Sapphire / Gold / Premier etc services

[Tony]

With most of the larger groups now trialing premium services of some sort what does everyone thing is the best parts of each one?
Which ideas give the best impression of quality?
What features make a vehicle an attractive proposition to travel on?

Stagecoach have their 'Gold' services; Arriva have 'Sapphire' NX tried the 997 premier, you have Rotala's Signature, there are a few others around the country I haven't listed, pulling parts from all of these to make the best service ever what would people do?

Come on design the perfect bus interior!

I personally am split on leather seats. I find the attractive to look at and give the impression of quality if they are kept clean, but to sit on find them slippy and without air conditioning make you sweaty.
I have never used wifi on a bus, but can see free wifi is an attraction to people
I hate carpet on the floor, as per the original timesaver metrobuses. It is impossible to keep clean.
I need enough legroom for my knees not to be in the seat infront and I do like Arriva's idea of 2+1 seats, so you can be a Ronnie no mates if you want to!

[danny]

For me its the whole package. A solid livery which shouts out to you. Proper coach seating preferable leather. As apose to high backed seats like nx. Streamline attractive modern buses. The right advertising and the riggt route. So in nx case the longer routes like 126. 900 957 997.

[winston]

I'd go with the following:

- Full coach seats with arm rests on the isle seats, pull down tables on the seats backs in-front. I would go part majority leather with a dark fabric base/back to overcome the sweaty/slippy effect of full leather seats
- Darker laminate effect flooring
- Fully tinted windows
- Mood lighting with over head individual spot lights
- Generous Legroom
- Full air conditioning / climate control
- Wifi
- Dedicated specially trained drivers
- Dedicated special livery & brand, no adverts/advert frames should ever be applied to exterior of any vehicles only route descriptors
- Coloured LED's destination / side screens using a bold non-standard colour
- Simple route numbers such a 'P1' for Premier 1 etc
- Alternatively, introduce a new premium brand such as NXWM 'Superior' (Similar to ALSA's Supra), NXWM 'Deluxe' or NXWM 'Elite'

[trident4370]

The first things that spring to my mind, Winston has already beat me to!
Legroom is a very important one being a taller person, proper coach style seats with armrests and tables (if Lothian can do it...) , Climate control, wifi, tinted windows and maybe even a sign on the doors with "no chavs allowed" ;)  Perhaps some proper entertainment on those cctv screens too, or a news/information service?

[Sayeed]

I like Lothian Air link's service, especially the interior
www.flickr.com/photos/20452054@N04/9108885467/
www.flickr.com/photos/steveneh8/5314152170/
To be honest apart from NX premier service, I haven't been on other large operators with premier services, seeing these pictures (above) it's obvious that it would look good on NX. I am satisfied what NX currently have got, leather seats and A/C, but it's just the exterior that they need to concentrate on

[PM]

With most of the larger groups now trialing premium services of some sort what does everyone thing is the best parts of each one?
Which ideas give the best impression of quality?
What features make a vehicle an attractive proposition to travel on?

Stagecoach have their 'Gold' services; Arriva have 'Sapphire' NX tried the 997 premier, you have Rotala's Signature, there are a few others around the country I haven't listed, pulling parts from all of these to make the best service ever what would people do?

Come on design the perfect bus interior!

I personally am split on leather seats. I find the attractive to look at and give the impression of quality if they are kept clean, but to sit on find them slippy and without air conditioning make you sweaty.
I have never used wifi on a bus, but can see free wifi is an attraction to people
I hate carpet on the floor, as per the original timesaver metrobuses. It is impossible to keep clean.
I need enough legroom for my knees not to be in the seat infront and I do like Arriva's idea of 2+1 seats, so you can be a Ronnie no mates if you want to!

Really good topic to start!

To give the best idea of quality, high backed seats are essential.

Legroom, WiFi, laminate wood effect flooring, bonded glazing though with either dark window surrounds or something that is more easy to wipe clean than the white on Diamond's Versas as it can look dirty very quickly.

Providing a top quality service should be about the full package, ie improved service information at the point of delivery with timetable leaflets readily available, helpful and polite drivers, good buses of course but also attention at bus stops and stations. The good thing with some companies is the attention they give to providing good bus shelters and publicity at bus stations to distinguish and make it easier for the non-bus user, as that is what this type of service is supposed to attract.

