(21 Oct 2020, 7:29 pm)idiot wrote I most say there was standees on the 86 yesterday morning before bus full went on and still collected passengers.

Daft thing is a colleague of mine drove past my street but I'm not allowed to car share but I was on a solo bus with people standing. Mind all but one person was wearing a mask.

Car sharing

It is difficult to socially distance during car journeys. You should avoid sharing a car with someone from outside your household or your support bubble unless you can practise social distancing. You can reduce the risk of transmission by:

• opening windows for ventilation
  
• travelling side by side or behind other people, rather than facing them, where seating arrangements allow
  
• facing away from each other
  
• considering seating arrangements to maximise distance between people in the vehicle
  
• cleaning your car between journeys using standard cleaning products - make sure you clean door handles and other areas that people may touch
  
• asking the driver and passengers to wear a face covering
  

(26 Oct 2020, 10:46 pm)TEN 6083 wrote https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/national/stagecoach-wifi?fbclid=IwAR1OTLk_4JCgMJpGlBPmI6GiMC5nHDFGepW6iPXMloaDI9FDOEzGClXAsoE#

In order to cut costs due to Covid-19, Stagecoach will be switching off free onboard WiFi on buses from today with exceptions stated on this article


Sent from my iPhone XS using Tapatalk

(26 Oct 2020, 11:08 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Does anyone actually use the free WiFi on board? I find the 100mb limit makes it basically unusable

(27 Oct 2020, 7:04 am)citaro5284 wrote Clearly yes they do, GNE roughly using 1TB of data a week!

(27 Oct 2020, 12:38 pm)streetdeckfan wrote On average, that's only about 300mb per bus per day though.

(27 Oct 2020, 6:22 pm)citaro5284 wrote But, your comment was "Does anyone actually use the WiFi" when clearly there is, even to get up to 300mb a day per vehicle as an average.

(28 Oct 2020, 3:51 pm)Ambassador wrote It's very low level - I would guess longer commuter routes take up the bulk of that.

Is that current figures because that would be fairly decent if it was. I never used to use it because 4G was much quicker and like most folk I have a fairly generous data policy these days.

Certainly not a deciding factor when commuting/travelling for me at least.

(31 Oct 2020, 5:09 pm)col87 wrote With lockdown happening anyone think the bus companies will go back to a limited service for a few weeks.

(01 Jan 2021, 11:46 pm)Ambassador wrote I agree, cut down to service minimums to get people from A to B.  We shouldn’t be propping up multi million pound businesses. We’re not doing it for other sectors Furlough costs will cost the tax payer less than all this dead mileage and fresh air movement.

(02 Jan 2021, 10:14 pm)James101 wrote I recognise it’s complicated as buses are integral to key worker transportation and the economy in general as well as the direct employment of company staff. Most buses are British built so also indirectly supporting the recovery in that regard. But it’ll be hard to stomach the big op-cos going back to resisting re-regulation after taking life support for most of 2020/1.

What really stinks is the hypocrisy of Diamond, Stagecoach etc in Manchester who categorically do want your money, but only on their  terms.

https://www.yourbuses.co.uk/

(03 Jan 2021, 10:09 am)IRHardy wrote The problem is that two issues have come together which are incompatible:

1. Franchising:
The bus companies are businesses and what Transport for Greater Manchester are planning to do is to put all the bus services out to contract. The winner gets paid for operating that service, but if that is not the existing operator, then the existing operator does not get any compensation for that part of the business being taken away from them (i.e stolen). So the efforts that these companies have put into their businesses (which in most cases they indirectly purchased from GMPTE in good faith) means nothing and TfGM are saying is not worth anything. When the buses were nationalised to create the NBC in the 1960's, the operations were purchased from the existing owners, the owners received recompense for their business being taken away from them.
If I owned a business and the "government" decided that I could no longer carry on trading as they were going to take that business away from me, I would want compensating for the loss of income.

2. COVID-19:
The Government funding for bus services was because the Government imposed Social Distancing requirements which meant that more buses were needed to be run than would needed in "normal" times. When the SD requirements are removed, then the Government funding for bus companies will disappear and the bus companies will be back on their own, having to make enough money to keep the services running.

(03 Jan 2021, 10:09 am)IRHardy wrote The problem is that two issues have come together which are incompatible:

1. Franchising:
The bus companies are businesses and what Transport for Greater Manchester are planning to do is to put all the bus services out to contract. The winner gets paid for operating that service, but if that is not the existing operator, then the existing operator does not get any compensation for that part of the business being taken away from them (i.e stolen). So the efforts that these companies have put into their businesses (which in most cases they indirectly purchased from GMPTE in good faith) means nothing and TfGM are saying is not worth anything. When the buses were nationalised to create the NBC in the 1960's, the operations were purchased from the existing owners, the owners received recompense for their business being taken away from them.
If I owned a business and the "government" decided that I could no longer carry on trading as they were going to take that business away from me, I would want compensating for the loss of income.

2. COVID-19:
The Government funding for bus services was because the Government imposed Social Distancing requirements which meant that more buses were needed to be run than would needed in "normal" times. When the SD requirements are removed, then the Government funding for bus companies will disappear and the bus companies will be back on their own, having to make enough money to keep the services running.

(03 Jan 2021, 1:25 pm)streetdeckfan wrote If I was a bus operator I'd probably be inclined to tell TfGM to GFY.
They're working on the premise that the operators will want to play their game, but if they don't they're left without any operators to run their franchised services

(05 Jan 2021, 2:37 pm)Ambassador wrote It looks like the Govt are slashing funding for train services so surely only common sense that bus services will rightly follow

(05 Jan 2021, 3:11 pm)streetdeckfan wrote I doubt we'll see the same reduction of services with buses as trains, trains tend to be for longer distance journeys which obviously aren't going to be taking place whereas buses typically run locally on journeys that people are probably going to keep taking.

I personally don't understand why they're making out like this 'lockdown' is a big deal, the only real difference between Tier 4 and the 'full lockdown' is that schools are closed.
People should have already been working from home anyway, so the people that were travelling to work last week will be travelling to work next week.

The only services that should see a reduction in numbers is the scholars

(05 Jan 2021, 7:35 pm)Ambassador wrote The difference is it’s now law to stay at home unless for essential purposes which should and will lower passenger numbers and wfh although advised was just recommended whereas now it’s a directive.

(08 Jan 2021, 11:39 pm)BusLoverMum wrote I'm seeing a big difference in the loadings of buses where i live. Seeing one with a passenger is the exception, rather than the norm. That includes those heading to the Arnison Centre, which was really quiet when I went to do my weekly shop, on Wednesday.

(04 Jul 2021, 11:20 am)citaro5284 wrote I see it is getting reported this morning that from 19th July, masks may not be mandatory and up to 'personal choice'

If so, wonder how many people still wear them on public transport and whether been double jabbed or not makes a difference to what folk decide....

https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-face-masks-will-be-a-personal-choice-under-much-more-permissive-regime-of-measures-12348408

(04 Jul 2021, 11:20 am)citaro5284 wrote I see it is getting reported this morning that from 19th July, masks may not be mandatory and up to 'personal choice'

If so, wonder how many people still wear them on public transport and whether been double jabbed or not makes a difference to what folk decide....

https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-face-masks-will-be-a-personal-choice-under-much-more-permissive-regime-of-measures-12348408

(04 Jul 2021, 12:17 pm)Andreos1 wrote I'm in two minds.
Hate wearing the mask, but always conscious of people around me who don't respect body space and could be carrying all sorts.
I was like that before all this rona stuff to be honest!