(31 May 2022, 8:23 am)Jack Gill wrote [ -> ]It's a shame the 21 has started to go down hill a bit, with reduced frequencies, hopefully in the future it will go back to it's every bus being full self.
Has it? I use it regularly in and out of Durham, and even combined with the X21, it's normally quite busy!
(31 May 2022, 9:06 am)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]I agree the 21 is an issue and has been since they got rid of the variations that existed prior to 2006.
To be honest, I don't think the majority of the population do need or want to be in Newcastle, but GNE seem to be insistent on sending a huge chunk of their buses there and perceivering with the hub & spoke model.
Which means passengers don't have any viable alternative and a core route such as the 21 is one of their only options (excluding car or taxi).
I've not long replied to busmanT with some scenarios from Vigo and Portmeads.
The same logic applies to places like Pelton Fell, Kibblesworth or Lamesley.
5 totally different settlements, but each with a demand of sorts to use a reliable, effective bus network that penetrates their locality and takes them to places they need to be.
Those in Ouston or Perkinsville wanting to head north or even as far as Birtley, will now need to get a 34 and head south to Chester. Adding a significant amount of time on to their journey time. But at least they have some sort of alternative.
Can't disagree to be honest about Newcastle to be fair but I'd imagine people would rather be there than let's say CLS with the 34 though in the wrong direction.
Like to pick one area you mentioned there you could easily split one of the 21's off at Birtley and do the 82 bus route to Washington from there (not serving the estates in Birtley). Instantly you've saved at least a bus (maybe 2) duplicating the 21 on the 25 and also gave new connections from parts of Washington to Newcastle and Low Fell to Washington direct which is slightly slower but there's no change (I'd personally take that option) and removed a bus from Birtley to CLS which is never that busy.
Heck you could then send the 50 back via Vigo Lane to give connections to South Shields and Nissan from the bottom end of Birtley.
All simple changes with negligible PVR changes (it has to be a decrease) and opens loads of new links.
(31 May 2022, 9:43 am)Adrian wrote [ -> ]Has it? I use it regularly in and out of Durham, and even combined with the X21, it's normally quite busy!
I suppose I am just using it at quieter times anyways, so just what I see the odd time I go on it!
(31 May 2022, 9:30 am)Michael wrote [ -> ]The consultation on proposed service changes finishes today.
Get your views in... wonder how long it'll be before we find out whats happening?
I don't think we'll hear anything for at least a few weeks. If they're outsourcing the analysis of the consultation, I doubt they'd even know themselves what the feedback is for at least a week.
Someone actually has to sit and read through all the responses and do a thematic analysis on it (basically pulling out all the 'important' points), which is surprisingly time consuming. Depending on how many responses they get, it could easily be a few days work. They will then have to go through all the important points that were pulled out, and see what themes are standing out. Depending on how many responses they get, this step alone could probably take a full day.
At this point, what we would normally do is tidy it up a bit and give the preliminary findings to the client.
We would then begin actually writing the report, depending on what the client has asked (and paid) for, it could take anywhere from a couple days to a week. Some ask for everything to be written out with quotes everywhere, others are fine with tables.
Looking at the GNE consultation, I'd say it'd probably be a fairly easy job to do since it's essentially one question. I would obviously break down the analysis per route, and then probably break it down into positive and negative sentiments.
From experience on similar consultations (albeit in a different industry), I'd guess most of the responses will be negative, with most of those responses just being along the lines of "Don't do it" with no information on how it will affect them.
Whenni get the 29 I jump off at the cannon if a 21 is behind. I've also got the 28a to bartley to get the 21 to town so to say people dont connect to the 21 is not true. And there are more like me!
(31 May 2022, 9:06 am)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]If it is low and people aren't transferring between the 21 and something else, then surely that defeats the whole point of their hub & spoke model and proves it's not working?
If it isn't low and people are transferring between the 21 and something else (assuming passengers all don't live on Durham Road or within walking distance, then maybe it will have an impact.
More of an impact than we are seeing already!
If we use Birtley as an example - the people in Portmeads and Vigo are losing the well established 25. If they're wanting to use public transport to get to Gateshead or Newcastle, then their only other option is the 82 and then a 21. Except the 82 is going too.
The walk down to Durham Road might be OK. But the walk back is a pain and isn't an attractive alternative at all.
I agree the 21 is an issue and has been since they got rid of the variations that existed prior to 2006.
To be honest, I don't think the majority of the population do need or want to be in Newcastle, but GNE seem to be insistent on sending a huge chunk of their buses there and perceivering with the hub & spoke model.
Which means passengers don't have any viable alternative and a core route such as the 21 is one of their only options (excluding car or taxi).
I've not long replied to busmanT with some scenarios from Vigo and Portmeads.
The same logic applies to places like Pelton Fell, Kibblesworth or Lamesley.
5 totally different settlements, but each with a demand of sorts to use a reliable, effective bus network that penetrates their locality and takes them to places they need to be.
Those in Ouston or Perkinsville wanting to head north or even as far as Birtley, will now need to get a 34 and head south to Chester. Adding a significant amount of time on to their journey time. But at least they have some sort of public transport alternative.
The 28/28A and 82 might be replaced of course, with local authority financial support, (as might other routes) so passengers may still have the option of a through journey without changing, although at a lower frequency and with a different operator. I suppose we'll just have to wait about 4 weeks now until GNE/ Nexus / Durham CC announce the full details of the changes.
If the 12/12A get reduced to hourly on an evening & Sunday, could in theory the evening & Sunday X30/X72 journeys end up being run by Riverside interworking with the 6 & 12?
