Controversial Services
Controversial Services
(26 Jul 2014, 10:44 pm)AdamY There is indeed some press cuttings and the independent's name was HMB.
http://northeastbuses.co.uk/forum/showth...hp?tid=270
(26 Jul 2014, 10:44 pm)AdamY There is indeed some press cuttings and the independent's name was HMB.
http://northeastbuses.co.uk/forum/showth...hp?tid=270
(27 Jul 2014, 9:41 am)Andreos Constantopolous Was there someone else prior to them?
I can remember Magic Bus deckers bombing about Newcastle a few years prior to the dates you mentioned in that link.
(27 Jul 2014, 9:41 am)Andreos Constantopolous Was there someone else prior to them?
I can remember Magic Bus deckers bombing about Newcastle a few years prior to the dates you mentioned in that link.
(27 Jul 2014, 9:41 am)Andreos Constantopolous Was there someone else prior to them?
I can remember Magic Bus deckers bombing about Newcastle a few years prior to the dates you mentioned in that link.
(27 Jul 2014, 9:41 am)Andreos Constantopolous Was there someone else prior to them?
I can remember Magic Bus deckers bombing about Newcastle a few years prior to the dates you mentioned in that link.
The Derwent Valley provided another battleground between Go North East and Classic with other companies like Law Travel providing competition at other points after deregulation.
Although I didn't live in Rowlands Gill at the time, I do recall the following routes operating around the area in the early 90s.
75: Newcastle - Consett (Classic)
607/608: Newcastle - Blackhall Mill Circular (GNE)
611: Newcastle - Blackhall Mill (GNE)
736/738: Newcastle - Blackhall Mill Circular (Classic)
745: Newcastle - Consett (GNE)
B/C: Newcastle - Blackhall Mill Circular (A GNE Coach-based service)
Nine separate services with some operating half-hour frequencies. It's hard to believe now that Rowlands Gill once had somewhere in the region of 12 bph operating towards Newcastle.
(27 Jul 2014, 10:22 am)AdamY Bus was first trialled in Newcastle in 1997. I also thought they were around prior to this date (around 1995-ish) but apparently I was mistaken.
Previous to the HMB/Magic Bus saga, there was competition over similar routes with TWOC and Welcome challenging Busways. However this took place in the latter part of the 80s and lasted until around 1992/93-ish. TWOC were bought out in 1990 (by GNE who immediately sold the company to Busways) while Welcome were bought out in 1993 (also by Busways).
I believe dupes were registered on certain routes to combat the competition but there was no Magic Bus at this time.
(27 Jul 2014, 10:22 am)AdamY Bus was first trialled in Newcastle in 1997. I also thought they were around prior to this date (around 1995-ish) but apparently I was mistaken.
Previous to the HMB/Magic Bus saga, there was competition over similar routes with TWOC and Welcome challenging Busways. However this took place in the latter part of the 80s and lasted until around 1992/93-ish. TWOC were bought out in 1990 (by GNE who immediately sold the company to Busways) while Welcome were bought out in 1993 (also by Busways).
I believe dupes were registered on certain routes to combat the competition but there was no Magic Bus at this time.
(26 Jul 2014, 9:03 pm)aureolin What about the real controversial services. Who was it who tried to go to war with Busways in Newcastle, and we got Magicbus as a result of it?? What about the Durham Rd bus war? Was it Classic that ran a 21 down there?
(26 Jul 2014, 9:03 pm)aureolin What about the real controversial services. Who was it who tried to go to war with Busways in Newcastle, and we got Magicbus as a result of it?? What about the Durham Rd bus war? Was it Classic that ran a 21 down there?
Mother hits out at council bus policy that leaves her daughter facing a three mile walk to school.
http://m.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/1138...to_school/
My views, they should have known that when they decided to send her to that school, if they don't want her to walk that far they should get her a bike or she should get the Scarlet Band 16A from Faverdale along with the Hummersknot school kids.
(27 Jul 2014, 12:51 am)GMitchelhill Here is one that not many people will know of.
And I also manage the entire journey on my Network Teen Travelticket too since my starting point and alighting points were in Tyne and Wear.
