Questions for the NXWM Operations Director

[YW4355]

Hi Simon,

Maybe you could pass on to the Marketing Department that windows are for looking out of and are not a blank canvas for their vinyl.

As a passenger, I find this one of the most annoying parts of modern bus operations. Not just NX are to blame for this, as most operators are using this awful practice.

Passengers who are unfamiliar with routes have a difficult time, and quite frankly it makes the exterior look tacky. Especially on the budget branded routes such as the 37 and 55 etc.

Gareth

Agree totally with Gareth on this, it shows a total lack of respect for passengers, who surely deserve to be able to see where they are going!

I think you're overreacting mate. Its just a window sticker not a punch in the face as you board. Albeit, some do deserve it.


Simon,

Still no sign of the Bristol Road timetable.

Regards

Agree Gareth, especially the rear windows totally covered. Total lack of visibility from the rear windows and creates a darker area. It is a lack of regard for pasengers and the 37 and 55 over the side windows is usually right in the eye line of the seated passenger which is infuriating.

[andy]

Hi Simon,

Maybe you could pass on to the Marketing Department that windows are for looking out of and are not a blank canvas for their vinyl.

As a passenger, I find this one of the most annoying parts of modern bus operations. Not just NX are to blame for this, as most operators are using this awful practice.

Passengers who are unfamiliar with routes have a difficult time, and quite frankly it makes the exterior look tacky. Especially on the budget branded routes such as the 37 and 55 etc.

Gareth

Agree totally with Gareth on this, it shows a total lack of respect for passengers, who surely deserve to be able to see where they are going!

I think you're overreacting mate. Its just a window sticker not a punch in the face as you board. Albeit, some do deserve it.


Simon,

Still no sign of the Bristol Road timetable.

Regards

LS you do make me laugh!

[NX OD]

Hi Simon,

Maybe you could pass on to the Marketing Department that windows are for looking out of and are not a blank canvas for their vinyl.

As a passenger, I find this one of the most annoying parts of modern bus operations. Not just NX are to blame for this, as most operators are using this awful practice.

Passengers who are unfamiliar with routes have a difficult time, and quite frankly it makes the exterior look tacky. Especially on the budget branded routes such as the 37 and 55 etc.

Gareth

Hi,

Yes I will pass it on but as can be seen from others here it can sometimes be a matter of personal preference.

[NX OD]

Simon. Is there any way nx can improve the quality of print on tickets. If the digits were bolder and the ink wasnt so faint it might make it easier for staff and passengers (except those that recycle them fraudulantly). The metro tickets are much better. Also the scratchcard daysavers are leaving it wide open for an unscrupulous few. Couldnt nx replace them with maybe a voucher for which people put in the cash chute in exchange for a bus ticket. Just a thought?

Hi,

The only way to improve the quality of the print is to replace the ink cartridge.  Other than that the technology is very basic and there is not much else can be done.  New printers are the answer and this is on our radar.

The scratchcards are the subject of some debate but at the moment we consider them to be one of the better ways to do this kind of ticket.

[NX OD]

Hi Simon,

Maybe you could pass on to the Marketing Department that windows are for looking out of and are not a blank canvas for their vinyl.

As a passenger, I find this one of the most annoying parts of modern bus operations. Not just NX are to blame for this, as most operators are using this awful practice.

Passengers who are unfamiliar with routes have a difficult time, and quite frankly it makes the exterior look tacky. Especially on the budget branded routes such as the 37 and 55 etc.

Gareth

Agree totally with Gareth on this, it shows a total lack of respect for passengers, who surely deserve to be able to see where they are going!

I think you're overreacting mate. Its just a window sticker not a punch in the face as you board. Albeit, some do deserve it.


Simon,

Still no sign of the Bristol Road timetable.

Regards

Hi,

I will chase it up.  I know that I asked for it to be done and the timetable pdf was sent to the Marketing team for putting on the web but nothing more seems to have happened.  I will get on to it tomorrow.

[JoNi]

Hello Simon thanks for continuing to answer questions on a range of subjects.

Here's the penultimate set for now on feedback often interpreted as spying.

