(03 Sep 2021, 11:24 pm)Adrian wrote Been out and about today across 10 different buses and 4 different bus stations, but I could barely find anything about the service changes. The only reference was some vague notices about stand reallocations at Gateshead Interchange, which were nothing more than an A4 sheet stuck on the window.
Either I'm massively unlucky, or there's something amiss here? I acknowledge what Dan said earlier about issues at the printers, and completely appreciate these things happen, but these are my observations:
- 'Service Changes' poster appears to be disappearing prematurely
- Only 1 out of 10 buses carrying any sort of timetable (a 21, but it was the Oct 2020 edition!)
- Only 2 out of 10 buses carrying the 'Summer Fares' leaflets
- Service Changes booklets are still as rare as hens teeth
It was alarming to see so many timetable holders completely empty, and in addition to that, I saw more buses carrying 'The Big Bus Conversation' posters than anything else. One bus had nothing in the clip frame, and another had a poster still advising we're in a local lockdown
Anyhow, I've done a bit of a write-up here. Have a read, if you've got the chance: https://www.busesandbeyond.co.uk/2021/09...s-the-key/
I will take a read of your link when it’s a more socialable hour (writing this at 1:30am!) but I do agree about communicating changes still needs improving. I can appreciate the four week notice the GNE website gave, which I think is a fair amount of time, providing that its backed up with other formats, printed leaflets/posters and bus station/stop information. I realise that bus stops maybe outside the bus company’s control but I do think all bus stations and interchanges, and main town/villages bus stops should have details on this, for better or worse. Bus companies working with local authorities to achieve this etc. It’s a two street too, promote the improvements, the new 65/new X72/new links on the 47/later evening and Sunday buses on the 8 etc. As well as the ones they’re cancelling of course!
I understand the printing issues, staffing issues etc but it seems bad planning has to be blamed in part. With a few exceptions - the 71/28 and introduction of 730,734 and 643 - the timetables for the rest were finalised weeks ago. Could they not have been printed weeks ago? Perhaps extra suppliers are needed for major changes such as this. Or perhaps changing services just after summer, a summer when people have taken arguably more annual leave (having been in lockdown and the need for a break) and on the back of the “pingdemic”, maybe changes could have been planned a few weeks into September?