Around 2000 / 2001, Compass Travel ran this service numbered the 318. It was a early morning only service and was a job link service. Anyway the route was as follows.
Newcastle Pilgrim Street - Gosforth - Dudley - Cramlington - Bedlington - Ashington - North Seaton - Spine Road - Cobalt - Willington Square - Howdon - Tyne Tunnel - A19 - Hastings Hill - The Broadway - Barnes Park Sunderland College Campus.
The vehicle was one of the 2 white Varios they had, either S20NET or S21NET.
It Departed Pilgrim Sreet around 7am and I alighted in The Broadway around about 9am. Oh and at any one point in the journey there was no more than 10 passengers.
(27 Jul 2014, 12:51 am)GMitchelhill Here is one that not many people will know of.
And I also manage the entire journey on my Network Teen Travelticket too since my starting point and alighting points were in Tyne and Wear.
Around 2000 / 2001, Compass Travel ran this service numbered the 318. It was a early morning only service and was a job link service. Anyway the route was as follows.
Newcastle Pilgrim Street - Gosforth - Dudley - Cramlington - Bedlington - Ashington - North Seaton - Spine Road - Cobalt - Willington Square - Howdon - Tyne Tunnel - A19 - Hastings Hill - The Broadway - Barnes Park Sunderland College Campus.
The vehicle was one of the 2 white Varios they had, either S20NET or S21NET.
It Departed Pilgrim Sreet around 7am and I alighted in The Broadway around about 9am. Oh and at any one point in the journey there was no more than 10 passengers.
I thought Hartlepool Borough Council's lesser known 'Hartlepool Explorer' service was controversial in that it was counter-productive in providing a decent bus service for the town.
Here's some context for the route & it's intentions:
http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/what-s-o...-1-7332861
And a timetable:
http://issuu.com/hartlepool/docs/hartlepool_express
And a picture of it in service, a solo or an enviro 300 were used:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/thespian/2...otostream/
The intentions behind the bus were similar to that of the South Tyneside service operated by the H-BNL Olympian in that it would promote town folk to get out over summer and support local attractions/businesses.
Hartlepool Council have operated their own small fleet of full size buses for a few years primarily for schools and mobility services, though they are available for private hire. Putting 2 & 2 together it makes fiscal sense for the council to run the service themselves rather than put it out for tender; especially since the leader of the council and MP Ian Wright have been rather vocal on their dislike for Stagecoach.
Presumably to avoid the minefield of red tape involved in public authorities running registered bus services, the service was free. It just so happened however, the route also linked two major residential areas of Hartlepool with the Town Centre and Marina. Competing directly with Stagecoach's route 1 and 7. The Explorer even went via Navigation Point, something long called for by Stagecoach passengers. Now, many may say the explorer ran so infrequently it wouldn't really pull many Stagecoach passengers away. Never under estimate the willingness of a cost-savvy Northerner to save a few quid. I know a few people who used the explorer over the Stagecoach bus to get around.
Here is where the problem lies. Stagecoach have slashed services in Hartlepool from a varied and extensive network with core routes, secondary routes, works and scholars to what it is now. Just 5 simplified routes with a halved PVR and the last bus rolls back into the depot before 7pm most days. As the Explorer was being exploited by bargain hunters, patronage must have dipped for Stagecoach. All this does is give Stagecoach to reduce their services even more.
Should this happen, Hartlepool Council are not in a position to use their fleet to replace the routes with more free buses on a permanent; they'd be uproar from the taxpayers!! Have look at the comments of the Hartlepool Mail article for a cross-section of public opinion. Likewise, they have point blank refused to subside commercial services for the past six years and I can't see this changing. HBC's bus subsidy budget since 2010 has been *drumroll* £0.
It may be less than a week old, but the routing of the 237 via Mulberry Way is causing some discussion.
Not sure sending it that way saves any time versus the 239, but it does mean it misses out at least 2 stops (depending on the direction) and potential passengers.
I think I pointed out previously that Mulberry Way doesn't have any stops at all.
(04 Mar 2016, 8:12 pm)Andreos1 It may be less than a week old, but the routing of the 237 via Mulberry Way is causing some discussion.
