When are you moving this thread to Rotala?
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Show posts MenuQuote from: fleetline6477 on June 01, 2022, 09:54:59 PMTotally agree with you over the colour issue. The WMB livery should be a neutral colour, you're right they look too much like NX livery. Centro, Network WM, TfWM whoever have always favoured TWM, NX over other operators.It's the Street Machine himself who favours them and you can thank him for the livery. Of course, as far as he's concerned it's a 'happy coincidence'.
Quote from: Gareth on June 01, 2022, 05:18:44 PMAs I strongly suspect it could very well be our old friend from Blackheath, I certainly hope not.He makes some very valid points
Quote from: wulfrun on May 30, 2022, 10:14:37 PMSo what you are saying Tony is that because mTickets are not issued or identified by the ticket machine, they have to be presented to the driver in the same was as a paper ticket, where a timer is required on the mTicket to provide a "window of opportunity" to give the user time to activate their ticket before boarding the bus, before the ticket auto expires, to prevent reuse.You'll never last on here!
Therefore enabling customers to abuse this protocol to their advantage, by using the ticket on as many journeys they require within this 30 min "window of opportunity" – which WMT Ltd accepts as valid practice?
A practice that is not permitted if the customer is using other WMT Ltd Single ticket / fare issued – when purchased using a system that works as intended.
It is not the customer's fault that WMT Ltd can't install adequate equipment on their vehicles to validate tickets issued by the company for travel.
Why should customers be penalised for paying by cash / Swift PAYG / Swift Go - because those systems work as intended?
Customers purchasing single fares issued as a paper ticket; should be able to present the same ticket for use on any number of WMT Ltd services within 30 mins of the time stamped on the ticket issued.
With Swift Go, operators can define the rules of travel. Where, unlike mTicket, each time the user taps in with Swift Go, the time, stop, route and vehicle boarded is recorded, leaving a unique anonymous digital tail across the network, that helps transport planners identify common travel patterns to design a bus network that meets customer requirements.
mTickets are incapable of collecting this vital information. Unless WMT Ltd are not informing mTicket users the app is "spyware" using their device's GPS/network IP, to track the user's every movement – perhaps another reason the user is told to keep the device on at all times?
If tapping in using Swift Go on NXWM services, NXWM can set a rule that charges a capped fare of £2.40 for all tap ins within the first 30 mins of use for that day. Thereafter, as done now, the customer is capped at Day Saver rate, capped further at 3 and 5 days if making the same journey for the number of days per week, paid in arrears, every Sunday.
Where as mTicket forces the customer to commit to pay for a ticket in advance, for journeys the user may not even make, or be forced to pay more for an additional ticket, due to an unforeseen need to travel on other days in the week, or beyond the required Low Fare Zone or a need to use another operator.
With Swift Go, because you pay in arrears, your fare is auto upgraded depending on your next move. From £3 to £4 if you tap in outside the initial NXWM Low Fare Zone. If an additional operator is required to the normal operator of choice, no problems, the normal operator's day cap (NXWM LFZ Walsall £3) is auto upgraded to an nBus equivalent (nBus Walsall £3.20) for the day or 3/5 days capped, which ever is the cheapest. Whereas the user is forced to pay an additional fare when using NXWM mTicket app or Diamond mTicket app, as they have already committed to purchasing the wrong ticket, or be charged separate fares for each operator if tapping in with a Bank Card.
To make an assumption that not many people make more than one journey paying an NXWM mTicket Single – can only be deduced by comparing the number of mTicket sales against all ticket sales made on a particular day.
Where at a guess, I assume mTickets are not the bulk purchase, and of those very few buy mTicket Singles. Therefore by law of averages one can claim not many people use mTicket Singles, multiple times, compared to other tickets sold - but as for the exact figure NXWM don't actually know, because that data is not recorded.
Unlike Swift Go, which records the time, stop, route and vehicle boarded, each time the card is tapped in - using an inert plastic card that fits easily into purse/wallet/back pocket, which does not need the user to spend £100+ on an electronic device to install the mTicket app on, which also requires an external power supply to ensure the ticket remains valid, or the user faces a criminal charge for fare evasion. The Swift customer can view their travel log and current fare (to pay from their Swift Account, via a number of payment methods on the coming Sunday) at anytime, when accessing their account online or the TfWM app.
Why does WMT Ltd still encourage customers to use the inferior mTicket app that provides loop holes that customers can exploit to the company's detriment, by offering only the cheapest tickets on the mTicket platform, like a carrot to lure people to download the app (prime use being to harvest customer personal details?), instead of promoting the full gamut of WMT Ltd fares on Swift, a platform that provides greater flexibility for both customer and operator, with no loopholes that customers can exploit, as well as helping planners know how users are accessing the network, the fares being used, and help reduce fare evasion - with a need to validate the Swift card on a pad each time the user boards a bus?
Especially when you consider membership to the WM Bus Alliance includes a promise from the operator to support the Swift platform.
Quote from: 2206 on May 23, 2022, 07:47:07 PMYes I think if a ticket is no longer available anymore for good communication it would make sense for them to at least put up a passenger notice on the buses and on the website stating the ticket has now been withdrawn.You would think wouldn't you? At the same time the Evening Saver 'disappeared' again with absolutely no notice.