Would be far cheaper using StreetLites as opposed to E400MMCs and certainly compared to when the evening 6A & X30 interworked using heavy duty Mercs & Scannys.
One thing that confuses me with this consultation is for example the 39 on an evening. They're proposing to reduce it to an hourly service, but isn't it a Nexus secured service already? How can they propose to change a service that isn't there's to change? Or am I missing something?
(31 May 2022, 9:30 am)Michael wrote [ -> ]The consultation on proposed service changes finishes today.
Get your views in... wonder how long it'll be before we find out whats happening?
Seems like they’ve already made their mind up with some routes, the X22 for example with 3942 being repainted into corporate livery. Guess we will have to wait and see what happens with the other proposals.
Sent from my iPhone 13 Pro using Tapatalk
(31 May 2022, 3:15 pm)deanmachine wrote [ -> ]One thing that confuses me with this consultation is for example the 39 on an evening. They're proposing to reduce it to an hourly service, but isn't it a Nexus secured service already? How can they propose to change a service that isn't there's to change? Or am I missing something?
It's only after 8.30pm'ish where the subsidy kicks in so could be the few boards around 7/8pm where it could be starting from to get more buses off the road earlier.
(31 May 2022, 10:13 am)streetdeckfan wrote [ -> ]I don't think we'll hear anything for at least a few weeks. If they're outsourcing the analysis of the consultation, I doubt they'd even know themselves what the feedback is for at least a week.
Someone actually has to sit and read through all the responses and do a thematic analysis on it (basically pulling out all the 'important' points), which is surprisingly time consuming. Depending on how many responses they get, it could easily be a few days work. They will then have to go through all the important points that were pulled out, and see what themes are standing out. Depending on how many responses they get, this step alone could probably take a full day.
At this point, what we would normally do is tidy it up a bit and give the preliminary findings to the client.
We would then begin actually writing the report, depending on what the client has asked (and paid) for, it could take anywhere from a couple days to a week. Some ask for everything to be written out with quotes everywhere, others are fine with tables.
Looking at the GNE consultation, I'd say it'd probably be a fairly easy job to do since it's essentially one question. I would obviously break down the analysis per route, and then probably break it down into positive and negative sentiments.
From experience on similar consultations (albeit in a different industry), I'd guess most of the responses will be negative, with most of those responses just being along the lines of "Don't do it" with no information on how it will affect them.
It would be interesting to see the response size and the numbers of people who are in favour vs those who aren't and then see how the company responds.
But, this is the company who are increasing the number of buses up Pelaw Bank due to passenger requests and removing 6 buses an hour through Pelton Fell despite customer feedback. So who knows what will happen!
Let's just hope passengers don't feedback on the need for a direct bus between Chester and the Metrocentre...
(31 May 2022, 6:15 pm)TEN 6083 wrote [ -> ]Seems like they’ve already made their mind up with some routes, the X22 for example with 3942 being repainted into corporate livery. Guess we will have to wait and see what happens with the other proposals.
Sent from my iPhone 13 Pro using Tapatalk
To be fair, of all the changes, the X22 seemed fairly logical and I get why. MetroCentre is one place that has excellent connections (versus say Team Valley).
The decision to repaint and rebrand looks farcical but we're used to that with GNE now, it's just what they do.
The whole issue with consultations is what people think vs what people do. They tend not to reach those impacted but those who might use a bus once or twice a month who see an angry facebook post on a local group and click the link.
I'm sure GNE have made the effort to engage less tech savvy vulnerable passengers.
Without looking at the calendar there pushing it to analyse the results and give the commissior 56 days notice...
(01 Jun 2022, 11:26 am)idiot wrote [ -> ]Without looking at the calendar there pushing it to analyse the results and give the commissior 56 days notice...
If we assume they got 8500 responses, and spend 30 seconds reading each one, that's 71 hours (9 working days) to just read them, never mind coding them up into themes and actually analysing them.
(01 Jun 2022, 11:33 am)streetdeckfan wrote [ -> ]If we assume they got 8500 responses, and spend 30 seconds reading each one, that's 71 hours (9 working days) to just read them, never mind coding them up into themes and actually analysing them.
Or a days work for a team of 7 which would make more sense. It looks like it’s done on ms forms so there’s plenty of decent analytics in there already done.
data then summarised and kicked up to a higher level for review. The long part will be Nexus/DCC working a response
(01 Jun 2022, 12:52 pm)Ambassador wrote [ -> ]Or a days work for a team of 7 which would make more sense. It looks like it’s done on ms forms so there’s plenty of decent analytics in there already done.
data then summarised and kicked up to a higher level for review. The long part will be Nexus/DCC working a response
Very presumptuous of you to think there’s a team of seven.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
(01 Jun 2022, 2:09 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]Very presumptuous of you to think there’s a team of seven.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Draft in a leading driver or two?
Sure Go Ahead have some decent analytic software you can push a few buttons on (if not - see if you can pay for some with leftover paint
)
(01 Jun 2022, 12:52 pm)Ambassador wrote [ -> ]Or a days work for a team of 7 which would make more sense. It looks like it’s done on ms forms so there’s plenty of decent analytics in there already done.
data then summarised and kicked up to a higher level for review. The long part will be Nexus/DCC working a response
Not really. The bulk of the data will come from the qualitative question, which unfortunately has to be done manually
While I can't remember exactly what the survey was, from memory the quantitative questions aren't really useful on their own. I believe they were just asking for the respondent's area and which routes they would like to comment on?