1) AVL (Automatic Vehicle Location) provides a wealth of service performance information, have you ever considered publishing results by route on your website detailing cancellations and reliability in a similar nature to railway operators.

2) As a customer when a bus pulls up at the stop that is setting down only to catch up time I consider that it is cancelled, do your performance figures reflect this situation in a similar light.

3)   Reference is made by Buses UK that mystery passenger audits are undertaken. Do you feel this sort of activity actually creates benefits for passengers or does it just lead to mistrust amongst staff. After all positives should be publicised for all to see and negatives dealt with by the manager responsible.

4)    Instances occur elsewhere in the country where notices are posted in buses asking passengers for feedback on changes to their specific route giving them a range of potential options to select from in a set timescale. Do you feel this is a more constructive form of dialogue than "later in the year there's going to be a network review in South Birmingham your feedback is warmly welcomed".....

5)   Many items of feedback can relate to more than one organisation e.g. bus operator, Centro, local council. In your opinion would a multi party system have the potential to break down the current silo based mentality that exists and actually identify those responsible so that improvements can be made in a far more positive atmosphere?   

JoNi

[bususer12]

Hi Simon,

I'm with LS on the times for Sunday services, I think it's about time they are looked at. The 126 on Sunday got caught and ended up 20 minutes late, and then got asked to get on the one behind on the Hagley Road. Other passengers were saying its not the first time its happened. Also with the 255, can you really see a bus doing a Sunday afternoon journey at Christmas from Merry Hill to Wolverhampton in 1 hour and 2 minutes, when on a Saturday morning it takes 1 hour end to end?

It struggled last year with the help of the 255E (Now withdrawn on Sundays) and X1. I think it may need looking at, because by the look of the timetable the route will interwork, meaning two routes could suffer. I would monitor the next few weeks, and bear in mind how Merry Hill snowballs at Xmas.

[Sh4318]

Hi Simon,

Can I ask why the decision was made to withdraw the 255E on Sundays? I've been single deckers full to the brim coming in and out of Merry Hill on the 255 on Sundays

[NX OD]

Hello Simon thanks for continuing to answer questions on a range of subjects.

Here's the penultimate set for now on feedback often interpreted as spying.

1) AVL (Automatic Vehicle Location) provides a wealth of service performance information, have you ever considered publishing results by route on your website detailing cancellations and reliability in a similar nature to railway operators.

2) As a customer when a bus pulls up at the stop that is setting down only to catch up time I consider that it is cancelled, do your performance figures reflect this situation in a similar light.

3)   Reference is made by Buses UK that mystery passenger audits are undertaken. Do you feel this sort of activity actually creates benefits for passengers or does it just lead to mistrust amongst staff. After all positives should be publicised for all to see and negatives dealt with by the manager responsible.

4)    Instances occur elsewhere in the country where notices are posted in buses asking passengers for feedback on changes to their specific route giving them a range of potential options to select from in a set timescale. Do you feel this is a more constructive form of dialogue than "later in the year there's going to be a network review in South Birmingham your feedback is warmly welcomed".....

5)   Many items of feedback can relate to more than one organisation e.g. bus operator, Centro, local council. In your opinion would a multi party system have the potential to break down the current silo based mentality that exists and actually identify those responsible so that improvements can be made in a far more positive atmosphere?   

JoNi

Hi,

1) Yes we have talked about this but the information we get is not quite as straight forward as the railways (or they do a lot of work to it to make it straightforward) so we are working through this to see what might be possible to be publicised.

2) In this situation we would record this as lost mileage but the AVL system would think the bus was in service.  Drop off only is only allowed on the 11A/C.

3) The Bus Users UK reports that they do for us are more of a general look at a service in terms of punctuality, reliability, stops and route rather than a specific scoring of a particular driver or journey.  Very occasionally there are specific issues that are taken up by the relevant manager.

4) There is a difficult balance to be struck here.  I remember an early Network Review in either south or west Birmingham where we did produce options for routes but were heavily criticised for having done a 'fait accompli' and not allowed people a chance to give their views before coming up with plans.  Centro and ourselves now prefer to leave the consultation fairly open.

