Sheffields free electric bus service
Discussion
Riley Blue said:
Apparently someone has suggested extending the Sheffield tram network to Chesterfield. I'm not sure why as trains run between the two every 10 minutes or so - or are supposed to.
It's a different transport system; is there a relatively continuous suburban infill between the two? From the map there are suburbs/commuter towns which are poorly or not served at all by rail. If there is there should already be buses running the intended route, if the peak usage is high enough it may justify a tram route. The train mostly takes people from one city centre to another, the tram will mostly be taking people to and from everywhere between.I dont know the geography of Sheffield city centre but I applaud the council for making an effort to get people moving on free to use non polluting mass transit
Outside of London it seems the norm is to pay quite a lot of ££££ to use the bus which is usually/always privatised in the name of "efficiency" whilst simultaneously being a 20y old dinosaur belching black soot out of the back
COI: one of the few PH bleeding heart liberals
Cheers
numtumfutunch said:
I dont know the geography of Sheffield city centre but I applaud the council for making an effort to get people moving on free to use non polluting mass transit
You applaud a scheme that people aren’t using, and one that is costing millions of pounds of scarce public money that could otherwise be used to help the vulnerable (care of the elderly, children in care etc)?This is what happens when you put ideologues in charge of policy and spending public money.
hidetheelephants said:
Riley Blue said:
Apparently someone has suggested extending the Sheffield tram network to Chesterfield. I'm not sure why as trains run between the two every 10 minutes or so - or are supposed to.
It's a different transport system; is there a relatively continuous suburban infill between the two? From the map there are suburbs/commuter towns which are poorly or not served at all by rail. If there is there should already be buses running the intended route, if the peak usage is high enough it may justify a tram route. The train mostly takes people from one city centre to another, the tram will mostly be taking people to and from everywhere between.
My top tip when using Tap on/Tap off…..
When tapping on, first ensure you are on a First bus as I’ve just made myself to look like a fool…..
I catch the local bus occasionally and assumed it was only operated by the First buses operator. When tapping on this morning nothing happened and the bus driver just looked at me as if I didn’t have mental capacity, with the following awkward conversation..
Bus driver - ‘What are you doing?’
Me - ‘Tapping on’
Bus driver - ‘This is a Stagecoach bus and I have no idea what you’re doing’
Gets a little, just a little, easier once retired with a bus pass. Just as long as you do not need to travel before 9.30am or on tram systems that do not accept bus passes....such as Nottingham's tram network.....but the nice lady inspector could see that I was confused and just told me to buy a ticket for my return trip!
The Gauge said:
My top tip when using Tap on/Tap off…..
When tapping on, first ensure you are on a First bus as I’ve just made myself to look like a fool…..
I catch the local bus occasionally and assumed it was only operated by the First buses operator. When tapping on this morning nothing happened and the bus driver just looked at me as if I didn’t have mental capacity, with the following awkward conversation..
Bus driver - ‘What are you doing?’
Me - ‘Tapping on’
Bus driver - ‘This is a Stagecoach bus and I have no idea what you’re doing’
Stagecoach are accepted as having been very, very slow on the uptake with this; tap on/off has been standard on other major national operators for ages now!When tapping on, first ensure you are on a First bus as I’ve just made myself to look like a fool…..
I catch the local bus occasionally and assumed it was only operated by the First buses operator. When tapping on this morning nothing happened and the bus driver just looked at me as if I didn’t have mental capacity, with the following awkward conversation..
Bus driver - ‘What are you doing?’
Me - ‘Tapping on’
Bus driver - ‘This is a Stagecoach bus and I have no idea what you’re doing’
williamp said:
Ffs what low life steals a bus. Literally nothing fo do with the council.
They get nicked more often than you might think; a combination of being easy to steal (they don’t lock and there are no keys, just buttons) and presumably some degree of ‘novelty’ over stealing a car if you’re the sort of lowlife scum who’s into that. What also really doesn’t help is companies leaving them dumped in the street overnight, despite the above ease of theft, because they CBA to stump up for proper secure storage facilities. It happens all over the place, buses left sat in open parking areas or bus stations that anyone can just wander into. Being potentially 12 tons or so for a bigg’un they invariably do plenty of damage as some drunken idiot or clueless yoof rampages around town, and to be honest whoever decided to leave them sat there as a blindingly obvious theft magnet should be held partly responsible when the blindingly obvious happens!
Edited by Southerner on Saturday 4th May 18:52
Similar scheme in Perth, WA over a decade ago. It worked, it was busy. Lunchtime it's probably not so busy because how many people are working in city centre and taking an hour for lunch, and choose to get on a bus? Dunno, probably not many.
If the service runs late into the evening then even better for many people.
If the service runs late into the evening then even better for many people.
