Policies on late services

[gregan]

Not sure if I should have posted this elsewhere as I'm new but here it is:
I was going past the Scott Arms (Great Barr) at around 4:30 and I'm sure I passed 4 service 5's going towards West Bromwich travelling almost behind one another. With the 5 being a every 10mins frequency on Saturday afternoons obviously there has been a hold up somewhere.
My question is does NXWM have a policy on this? On how early/late buses can be? If there were passengers waiting they would obviously get on the first bus (becoming quite full) with no passengers left to get on the other buses.

Thanks

[GeminiFan1991]

Not sure if I should have posted this elsewhere as I'm new but here it is:
I was going past the Scott Arms (Great Barr) at around 4:30 and I'm sure I passed 4 service 5's going towards West Bromwich travelling almost behind one another. With the 5 being a every 10mins frequency on Saturday afternoons obviously there has been a hold up somewhere.
My question is does NXWM have a policy on this? On how early/late buses can be? If there were passengers waiting they would obviously get on the first bus (becoming quite full) with no passengers left to get on the other buses.

Thanks

Sometimes some late journeys often terminate early (E workings) then continue onwards dead before attempting to make up time (You can tell as their not part of the time table, sometimes RTC affect bus workings as well although in terms of NXWM policy, I'm sure a more learned member of the forum may be able to convey that information

[AV4248]

Sometimes some late journeys often terminate early (E workings) then continue onwards dead before attempting to make up time (You can tell as their not part of the time table, sometimes RTC affect bus workings as well although in terms of NXWM policy, I'm sure a more learned member of the forum may be able to convey that information

At West Bromwich most of the time there are inspectors that may tell the drivers to go out of service and make back up the time they have been held for. I'm guessing in this situation one or two of those 5's would have travelled dead out of the bus station towards somewhere on the route (Kingstanding for example). I don't exactly know what would happen, that's just what I see when I'm around.

[MW]

On the 11, when you're usually over 15 minutes late, you'll get adjusted. Over 15 minutes late at peak times meaning there's three buses bunched together. For example yesterday (11A), I was around 25 minutes late, the bus with me was 17 minutes late and the other was 9 minutes late. There should have been a fourth bus with us, but there wasn't. I got adjusted and ran 11E to Perry Barr, then NIS to Selly Oak to get back on time. The 17 mins late one ran 11E to Ward End, and not sure where to from there.

Perry Barr to Selly Oak was fun. Bumped into a BC Trident NIS on the A38. Gave me a good understanding on whats quicker off the lights, Trident (46**) or Gemini (46**) lol.

[GeminiFan1991]

On the 11, when you're usually over 15 minutes late, you'll get adjusted. Over 15 minutes late at peak times meaning there's three buses bunched together. For example yesterday (11A), I was around 25 minutes late, the bus with me was 17 minutes late and the other was 9 minutes late. There should have been a fourth bus with us, but there wasn't. I got adjusted and ran 11E to Perry Barr, then NIS to Selly Oak to get back on time. The 17 mins late one ran 11E to Ward End, and not sure where to from there.

Perry Barr to Selly Oak was fun. Bumped into a BC Trident NIS on the A38. Gave me a good understanding on whats quicker off the lights, Trident (46**) or Gemini (46**) lol.

I must ask, what was faster !

[Squiz1971]

I must ask, what was faster !

I second that @MW

[Ronnoc]

On the 11, when you're usually over 15 minutes late, you'll get adjusted. Over 15 minutes late at peak times meaning there's three buses bunched together. For example yesterday (11A), I was around 25 minutes late, the bus with me was 17 minutes late and the other was 9 minutes late. There should have been a fourth bus with us, but there wasn't. I got adjusted and ran 11E to Perry Barr, then NIS to Selly Oak to get back on time. The 17 mins late one ran 11E to Ward End, and not sure where to from there.

Perry Barr to Selly Oak was fun. Bumped into a BC Trident NIS on the A38. Gave me a good understanding on whats quicker off the lights, Trident (46**) or Gemini (46**) lol.

You are quite a fun driver.

[Stu]

In situations like this, the iBus system in London comes in very handy. Last year I was on the 30 heading from Hackney Wick to Euston, and throughout the journey, as the terminus point was being adjusted, the on-bus display and announcements also announced the terminus. Although while sat on a bus in London with a flat battery, as the terminus changed from 'Marble Arch' to 'Warren Street' to 'Baker Street' and back again, I still wasn't sure whether I'd get to Euston or not!

Here in the West Midlands, it would be nice if there was some way of effectively communicating to passengers that the bus is going to stop short of its destination, especially if it changes after you've got on the bus!

[Stuharris 6360]

In situations like this, the iBus system in London comes in very handy. Last year I was on the 30 heading from Hackney Wick to Euston, and throughout the journey, as the terminus point was being adjusted, the on-bus display and announcements also announced the terminus. Although while sat on a bus in London with a flat battery, as the terminus changed from 'Marble Arch' to 'Warren Street' to 'Baker Street' and back again, I still wasn't sure whether I'd get to Euston or not!

Here in the West Midlands, it would be nice if there was some way of effectively communicating to passengers that the bus is going to stop short of its destination, especially if it changes after you've got on the bus!

Problem is, in London Centrecom control everything so that adjustments can be easily made, however in the West Midlands AVL would need to be replaced by something controlled by Centro so that all operators could be controlled at the same time.

[John Stait]

Not necessarily. In London curtailments due to late running are made by the Garage iBus Controllers - not Centrecomm, Centrecomm only get involved for diversions due to RTCs or planned closures and will instruct operators to "thin out" services as and where necessary to avoid all buses getting stuck in the same place.

Garage Controllers are quite happy for buses to run early too as long as the headway is correct. The Traffic Commissioner gets in the way outside London although I'm lead to believe you can run early on a high frequency route if authorised to do so outside London.

John 

[fleetline6477]

Sometimes some teamwork can help and I've seen this on 11A/C, Soho Road and Dudley Road where buses are bunched together the first bus doesn't stop to pick passengers up when a second bus is within sight because often if the first bus stops then the second gets held up behind it. I'm sure it happens on other routes too and that's where drivers can use their discretion. If there are passengers to get off they can often stop just beyond the stop.

Sometimes you see buses on 11A/C operating with unload only set on the destination, obviously that would require authorisation.

[Jaysnerz007]

Theyve took the unload only off the destinations now.