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Messages - Zeddan

#2
Quote from: Sandy Lane on Today at 09:07:21 AMTo my knowledge today (Sunday) is the first day of EV use on the SC 60 route - both buses.
I think this makes all of SC's services in Coventry are EV's this morning?
Someone tell them to take 36753 off the 148, the only thing stopping today from being Coventry's first fully electric day. 😂
#3
Quote from: Justin Tyme on June 27, 2025, 10:59:46 PMWell ...

When I was a teenager - many years ago - I used to think about radical new routes, and I'm sure I'm not the only person to have done this.

I once thought about a huge sort of "Outer Outer Circle" linking Solihull, Northfield, Halesowen, West Bromwich,  Sutton Coldfield, Airport and back to Solihull. At the time it would have taken around 4 hours. I kept it to myself.

I suppose it is theoretically possible to link anywhere to anywhere. But would they be links that people want? And take into account that the more agglomeration you make, the more difficult timekeeping tends to be. That's why routes like the 11A/11C Outer Circle have been split.

You could try a slightly different challenge. If you were a TfWM planner charged with planning a new bus route network for franchising, what would you come up with?  And why?
Like the 360 in Cov, amazing in theory, and actually having demand, but not great in the timetabling department. Interestingly the 51 and 60 seem to be two of the most consistently on-time routes in the city now that they aren't combined into one. 
#4
Quote from: Dennis Dart Plaxton Pointer on June 23, 2025, 01:47:27 PMWe're losing the rugby work and 20B being changed to terminate in the old terminus
Is there any info to be found as to whether this will this include the 85s since they're mostly decker ran now? And would the 24/25/(85s if included) be ran by Stagecoach? Baginton hasn't got great service as it is, unless they want to get off near the Airport on the 13 after quite a long route comparatively speaking and walk. 
#5
Quote from: joseph88 on June 22, 2025, 10:07:08 AMSeen 36749 KX62 BLZ in the Stagecoach, we've got you livery yesterday evening in Solihull.

 https://photos.app.goo.gl/apcXoz1ZQCDVBGht6
I haven't really heard the general take on this, or really much about it in general compared to NX's liveries, but I'm really not a fan of this new SC livery. I personally really enjoy the local livery and hope it isn't being phased out completely like the gold one is. 🤔

Are these hot takes? 😅
#6
Purely out of curiosity, what's the difference between the Yutong E10 & E12?
#7
I remember reading on the tfwm website some time ago that Stagecoach were planning to add Sunday journeys to the 51 between the Ricoh & Uni Hospital, did this plan get scrapped, is it still happening at some point or was it just a suggestion, does anyone know? 
#8
Quote from: Stu on May 03, 2025, 04:43:33 PMOK, so I've gone through the agenda pack documents, and I've provided a summary of the public responses to the consultation, as well as a couple of demographics of interest.

The results are in: West Midlands set for bus franchising
https://wmbu.org.uk/2025/05/the-results-are-in-west-midlands-set-for-bus-franchising/


The thing is though, that many of the concerns that were raised by respondents won't be immediately solved by franchising alone.

With regards to bus service punctuality, reliability and journey times, franchising won't solve this, because franchised buses will still get caught up in traffic congestion and end up being delayed.

With regards to private companies putting 'profits before passengers', franchising means that private companies are contracted to run bus services, at a price that covers their operating costs and allows a profit margin, even if the buses run around empty.

With regards to anti-social behaviour and 'feeling unsafe', franchising won't stop undesirables from fare-dodging, smoking or playing loud music.

And as for the 'paradox' of wanting cheaper bus fares, as well as improved bus services, well I'm afraid you can't have both!
Might be an extremely controversial take, but I actually think it would be beneficial to scrap timetables altogether. Instead, retain journey starting times for hidden running boards and then just let the buses do the routes without time pressure. At as many stops as possible, have live maps showing where the buses are and an ETA to the stop, alongside those graphics for a rough journey time to various key stops. Idk if it would be possible legally, but promotion of sites like bustimes would also do well. I know so many people that get fed up when a bus hasn't turned up in 5 minutes but I can see clearly on the map it's been stuck in traffic, *cough* Clay Lane. This will probably not happen of course I just think franchising could bring about more possibilities for reducing the constant timetable reliability complaints because I'm certain 90% of those that do complain all the time, even to driver's faces, don't ever have to experience the awful West Midlands traffic themselves. 😅
#9
Hear me out, exclusively optare solos on the X1 for 24 hours. 😂
Let the chaos ensue.. 

But in all seriousness, I'm in Cov & not Brum so I don't fully know how it's like over there, but over here the more "residential routes", like the 14/17 and the 51/60/703 (stagecoach) that don't always use the biggest roads in the area are often mostly single deck - I'd just like to see one of the double deck electrics dealing with a route like the old 42, Coventry to Brownshill Green around some really tight estates. The Mercs seemed to have trouble some of the time from memory. I can just imagine these bigger buses looking wildly out of place. 
#10
National Express Coventry / Re: Coventry Garage
April 21, 2025, 01:34:00 AM
Quote from: Dennis Dart Plaxton Pointer on April 21, 2025, 12:24:37 AMThere are yes. The electrics E034 onwards have them on the screens and the E200's, volvos and E020's have paper notices on the windows
Are these for the upcoming changes? I went on E059 running the 5A on Friday, and all the screens were still providing information about the Sunday NXC 51 being withdrawn, the 6 getting an additional early morning journey and the 20 getting evening journey changes. Maybe I've just got unlucky with that.
#11
National Express Coventry / Re: Coventry Garage
April 20, 2025, 02:40:43 PM
Is there a specific procedure in place for communicating route changes, as in, they can't tell people until a specific time? It's now just 1 week until the 5/5A is replaced by the 7/7A and while the majority of bus stop flags have been changed, and while the timetable is available on the TFWM site, the social media managers at NXC are still completely unaware of the change, and it's not mentioned on the NXC website besides a small note under the marathon notice. I've seen people ask on the buses and one driver dismissed them, but at least 3 others have complained about not being told about service changes. I'd have thought drivers would be updated quite a bit in advance? Hopefully this doesn't sound like a stupid question I'm just a concerned person that knows a lot of bus travellers who go to the NX website over TFWM for information.
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