Riley Blue said:
hidetheelephants said:
Riley Blue said:
Apparently someone has suggested extending the Sheffield tram network to Chesterfield. I'm not sure why as trains run between the two every 10 minutes or so - or are supposed to.
It's a different transport system; is there a relatively continuous suburban infill between the two? From the map there are suburbs/commuter towns which are poorly or not served at all by rail. If there is there should already be buses running the intended route, if the peak usage is high enough it may justify a tram route. The train mostly takes people from one city centre to another, the tram will mostly be taking people to and from everywhere between.bigpriest said:
In Manchester train tickets with "CTLZ" give you free travel on Metrolink trams around Zone 1 (city centre). We also have free buses in the city centre linking rail stations and main shopping areas. Apologies for using up valuable rates money on public transport.
Iirc the free buses in Manchester came about as a link between the two main railway stn’s at Victoria and Piccadilly and have been running for donkeys years Since then the Ordsall Chord has opened plus the expansion of the Metrolink
They also seem just to use normal service buses which I doubt cost £1/2m each
The Sheffield buses do seem a bit OTT in spec for what will be for most a 5 minute journey but hey most of my bus riding was on Bristol Re’s and Leyland National/Atlanteans so what do I know
Earthdweller said:
bigpriest said:
In Manchester train tickets with "CTLZ" give you free travel on Metrolink trams around Zone 1 (city centre). We also have free buses in the city centre linking rail stations and main shopping areas. Apologies for using up valuable rates money on public transport.
Iirc the free buses in Manchester came about as a link between the two main railway stn’s at Victoria and Piccadilly and have been running for donkeys years Since then the Ordsall Chord has opened plus the expansion of the Metrolink
They also seem just to use normal service buses which I doubt cost £1/2m each
The Sheffield buses do seem a bit OTT in spec for what will be for most a 5 minute journey but hey most of my bus riding was on Bristol Re’s and Leyland National/Atlanteans so what do I know
Southerner said:
They get nicked more often than you might think; a combination of being easy to steal (they don’t lock and there are no keys, just buttons) and presumably some degree of ‘novelty’ over stealing a car if you’re the sort of lowlife scum who’s into that.
What also really doesn’t help is companies leaving them dumped in the street overnight, despite the above ease of theft, because they CBA to stump up for proper secure storage facilities. It happens all over the place, buses left sat in open parking areas or bus stations that anyone can just wander into. Being potentially 12 tons or so for a bigg’un they invariably do plenty of damage as some drunken idiot or clueless yoof rampages around town, and to be honest whoever decided to leave them sat there as a blindingly obvious theft magnet should be held partly responsible when the blindingly obvious happens!
It's a regulatory issue; their operators licence will have clauses about storage when not in use, no reason that requiring the storage to be secure couldn't be added and then they get to have a nice chat to the Traffic Commissioner about it.What also really doesn’t help is companies leaving them dumped in the street overnight, despite the above ease of theft, because they CBA to stump up for proper secure storage facilities. It happens all over the place, buses left sat in open parking areas or bus stations that anyone can just wander into. Being potentially 12 tons or so for a bigg’un they invariably do plenty of damage as some drunken idiot or clueless yoof rampages around town, and to be honest whoever decided to leave them sat there as a blindingly obvious theft magnet should be held partly responsible when the blindingly obvious happens!
hidetheelephants said:
Southerner said:
They get nicked more often than you might think; a combination of being easy to steal (they don’t lock and there are no keys, just buttons) and presumably some degree of ‘novelty’ over stealing a car if you’re the sort of lowlife scum who’s into that.
What also really doesn’t help is companies leaving them dumped in the street overnight, despite the above ease of theft, because they CBA to stump up for proper secure storage facilities. It happens all over the place, buses left sat in open parking areas or bus stations that anyone can just wander into. Being potentially 12 tons or so for a bigg’un they invariably do plenty of damage as some drunken idiot or clueless yoof rampages around town, and to be honest whoever decided to leave them sat there as a blindingly obvious theft magnet should be held partly responsible when the blindingly obvious happens!
It's a regulatory issue; their operators licence will have clauses about storage when not in use, no reason that requiring the storage to be secure couldn't be added and then they get to have a nice chat to the Traffic Commissioner about it.What also really doesn’t help is companies leaving them dumped in the street overnight, despite the above ease of theft, because they CBA to stump up for proper secure storage facilities. It happens all over the place, buses left sat in open parking areas or bus stations that anyone can just wander into. Being potentially 12 tons or so for a bigg’un they invariably do plenty of damage as some drunken idiot or clueless yoof rampages around town, and to be honest whoever decided to leave them sat there as a blindingly obvious theft magnet should be held partly responsible when the blindingly obvious happens!
Is there still an offence of failing to secure a motor vehicle or words to that effect, or was that some ancient WW2 thing to help stop ze Germans?!
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