Not sure sending it that way saves any time versus the 239, but it does mean it misses out at least 2 stops (depending on the direction) and potential passengers.
I think I pointed out previously that Mulberry Way doesn't have any stops at all.
(04 Mar 2016, 8:12 pm)Andreos1 It may be less than a week old, but the routing of the 237 via Mulberry Way is causing some discussion.
Not sure sending it that way saves any time versus the 239, but it does mean it misses out at least 2 stops (depending on the direction) and potential passengers.
I think I pointed out previously that Mulberry Way doesn't have any stops at all.
(04 Mar 2016, 8:22 pm)Adrian What's it registered as? Normal stopping?
If there's no stops, then Mulberry way should be quiet enough to operate a hail and ride. Obviously depends on the registration like.
(04 Mar 2016, 8:22 pm)Adrian What's it registered as? Normal stopping?
If there's no stops, then Mulberry way should be quiet enough to operate a hail and ride. Obviously depends on the registration like.
In the near future the Q3's route will be changing to go round Great Park, after Wagonway Drive, turning left along Rosedon Way. The people living on Rosedon Way don't want any change. Everyone else thinks it is a good idea. GNE want the Q3 to go in both directions round Great Park, in effect a Q3 and Q3A.
Just a quick sum up of the Magic Bus name used by Stagecoach.
Was originally used on striped vehicles running in Glasgow against Strathclyde Transport from 1986, was used until 1992 when operations were sold to Kelvin Central Buses.
The Blue Magic Bus brand was first used in Manchester not long after Stagecoach aquired GM Buses South in 1996 and was used on various corridors, more notably the Wilmslow Road. The Brand is still in use today on the same corridor.
Magic Bus came to Newcastle in 1997 against HMB, later it disappeared not long after HMB went.
Magic Bus was reintroduced to Glasgow in 2002 in competition with First Glasgow who then introduced competiting services against Stagecoach Western on it's Kilmarnock to Ardrossan route. Magic Bus was closed down in Glasgow in 2006. Notably Magic Bus Glasgow used a lot of former Busways C-LFT Leyland Olympians.
Magic Bus and Magic Mini was used in Ayrshire against various operators. Notabley T&E Docherty in Irvine (Magic Mini) and against Ayrways (Using Magic Bus and Magic Mini) on services in Ayr and Prestwick. These were introduced in 2004 but were disbanded by the middle of 2005 when rival operators withdrew their services.
Magic Mini was briefly used in Inverness in a bus war against Scotbus in 2005.
Magic Bus was introduced to Liverpool mainly using Volvo B10M against various Arriva services around 2008/2009, again these were withdrawn when Merseyside PTE came up with Quality Bus Service Contracts on several corridors.
And finally Magic Bus was introduced in 2012 between Rotherham and Manvers using various Dennis Darts, the service was withdrawn in Autumn 2013.
I saw my first 925 yesterday, operated by 725. Unsurprisingly, there wasn't a soul on it (apart from the driver).
It got me wondering how many ocassions there can be when the fleet number matches the service number its operating.
For example if the 638 was to make a comeback, but being operated by Optare Solo 638.
(03 Jun 2020, 11:53 am)Andreos1 I saw my first 925 yesterday, operated by 725. Unsurprisingly, there wasn't a soul on it (apart from the driver).
It got me wondering how many ocassions there can be when the fleet number matches the service number its operating.
For example if the 638 was to make a comeback, but being operated by Optare Solo 638.
(03 Jun 2020, 11:53 am)Andreos1 I saw my first 925 yesterday, operated by 725. Unsurprisingly, there wasn't a soul on it (apart from the driver).
It got me wondering how many ocassions there can be when the fleet number matches the service number its operating.
For example if the 638 was to make a comeback, but being operated by Optare Solo 638.
(27 Jul 2014, 9:39 am)L469 YVK And on the other end of the foot, the November 2010 changes in the Tyne Valley didn't go down too well either.
(27 Jul 2014, 9:39 am)L469 YVK And on the other end of the foot, the November 2010 changes in the Tyne Valley didn't go down too well either.