5) I don't believe we do work in a silo based mentality.  Our partnership with Centro has never been more positive and we have ever improving relations with all the local authorities.

[NX OD]

Hi Simon,

Can I ask why the decision was made to withdraw the 255E on Sundays? I've been single deckers full to the brim coming in and out of Merry Hill on the 255 on Sundays

Hi,

The 255 decision was made on a purely financial basis as the demand did not match the resource we were putting out.  It is being monitored and double deckers will be allocated when the Christmas traffic picks up.

[mistertee]

Hi, and thanks again for all the replies and information so far.

In response to what I've read in the last few weeks, I'd like to make some comments as follows:

Re: 71/71A/72/638.
I'm aware that a politician saying "we have no plans to... " means "we are going to... , but it's not yet in writing", so take it that change could well be afoot. I know it may go against the company grain a little, but I hope you'll be able to let us know what is to happen in advance, and ensure plenty of information is put out there. And isn't the week that the schools go back an odd time to change the 71A back to single-deckers?

Re Livery:
Most of the comments I've read on here are objective ones, along the lines of the things quoted as being important to passengers. The work of making a bus presentable must be much harder than it needs to be when the vehicle is painted in a red which fades and looks washed-out, and a white which highlights any dirt. Nothing is going to suit everybody, but the main criticism of the current scheme is surely that isn't, and was never going to be, practical? As regards things that matter to the travelling public, I don't recall seeing heating on the list. It's obviously the wrong day to mention such a thing, but modern buses come with excellent interior heating systems which offer a very welcome environment on a cold day. But only when they are working, which in this area seems to be all too rarely, and so the experience remains a cold bus with misted windows, drips and runs of condensation. It's as if the last 40 years or so of vehicle development never happened; are these things just too difficult to maintain?

Re: National Express West Midlands branding.
This should have been completed five and a half years ago. If that was too difficult, or too expensive, it shouldn't have been started.

[PM]

Hi, and thanks again for all the replies and information so far.

In response to what I've read in the last few weeks, I'd like to make some comments as follows:

Re: 71/71A/72/638.
I'm aware that a politician saying "we have no plans to... " means "we are going to... , but it's not yet in writing", so take it that change could well be afoot. I know it may go against the company grain a little, but I hope you'll be able to let us know what is to happen in advance, and ensure plenty of information is put out there. And isn't the week that the schools go back an odd time to change the 71A back to single-deckers?

Re Livery:
Most of the comments I've read on here are objective ones, along the lines of the things quoted as being important to passengers. The work of making a bus presentable must be much harder than it needs to be when the vehicle is painted in a red which fades and looks washed-out, and a white which highlights any dirt. Nothing is going to suit everybody, but the main criticism of the current scheme is surely that isn't, and was never going to be, practical? As regards things that matter to the travelling public, I don't recall seeing heating on the list. It's obviously the wrong day to mention such a thing, but modern buses come with excellent interior heating systems which offer a very welcome environment on a cold day. But only when they are working, which in this area seems to be all too rarely, and so the experience remains a cold bus with misted windows, drips and runs of condensation. It's as if the last 40 years or so of vehicle development never happened; are these things just too difficult to maintain?

Re: National Express West Midlands branding.
This should have been completed five and a half years ago. If that was too difficult, or too expensive, it shouldn't have been started.

Agree mistertee and welcome to a new member  :)

The alx400s are the worst for heating-freezing in the winter and hot in the summer with very few opening windows. The scanias though and the presidents-well they go from 0-60 degrees way way faster than 0-60mph

Agree about the livery and hear a lot of people say that they miss blue on the buses. I think thats what you get when liveries are designed by committes-a missed marketing opportunity in my view. Get people on board literally and metaphorically by having some sort of livery competition so passengers can choose-something that presents an upmarket livery that can be well maintained

[Stuharris 6360]

Simon,


Thanks for answering all our questions.

Mine is more of a problem and a possible solution.

With the schools now operating again, and in particular the Earls High & Windsor High School in Halesowen, this will once again start to cause overcrowding issues between Halesowen & Stourbridge in the afternoon. During the last school year i had the unfortunate " honour " of having to travel on a 9 around 1530 from Halesowen and it was truly awful, on one occasion it was overcrowded by the time it left the stop nearest Earls High and because someone wanted to get off at the stop nearest Windsor High, another pile of children tried to crush on so that the bus was dangerously overcrowded.

