Would a car park shuttle service be of interest to you?
Discussion
Hi all - I'm an Auto Engineering student and investigating the potential interest in a shuttle service running from car parks to the main gate of events.
I'm thinking along the lines of a heavy-duty 4x4/tractor towing a trailer. Obviously distances of travel would change from event to event (the little train thing in Le Mans being a perfect example, and apparently Goodwood do a similar thing, though I confess I've never been). I'm not thinking expensive like the current chauffeur shuttles, more like £1-5 unlimited usage.
Any thoughts, no matter how important or trivial.
Would you be interested?
Where would you be most interested in using it?
Would you prefer a £1 wooden bench or a £3 cushioned seat (for example)
How much would you pay (I'm thinking of maybe putting the cost on the circuit so it's free but still need to know so I can guage what to charge the circuit).
Mods, if you feel this is better suited elsewhere then I apologise - this seemed to make the most sense.
Many thanks to any of you who help out, with anything!
I'm thinking along the lines of a heavy-duty 4x4/tractor towing a trailer. Obviously distances of travel would change from event to event (the little train thing in Le Mans being a perfect example, and apparently Goodwood do a similar thing, though I confess I've never been). I'm not thinking expensive like the current chauffeur shuttles, more like £1-5 unlimited usage.
Any thoughts, no matter how important or trivial.
Would you be interested?
Where would you be most interested in using it?
Would you prefer a £1 wooden bench or a £3 cushioned seat (for example)
How much would you pay (I'm thinking of maybe putting the cost on the circuit so it's free but still need to know so I can guage what to charge the circuit).
Mods, if you feel this is better suited elsewhere then I apologise - this seemed to make the most sense.
Many thanks to any of you who help out, with anything!
Goodwood run tractor-towed charabancs around the circuit, and not to car parks. It is very popular.
However, I see two problems with your proposal. First, at most circuits I can think of, car parks are reasonably close to at least part of the circuit, and broadly people expect to leave their car until the end of the day (or possibly a lunch break). Whether this is right or wrong, cause or effect, is another issue. Havinf said that, a charabanc all the way around Le Mans would be very popular.
Secondly, I wouldn't be happy about paying for the service to and from the car park. Having just been stiffed for entry, plus a programme, I'm going to be suspicious about forking out again, especially if there isn't a charabanc waiting there for me (and walkers are "getting ahead of me")
However, a quid for a combined all-day ticket (to and from the car parks, plus hop-on hop-off around the circuit) would work. That starts to make better sense for all and sundry. I would still look towards a model that's based on the venue taking part of the risk (perhaps a baseline guarantee of costs and/or they pay for sponsorship which they can sell on), perhaps with a profit-sharing option on all the £1s.
However, I see two problems with your proposal. First, at most circuits I can think of, car parks are reasonably close to at least part of the circuit, and broadly people expect to leave their car until the end of the day (or possibly a lunch break). Whether this is right or wrong, cause or effect, is another issue. Havinf said that, a charabanc all the way around Le Mans would be very popular.
Secondly, I wouldn't be happy about paying for the service to and from the car park. Having just been stiffed for entry, plus a programme, I'm going to be suspicious about forking out again, especially if there isn't a charabanc waiting there for me (and walkers are "getting ahead of me")
However, a quid for a combined all-day ticket (to and from the car parks, plus hop-on hop-off around the circuit) would work. That starts to make better sense for all and sundry. I would still look towards a model that's based on the venue taking part of the risk (perhaps a baseline guarantee of costs and/or they pay for sponsorship which they can sell on), perhaps with a profit-sharing option on all the £1s.
Goodwood run some from the main entrance to the car park entrance(s) on Revival and Festival of Speed.
They use purpose built/converted trailers with reasonable ride, wooden bench seats, proper steps/stairs to board, and most importantly if it rains, a roof!
They have about 4 to 6 doing a circuit, and the most time consuming thing you'll have to factor in is the loading and unloading, which seems to take a long time, and possible queuing of 2 vehicles when one has a slow boarding. They also needed marshals at each end to direct passengers and assist with boarding. Not sure if they are obliged to, but you may need to cater for disabled as well (Disability Discrimination Act?). Overall it was slightly quicker than walking.
Goodwood didn't charge for theirs as I recall.
One other cost you'll have, which could be quite expensive I'd guess (but have no experience to be sure), will be insurance.
HTH
They use purpose built/converted trailers with reasonable ride, wooden bench seats, proper steps/stairs to board, and most importantly if it rains, a roof!
They have about 4 to 6 doing a circuit, and the most time consuming thing you'll have to factor in is the loading and unloading, which seems to take a long time, and possible queuing of 2 vehicles when one has a slow boarding. They also needed marshals at each end to direct passengers and assist with boarding. Not sure if they are obliged to, but you may need to cater for disabled as well (Disability Discrimination Act?). Overall it was slightly quicker than walking.
Goodwood didn't charge for theirs as I recall.
One other cost you'll have, which could be quite expensive I'd guess (but have no experience to be sure), will be insurance.
HTH
Thank you all for your comments and help, especially for the info on both Goodwood operations. The marshalling bit worries me, as although they are unpaid, it seems less likely that the circuits are going to jump on this idea.
Snowy slopes, you're a man after my own heart - I do exactly the same, park as far away as seems acceptable to avoid the queues of cars on the way out.
Shuttling round the circuit was definitely something I'd thought about; the only problem I foresee is having the space to move within the crowds to actually make it faster than walking.
Surprisingly, insurance isn't too bad it seems, though equally I see loading/unloading times being a potential problem.
We are also now thinking more of where to find longer journeys and are thinking of downhill mountain biking uplifts. This is verging away from both my knowledge, and quite possibly the PH users' as well, but any more thoughts on that?
Snowy slopes, you're a man after my own heart - I do exactly the same, park as far away as seems acceptable to avoid the queues of cars on the way out.
Shuttling round the circuit was definitely something I'd thought about; the only problem I foresee is having the space to move within the crowds to actually make it faster than walking.
Surprisingly, insurance isn't too bad it seems, though equally I see loading/unloading times being a potential problem.
We are also now thinking more of where to find longer journeys and are thinking of downhill mountain biking uplifts. This is verging away from both my knowledge, and quite possibly the PH users' as well, but any more thoughts on that?
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