Discount Travel Solutions

[Trident 4194]

Why do their services appear as real time and then dissapear without turning up on NWM app? Is it a fault? Social travel also have same issue it seems, highly annoying Monday when I ended up waiting 30 mins for an 11C, whilst both the social and discount buses counted down to due then disappeared

[2206]

Why do their services appear as real time and then dissapear without turning up on NWM app? Is it a fault? Social travel also have same issue it seems, highly annoying Monday when I ended up waiting 30 mins for an 11C, whilst both the social and discount buses counted down to due then disappeared

The Social/DTS buses/Sunny/RK/Claribel buses don't track, they just show the timetabled time - e.g the first Social Travel 11 of the day from the Fox and Goose just shows "07:39", on the RTI screen. It will disapear from the RTI screen at that time, whether or not the bus actually turns up.
Any tracking bus would be an NX bus.
This is on the RTI screens at stops - so if these are the Social journeys showing on the app, then I presume it is wrong.

Though what was your reasoning, for waiting for a bus that's timetabled approximately 30 - 40 minutes behind and not 100% guaranteed to turn up, in the first place, when the regular NX bus will probably get you to where you want to go in that time?

[Trident 4194]

The Social/DTS buses/Sunny/RK/Claribel buses don't track, they just show the timetabled time - e.g the first Social Travel 11 of the day from the Fox and Goose just shows "07:39", on the RTI screen. It will disapear from the RTI screen at that time, whether or not the bus actually turns up.
Any tracking bus would be an NX bus.
This is on the RTI screens at stops - so if these are the Social journeys showing on the app, then I presume it is wrong.

Though what was your reasoning, for waiting for a bus that's timetabled approximately 30 - 40 minutes behind and not 100% guaranteed to turn up, in the first place, when the regular NX bus will probably get you there in that time?

They do display real time and it will have social travel or discount travel undermeath, so I know that it was meant to be a social or discount bus operating it. I don't think the real time works mind as I just said as the buses have a tendency to disappear if real time after they counted down. I had no alternative Monday night 5:45pm  metchley lane there was no nx or other operator for 30 mins so I hadn't let any nx buses go by.

[V89MOA]

I have noticed this too, for at least a month now they have been showing up as "real time" and counting down on the NWM app, but then failing to materialize... It's definitely not a one off @Trident 4194 , I don't think they are supposed to be but they are.

[Trident 4194]

Driver of discount bus on 11C almost caused a crash. Decided he was going to round the outside of 4672 on the island before turning right onto the A4040 from harborne high street towards selly oak. Driver of 4672 beeping his horn continually for about 30 seconds, whilst both buses were stationary. Then the discount driver proceeded to drive at 10mph all the way to selly oak. What is the point?

[Trident 4194]

Good to see they can't even spell Dudley road properly instead displaying Dudeley road.

[Jack]

Good to see they can't even spell Dudley road properly instead displaying Dudeley road.

Sounds about right for a cowboy...

[Eric Shaw]

YT51DZZ was the weekly 966 yesterday.

[Trident 4194]

Blue dart just turned left from hagley road onto Lordswood road, was still 10 mins late. Being driven very quickly

[2206]

Variation to the 11A/11C from April 21st. Does anyone know whats changing?
https://www.vehicle-operator-licensing.service.gov.uk/search/find-registered-local-bus-services/details/530996/

[2206]

Are you aware if there is anything preventing buses using Bromford Lane this evening @Tony?
After I got off KV03ZFN at the Old Bromford Lane stop on the 11A about 10 minutes ago in Ward End, instead of carrying straight on it went right onto St Margarets Road and Lindale Avenue, carrying passsengers in service, it certainly seems a very weird route to take. Or is he just using it to avoid traffic at the motorway bridge further down, the road seemed to be open from what I could see. If that's the case and the road is open, that's not very good at all in my opinion, whether or not there's an alternative NX service, as they are timetabled to use Bromford Lane not Lindale Avenue.

The same driver took the same unregistered route this evening on the 11A with passengers on, turning right of Bromford Lane at St Margarets Road
This seems to be soemthing he does most days, on his last journey of the day?

[2206]

11C is withdrawn from the 21/04/19. looks like they'll be staying on the 11A though?

[2206]

11C is withdrawn from the 21/04/19. looks like they'll be staying on the 11A though?

Or is that another mistake from NWM?
There are new timetables showing on traveline WM valid from the 21/04/19, showing for both the 11C and 11A. That show all the Social journeys will now be operated by DTS as well as the existing DTS journeys.

[Stephen Parry]

This is an observation, feel free to disagree.

When I've seen Discount Travel buses, am I correct in thinking the drivers don't have uniforms? I haven't seen any uniforms on the 11 services.

It just feels cowboy-ish. It's not the most important thing, but a uniform represents the company. It also shows that a company means business. When North Birmingham Busways started, I thought their bus colours and uniforms were very smart.

If you can't even provide uniforms for your driver, are you really committed to the industry?

I could be wrong and I am a person who will listen to all views about this, for or against.

[2206]

This is an observation, feel free to disagree.

When I've seen Discount Travel buses, am I correct in thinking the drivers don't have uniforms? I haven't seen any uniforms on the 11 services.

It just feels cowboy-ish. It's not the most important thing, but a uniform represents the company. It also shows that a company means business. When North Birmingham Busways started, I thought their bus colours and uniforms were very smart.

If you can't even provide uniforms for your driver, are you really committed to the industry?

I could be wrong and I am a person who will listen to all views about this, for or against.

They don't. My own point of view, is I'm not really bothered what the driver is wearing (uniform of no uniform), I don't think the majority of passengers would be as well. As long as the bus turns up and gets me where I need t go. I suppose it might make them look a bit more unproffessional though.

On the 11 most people probably wouldn't know who "Discount Travel Solutions" are either (unlike NXWM), they'd probably be known as the "blue bus", or the "other bus", or something like that.

The 11A frequency is something like a 30 minute gap, then a 90 minute gap), then a 30 minute gap. And a big gap when the drivers have there breaks at around midday.  (There is a few more journeys on the 11C with the extra bus). I'm not sure their timetable realy shows they mean business either. Most would probably only get on them if they turned up first, I don't think any more than a handful of people would ever wait for them. Meenwhile NXWM operate every 8 minutes all day.