In Situations like this i do feel for the driver, he had no chance of trying to stop the children getting on the bus, and as i was sat close to the driver on one occasion, i saw that the children were sneaking on without paying and i am sure that others weren`t putting the correct amount in the box.

Perhaps an idea to solve the problem, if there is a peak hour 9 board that starts from Stourbridge at around 16:00, could it not run a 9E from Halesowen at 15:25 or 15:30?

[NX OD]

Hi, and thanks again for all the replies and information so far.

In response to what I've read in the last few weeks, I'd like to make some comments as follows:

Re: 71/71A/72/638.
I'm aware that a politician saying "we have no plans to... " means "we are going to... , but it's not yet in writing", so take it that change could well be afoot. I know it may go against the company grain a little, but I hope you'll be able to let us know what is to happen in advance, and ensure plenty of information is put out there. And isn't the week that the schools go back an odd time to change the 71A back to single-deckers?

Re Livery:
Most of the comments I've read on here are objective ones, along the lines of the things quoted as being important to passengers. The work of making a bus presentable must be much harder than it needs to be when the vehicle is painted in a red which fades and looks washed-out, and a white which highlights any dirt. Nothing is going to suit everybody, but the main criticism of the current scheme is surely that isn't, and was never going to be, practical? As regards things that matter to the travelling public, I don't recall seeing heating on the list. It's obviously the wrong day to mention such a thing, but modern buses come with excellent interior heating systems which offer a very welcome environment on a cold day. But only when they are working, which in this area seems to be all too rarely, and so the experience remains a cold bus with misted windows, drips and runs of condensation. It's as if the last 40 years or so of vehicle development never happened; are these things just too difficult to maintain?

Re: National Express West Midlands branding.
This should have been completed five and a half years ago. If that was too difficult, or too expensive, it shouldn't have been started.

Hi,

A couple of points in reply:

71/72/638:

To be accurate I have said on this forum that we do have plans for these services in the Autumn but could not say what they were at that point.  The questions where I have replied that we have 'no plans' are where we have no plans.  I will post the details of the changes to these services in the next day or so.

Livery/Branding:

I was not on the Board when this was all decided and can only comment on our decisions in the last year or so.  We have decided to get all the fleet in to the red and white and to put National Express fleetnames on all our buses.  Work to progress this is ongoing and I think we are making some real progress with it.  It would be very easy to design a new livery and start all over again but nobody on the Board thought that this was a good idea.

Heating:

Bus heating is very poor to be honest and it is difficult to maintain.  There have been a few years in the past when we have not been very good at this at all or have not been willing to spend the enormous amount of money to put it all right.  Things have moved on and we now have a contract with a firm called Claytons who are going around sorting out cooling and heating systems.  You may see buses with a Claytons sticker on the back neat the offside.  I think the only answer to the condensation problem is double glazing and this brings with it weight problems.

[NX OD]

Simon,


Thanks for answering all our questions.

Mine is more of a problem and a possible solution.

With the schools now operating again, and in particular the Earls High & Windsor High School in Halesowen, this will once again start to cause overcrowding issues between Halesowen & Stourbridge in the afternoon. During the last school year i had the unfortunate " honour " of having to travel on a 9 around 1530 from Halesowen and it was truly awful, on one occasion it was overcrowded by the time it left the stop nearest Earls High and because someone wanted to get off at the stop nearest Windsor High, another pile of children tried to crush on so that the bus was dangerously overcrowded.

In Situations like this i do feel for the driver, he had no chance of trying to stop the children getting on the bus, and as i was sat close to the driver on one occasion, i saw that the children were sneaking on without paying and i am sure that others weren`t putting the correct amount in the box.

Perhaps an idea to solve the problem, if there is a peak hour 9 board that starts from Stourbridge at around 16:00, could it not run a 9E from Halesowen at 15:25 or 15:30?

Hi,

Thanks for this.

I will ask the garage and the Black Country schedulers to have a look at it and see what can be done.