - over 2 1/2 hours in each direction, and after a timetable change, with a -1 minute connection at Basingstoke. Did he moan? No he ran in case the train was late or waited 29 mins (or more) for the next one. Did he write to the PM? No, because he accepted public transport was not just about him. Something this woman needs to learn.

If you don't like it then change your method of transport, your job or where you live - don't go bothering David Cameron who might just have more important things to sort out right now. I hope he gives her extremely short shrift. Her selfish petty whinging is a pretty good example of broken society to me.

And if I was her employer, I'd be far less happy at being dragged into this story then a member of staff occasionally running a minute or two late because of the bus service.

Service from Bearwood to Poole has also gone crazy. There are three companies operating the route, depending on the day and time. In addition there are no buses in the evening. I appreciate that this is one of the lesser used routes but at one time buses were operated as a community service, with profitable routes subsidising the less lucrative ones. This is not the way to get people out of their cars.

“In Mrs White’s case she will be able to change from a 4a to a later 2b bus at her usual location, giving her 16 minutes to spare and still get to Castlepoint for 07.55am.”

So whats the problem? Mrs White still has a bus she can use and get to work on time.

Also a change of timetable twice a year is not constantly changing their timetables.

In fact Bearwood is now served more often now that the 6 is going there as well.

Cant please some people.

rainbowkisses wrote:
Marc West, Yellow Buses’ planning & schedules manager, said: “The introduction of our summer timetable on June 6 sees various changes, including enhanced services on a number of routes. “All the details can be found on our website at bybus.co.uk. “In Mrs White’s case she will be able to change from a 4a to a later 2b bus at her usual location, giving her 16 minutes to spare and still get to Castlepoint for 07.55am.”......... .... obviously Mr West has never used the buses. Has anybody actually got to their destination on time using YellowBuses? They only care about the money making routes, sod the rest of them. Wouldn't it be nice to have a prompt clean and polite service? What have we got? Late (if running at all) dirty, and some drivers really should have been put out to pasture years ago, or at a minimum, sent on a "be polite to customers" course. I catch W&D whenever possible, much better service.

FYI I know Mr West and he has always used the buses very frequently, usually choosing public transport in preference to a car, so please don't make assumptions!

As for Mrs White writing to her MP and David Cameron, does she really think she's going to get anywhere with that when the Conservatives were the ones who privatised the bus industry in the first place. They were the idiots who decided that bus companies had to be run to make money instead of serving the public, hence not everyone can be kept happy all of the time, it's just not possible.

for a start i can't quiet believe I have read this article along with all the comments, I should be getting the kids ready for school, all this women has to do surely is catch an earlier bus? That's life love, JUST DEAL WITH IT.

Buy a car or bike whats wrong with you !

This is utterly disgusting. Why can't I have a door to door personally timetabled bus service to my place of work, it's so unfair.

Actually Transdev, could you maybe stop a few doors away on my new door-to-door route as i don't want to have a bus sat outside every 30 mins, stop outside number 55 instead, their garden looks tatty. Oh and if you could wait a couple of minutes each time just in case I'm running late or forget to shut a window. Thanks.

According to Google Maps it is a 4.2 mile journey.
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This would take 20 minutes tops on a bike... without much exertion and sweating! The bike would pay for itself in very little time and then there are the health benefits of cycling to work on top. Start doing this now in the summer whilst it is warmer and then you'll find you are fitter and more eager to make the journey when the weather starts to get chilly and the mornings and evenings get more gloomy.
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Your colleagues will be jealous of your healthy glow!

If she sends letters to the Prime Minister when she has to make a minor alteration to her routine I imagine her colleagues would be happy not to see her healthy glow arrive everyday.

"Markmag, Boscombe.... I used to work with someone who commuted daily by train from Liverpool to Hook (village just north of Basingstoke) - over 2 1/2 hours in each direction. "

Can i ask in what future century this chap travelled in?He'd be lucky to do it in 2 1/1 hrs by plane, let alone a train.

instead of moaning about dirty buses etc, why on earth dont they take thier rubbish home, or bin it at the first available bin?, and leaving home a little earlier wouldnt hurt you either misses, because a lot of people will be loosing thier jobs too!.

Funniest thing I've read in months in the echo.
Did she real/y write to David Cameron or was that a sarcastic quip slipped in by Ms Vass?
Don't you think DC might be a little too busy to worry about some crazy woman from Dorset moaning about a bus - what with the small matter of having an entire country to run.

As a close friend of a bus driver I know the timetable and route changes annoy him just as much as passengers.

Cutting down routes etc just makes journeys boring as they are made to do the same route four or five times in a row which can be tedious. Timetable changes annoy as he gets the flack from the passengers! Still, apart from that he likes the job and says it beats working in an office!

Markmag wrote:
Unbelievable. This woman has an every 30 min or more bus service on her doorstep which takes ten mins. She then has a six minute wait before catching an every 15 minute service, which takes seven minutes. In total, a daily commute of 33 minutes, with numerous other buses should something go awry, and journey times so short they could easily be walked or cycled in the summer. Yellow Buses cut the waiting time to one minute, thus reducing her commute to 28 mins. How does she thank them for this slight lie-in? By writing to not only her MP but the leader of the country... Bus times do change from time to time - it's a fact of life. This "pointless" change probably has significant benefits for many other users elsewhere in the timetable. If she wants to guarantee getting to work on time get an earlier bus, there are ones available. I used to work with someone who commuted daily by train from Liverpool to Hook (village just north of Basingstoke) - over 2 1/2 hours in each direction, and after a timetable change, with a -1 minute connection at Basingstoke. Did he moan? No he ran in case the train was late or waited 29 mins (or more) for the next one. Did he write to the PM? No, because he accepted public transport was not just about him. Something this woman needs to learn. If you don't like it then change your method of transport, your job or where you live - don't go bothering David Cameron who might just have more important things to sort out right now. I hope he gives her extremely short shrift. Her selfish petty whinging is a pretty good example of broken society to me. And if I was her employer, I'd be far less happy at being dragged into this story then a member of staff occasionally running a minute or two late because of the bus service.

Well said Markmag.
I also have met Marc West and he knows all the routes in detail across the area including those of the other companies. There's no-one better. If there is a customer improvement that can be made he will endeavour to make it happen.
Transdev or whoever they are now are very lucky to have Marc's knowledge and talents on board!