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Topics - wulfrun

#1
I have noticed since using the Arriva Bus App from 24th May, when viewing services in Live Map mode (an excellent feature that is sadly lacking in both NX and NWM apps), buses working Arriva services on Cannock and Stafford routes to/from Walsall and Wolverhampton are now reporting in real time - e.g. the bus nodes on the map are now showing up green (real-time) - rather than grey (scheduled time).

Alas the same Arriva services are not reporting live in the NWM app. For example the times for the 70 or 76 services are still showing as scheduled and not real-time.

While the Arriva app can tell me where the bus is - alas the app can't (as yet) tell me why the bus was late. So, as a matter of interest, does anyone know why the (25th May) 13:50 No.76 service from Stafford lost 4 mins around Coven, then got stuck at Brinsford for 15mins? It arrived 21mins late into Wolverhampton. The return @ 15:00, dep 27 mins late, where the driver made good time, arriving in Stafford 16mins late @ 16:06.
#2
The latest Government stats for Bus Services in Great Britain to March 2012 are now online.

Local Bus Passenger Journey Surveys
Help Notes

Here I have digested the most interesting figures. Passenger Journeys.

QuotePassenger journeys:
A count of the total number of boardings of each vehicle, so a trip which requires a change from one bus to another would be counted as two journeys in these figures. Figures do not include children under 5 years of age.

Estimates of local authority passenger boardings prior to 2009/10 are based on figures provided by local authorities. In the WM this is West Midlands Intergrared Transport Authority (WMITA).

WMITA Passenger Journeys 2004-2010 (Millions)

2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12
314.5 308.5 316.3 324.0 327.0 319.8 305.6* 284.4*

* figures supplied voluntarily as DfT does not collate this data using this method.

Post 2009/10 these figures are derived from the DfT PSV survey, and are not directly comparable. So the DfT have estimated a figure for 2009/10 based on previous DfT PSV survey results.
319.8m - original figure
313.8m - estimated figure based on DfT PSV survey




WMITA Passenger Journeys 2009-2012 (Millions)

2009/10 - 313.8 *  (post Dudley Bus Review)
2010/11 - 294.2    (post North Walsall Bus Review)
2011/12 - 280.8    (post W-Ton West Walsall bus review)

* estimated based on old/new methods of collating data.

Using figures from the DfT PSV survey, comparing 2009/10 to 2011/12, here is the breakdown for other English ITAs.


% diff between 2009 and 2012
Passenger journeys on local bus Services

- 1.8% Tyne and Wear ITA
- 6.5% Greater Manchester ITA
- 3.0% Merseyside ITA
- 3.6% South Yorkshire ITA
+ 6.4% West Yorkshire ITA
-11.8% West Midlands ITA


Why the dramatic drop in numbers for WMITA?

One could argue that the NWM bus reviews have identified enough routes that could be amalgamated so people only need to catch one bus - not two? Like to see evidence for this.

The WM is seeing a more rapid decline in bus journeys than elsewhere in England. Interesting to see what has been going on in West Yorkshire in the past three years as they are the only ITA that show an increase.

Other than WY, overall Metro counties are suffering. You can argue these areas are hardest hit in austere times. But with increase in fuel prices, motorists prefer to switch to rail than bus. Isn't it up to the ITAs to sort this decline in bus patronage out? Have they the tools at their disposal to tackle these problems?

The overall trend outside London is bad. In London bus patronage continues to rise.
And why is this?
Because there is a regulated framework?
An authority that is in overall charge?

England - Passenger journeys on local bus services

               London       Metro        Shire
2004/05        1,802        1,069        1,177
2005/06        1,881        1,070        1,184
2006/07        1,993        1,073        1,253
2007/08        2,160        1,099        1,297
2008/08        2,228        1,105        1,330
2009/10        2,238        1,086        1,315
2010/11        2,269        1,070        1,317
2011/12        2,324        1,041        1,314

2006/7 introduction of the English Pension pass scheme. This would not affect Metro areas so much as many already had Free OAP travel.
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