West midlands bus franchising

[j789]

I contacted TfWM with my concerns about this, and have now had the following response back:


Thank you for sending this over. The unusually high level of moderation is something we have raised with Commonplace.
Just to let you know in case it happens to you on a future consultation, we do have access to all responses. So even if it is held as moderated, it has still been received it just isn't showing publicly.

In other words this seems to say:

'Thanks for your comments outlining all the pitfalls of franchising - they have all been ignored during 'moderation'. However, thankfully two-brain cell Fred has sent a message outlining how horrendous the current bus service is because his bus was two minutes late one day last month. His comment has been not been moderated. Have a nice day'

[Stu]

In other words this seems to say:

'Thanks for your comments outlining all the pitfalls of franchising - they have all been ignored during 'moderation'. However, thankfully two-brain cell Fred has sent a message outlining how horrendous the current bus service is because his bus was two minutes late one day last month. His comment has been not been moderated. Have a nice day'

On the contrary, it seems to me that TfWM are 'apportioning the blame' onto the Commonplace platform that they use.

The 'moderation' only applies to public visibility of consultation responses. No doubt there are a lot of responses that are being moderated because they contain foul/abusive language, which would be understandable. However based on my own experiences attempting to comment on Birmingham Mail articles (they use the Viafoura commenting system), it seems there are certain keywords and phrases which if detected will mean your comment is immediately 'deactivated'. (Seriously, you can't even use the word 'idiot'!)

Clearly something I wrote in my responses has 'triggered' this automatic moderation process, but it beats me what it was!

I agree with your cynicism though, at the end of the day as WMCA seem to have already made up their mind what they are going to do, all they need is a majority of the responses to be 'in favour', therefore they can claim 'public approval' and a mandate to do so. They don't even need to read any of the written responses.

[Straightlines]

In other words this seems to say:

'Thanks for your comments outlining all the pitfalls of franchising - they have all been ignored during 'moderation'. However, thankfully two-brain cell Fred has sent a message outlining how horrendous the current bus service is because his bus was two minutes late one day last month. His comment has been not been moderated. Have a nice day'

Reminds me of your approach to anyone's view on the SME bus market!

[j789]

Reminds me of your approach to anyone's view on the SME bus market!

Not really I just tire of the anti-NX/ big company BS spouted by some based on nothing more than historical jealousy because those people ran/worked for other bus companies who tried to get a 'piece of the financial pie' in the West Mids and were never really able too.

Sour grapes is all it is because ultimately they were failures at that intended goal. End of!

[Tony]

Reminds me of your approach to anyone's view on the SME bus market!

Franchising in Manchester has done more to eliminate SME operators than NXWM's commercial majority has ever managed to achieve

[Straightlines]

Franchising in Manchester has done more to eliminate SME operators than NXWM's commercial majority has ever managed to achieve

Wasn't actually my point but in reference to yours it's probably level in terms of SME destruction by TfGM / NX Monopoly!

[Tony]

Wasn't actually my point but in reference to yours it's probably level in terms of SME destruction by TfGM / NX Monopoly!

How can a monopoly destroy SME, by the very fact there are SME to destroy means there's no monopoly

[Straightlines]

How can a monopoly destroy SME, by the very fact there are SME to destroy means there's no monopoly

I think it's been well documented over the years specifically including the monopoly on the travelcard.

Thankfully, the party for NX seems to be over and quite frankly some of the tears on here are wonderful to see.

[Gareth]

(Seriously, you can't even use the word 'idiot'!)

Understandably! How dare the evil Birmingham Mail not wanting people being called names on its website.

[j789]

Wasn't actually my point but in reference to yours it's probably level in terms of SME destruction by TfGM / NX Monopoly!

I'd be very interested to hear which SME operators you'd suggest, since de-regulation, would have provided a better all round service than WMT/TWM/NX have managed?

Massively increased costs over the last 20 years have meant that company scaling has mattered even more. Perhaps, in some eyes, it would have been lovely to have had 10 different similar sized operators on the West Mids. Yet the cost pressures encountered over those last 20 years mean that, on such a scenario, those companies would likely have had to either sell up or merge with others so you'd eventually end up with a couple of large companies anyway - just like has happened in Manchester (prior to franchising), Sheffield, Bristol etc.

It's not the 1990s anymore.

[Stu]

Understandably! How dare the evil Birmingham Mail not wanting people being called names on its website.

Context is key though. Idiot itself is not an offensive word, only to those who feel offended by it when it is directed at them.

Both the following statements would be 'censored' if left as a comment:

"There are far too many idiots on our roads causing deaths by speeding"

"Richard Parker is an idiot if he thinks bus franchising will make buses more reliable"

[Stu]

I think it's been well documented over the years specifically including the monopoly on the travelcard.

Thankfully, the party for NX seems to be over and quite frankly some of the tears on here are wonderful to see.

The adoption of nBus as a 'standard', and doing away with operator-only tickets/passes has probably come a little too late.

That was always - in my opinion - the ultimate barrier towards getting other bus operators to become involved in the region.

In NX's defence, by having the 'monopoly', it did mean that passengers in many areas only served by NX enjoyed cheaper fares.

There will be more tears being shed in the near future, when the likes of Stagecoach, First, Arriva and Go-Ahead are running your bus services, and the service is just as shoddy, while you pay more for the privilege.

[j789]

There will be more tears being shed in the near future, when the likes of Stagecoach, First, Arriva and Go-Ahead are running your bus services, and the service is just as shoddy, while you pay more for the privilege.

Spot on!

Ironic people thinking it's good NX won't have a monopoly anymore when the alternative will be one of the other big companies. It's not like Travel Express will be running the routes, despite how much a few on here would clearly love that option.

Trust me, if you currently work for NX, things will not get better either, conditions wise, if you are forced to transfer to one of those other companies in the future. There are no winners in this scenario at all.

[Tony]

A prime example is happening in Manchester at the moment. Stagecoach is the prominent operator in South Manchester commercially, TfGM award two garages to Metroline. Lots of Stagecoach staff are happy working for them so choose to fill all the remaining vacancies at Stagecoach's remaining garages instead of TUPE transferring to Metroline.
Metroline haven't had chance to recruit enough new recruits to fill the gaps, so lots of buses missing that weren't before franchising, so much so that TfGM have now had to call First Group in from Rochdale to run some of the services they have only just awarded to Metroline, and I bet First are charging them nicely for the privilege.

[j789]

A prime example is happening in Manchester at the moment. Stagecoach is the prominent operator in South Manchester commercially, TfGM award two garages to Metroline. Lots of Stagecoach staff are happy working for them so choose to fill all the remaining vacancies at Stagecoach's remaining garages instead of TUPE transferring to Metroline.
Metroline haven't had chance to recruit enough new recruits to fill the gaps, so lots of buses missing that weren't before franchising, so much so that TfGM have now had to call First Group in from Rochdale to run some of the services they have only just awarded to Metroline, and I bet First are charging them nicely for the privilege.

And you can bet that Mr Burnham isn't mentioning this in any of his many press conferences either! Even more ironic is how First particularly were painted as the bad guys in Manchester before franchising and yet now they are getting the 'Bees' out of a hole. Irony these politicians certainly can't comprehend that is for sure!