Quote from: Stu on April 02, 2022, 09:01:18 AMOff-topic posts about Sutton services split into new topic here:
http://wmbusphotos.com/forum/index.php?topic=6200.0
May I remind members that this thread is for discussing the operator Claribel Coaches and their current services.
For continued discussion of services that are changing operator, please use the thread(s) of that operator.
Quote from: 2206 on March 31, 2022, 11:08:59 PMWalsall will probably have more suitably sized vehicles for these routes than Perry Barr to. Might see 8XX.
Quote from: 2206 on March 31, 2022, 11:08:59 PM
I believe the 68 had been ran from Bordesley and then Perry Barr.
Quote from: Tony on March 31, 2022, 07:13:56 PM
The X15 is being included into the running boards covering all these routes as well. NXWM instead of bidding for all the different routes put one combined bid in to cover the X15, 77, 167, 168 & 604 which will all be run by Walsall garage
Quote from: j789 on December 02, 2021, 07:11:19 PM
What planet are you living on? I'd be very interested to hear what companies those were you were involved in to see where this exception operating practise existed? Did any make a profit as having all these spare buses and drivers available isn't exactly cheap? I really hope you aren't referring to any other West Midlands based operator as historically all those favoured companies by you round here have found themselves in trouble with the traffic commissioner at some point previousl - NOBODY IS PERFECT!
Also, you are the one who needs to read posts carefully. I gave the very real example of the situation in Birmingham Road and M5 J1 every West Brom home game with the 74. The levels of traffic are not predictable at all yet you seem to be arguing that that is still NXWM's fault as they know there will be extra traffic.
What you don't seem to understand is that extra traffic could cause a 15 minute delay one week but the next week it could be 2 hours (like traffic conditions that I have personally experienced this season). According to your business logic, NXWM should have 5 or 6 vehicles on stand by ready to go just in case there is a long delay - after all 'they knew in advance'. It's a nonsensical argument.
If your interpretation of the rules in the current operating environment of driver shortages etc was actually put in practise, every large company in Britain would be receiving a summons to appear before them. It is thankful that the traffic commissioner is showing some common sense during current times with this. A few missed trips are annoying for passengers I get this, but this won't be a long term problem once the driver shortage is sorted. Like I inferred previously, NXWM has operated according to the industry standards prior to the current operating situation so you need to take a step back and think about the ridiculous demands you are making.
Be realistic!
Quote from: j789 on December 02, 2021, 06:17:48 PM
Sorry Andy you aren't living in reality with your claims about NXWM. It's clearly been explained what the issue was/is and that it will be a issue industry wide for at least the next 6 months until the visa issue is sorted, amongst other things.
You say you have the experience in the industry, well you must have either been incredibly lucky in your company to not have any issues or alternatively maybe worked for a small company with nowhere near the problems. Who knows!
Football traffic is notoriously challenging to operate in, particularly later kick offs that coincide with the evening rush hour. I'm been to Villa Park a few times but go to West Brom every home match. The issues are the same there on the Birmingham Road with the 74. Some days the island round J1 on the M5 has been gridlocked causing 2 hour delays. Then the next game the traffic flows freely (like last week against Nottingham Forest). No company can realistically plan to run extra buses on the off chance there is a significant delay- it's not economically viable.
You never have anything positive to say about NXWM yet seem to think certain other companies round here would operate routes better. No they wouldn't, they would face the same issues as NXWM do and it would be the same.
Same goes for the clowns arguing for London style contracts - let's see how the non-bus using citizens of the West Midlands like having to massively subsidise routes through taxes because Norman from Caste Vale wants an every 10 minute service to operate at 10pm.
Just accept that industry wide the situation is very difficult at the moment - over the last 10 years, NXWM have not consistently missed out services like the situation you experienced. It was unfortunate yes but, at the moment, you've got to accept that the situation is far from perfect.
Stagecoach, First, Arriva are suffering just as much as any other company. You need to take things with a ounce of salt here and understand the reality of operation in this environment - you say you have the experience so I don't understand why you can't comprehend this?
Quote from: Tony on December 02, 2021, 05:24:05 PM
Incidentally your claim that the 65s were running ok is not correct, the 2306 from Court Lane to city was 24 minutes late starting that journey due to delays on Lichfield Road. That bus had not been on the 7, so it wasn't just the interworking causing problems
Quote from: cardew on December 02, 2021, 04:13:50 PM
Off topic but finishing a match after 10pm at the whim of Amazon prime does not help travelling fans of either team.
Quote from: Tony on December 02, 2021, 03:02:06 PM
As has been stated many times all the major bus companies are missing journies because of driver shortages, every driver is offered as much overtime as they want as long as it is within their legal hours, and as am encouragement the overtime rate of pay has been increased by 25%, but if you cannot cover existing work you are not going to find drivers for additional work on
TfWM have live bus tracking so why do NXWM need one that would show exactly the same information as to he source of the information would be exactly the same. Which tracker were you claiming was saying live information about a bus being 5 minutes away, so I can report it to get bug sorted?
Quote from: 2206 on December 02, 2021, 03:12:37 PM
Bus Times suggests the 22:35 X14 was on time last night. Departing from Priory Queensway. Might of been of use to you.