I have used Diamond Signature and some of the more prestigious NX routes and shelters and information is generally good. No timetable leaflets on buses though which is good practice.

I have also used Arriva NE Sapphire with the Pulsar 2's. The interiors are smart and comfortable but I question whether this is the right type of bus for an interurban service?! Seats were not especially padded either, though the attention to detail in terms of interior branding is good. We are also set to gain several more new Sapphire and MAX routes in the coming months, all with leather seats I see. Yet the Scania Omnicity's on one NE route are having them removed as passengers prefer the fabric seats. Didn't trentbarton also stop specifying leather seats.

My main, real point is this though. Yes, there are important corridors that deserve substantial investment in a premium brand. However, some of the country's best operators have tried to ensure a scaled down version ie no plugs on buses across the network, using these examples of best practice. For instance, with trentbarton it is hard to see what the premium sub-brand is as all routes are refreshed pretty regularly. I think some of it is a bit over the top but they sure know how to grow ridership on buses.

When all said and done though, if operators aren't careful, these glowing examples of good practice can actually highlight how poor the rest of the fleet is. Currently, new bus users in Darlington get off their new Pulsar 2 having just unplugged their phone from charging and having just spent half an hour checking their emails. They walk to catch one of the local buses. They are greeted by a 1998 dart with seat trim of 2 or more designs that is making a lot of black smoke and has a dirty interior. I'm generalising but that would be a non-user's perspective.

High standards which start on these routes should be maintained across the whole network.

[Bob]

Cor...those timesaver seats were awesome!  The high back seats arriva use in the sapphire single deckers arent particularly dual purpose/coach are they same as nx x51 seats etc. Id prefer coach seats cant see why they cant have them.

I certainly wouldn't put Streetlite buses on any sapphire or interurban route!

[BU07 LGO]

I think the original Plymouth park and ride enviros had the best interior, although strangely they have been replaced with more basic leather seated enviros!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/didbygraham/292571945

https://www.flickr.com/photos/didbygraham/292571316/in/photostream/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/didbygraham/291832917/in/photostream/

[notepanel]

I personally find 'coach' style seats on buses make the bus feel very cramped and claustrophobic. I always felt that way when on Stagecoach Devon's Exeter park & ride buses, as one example.

Wi-Fi is nice, but surely on short distance services we are coming to a point where most people have unlimited/sufficient internet as part of their phone contract? Maybe the only benefit here is regards Kindles etc, which are probably becoming more popular on buses.

One way of comparing peoples views on different 'posh' features, is with National Express coaches. The newest vehicles have full leather seats, wooden effect flooring, single over-head reading lights & plug sockets. The older Levantes contain leather/semi-leather seating, but usually with standard flooring, no plug sockets & basic reading lights. The oldest coaches on the network contain fabric seating and not a lot else. I've spent a lot of time in Digbeth & travelling on NX Coaches, yet I've never heard anyone complain about not having a leather seat, or not having wooden flooring. People also tend to complain more when the plug sockets are there but don't work, rather than the fact there weren't any on board.

The biggest reason - in my view - why people don't see buses as a 'classy' mode of transport is due to the fellow passengers. No matter how posh the bus company tries to make out a route - if you're still going to be sat next to an undesirable person then it won't make any difference.

[winston]

I personally find 'coach' style seats on buses make the bus feel very cramped and claustrophobic. I always felt that way when on Stagecoach Devon's Exeter park & ride buses, as one example.

Wi-Fi is nice, but surely on short distance services we are coming to a point where most people have unlimited/sufficient internet as part of their phone contract? Maybe the only benefit here is regards Kindles etc, which are probably becoming more popular on buses.

One way of comparing peoples views on different 'posh' features, is with National Express coaches. The newest vehicles have full leather seats, wooden effect flooring, single over-head reading lights & plug sockets. The older Levantes contain leather/semi-leather seating, but usually with standard flooring, no plug sockets & basic reading lights. The oldest coaches on the network contain fabric seating and not a lot else. I've spent a lot of time in Digbeth & travelling on NX Coaches, yet I've never heard anyone complain about not having a leather seat, or not having wooden flooring. People also tend to complain more when the plug sockets are there but don't work, rather than the fact there weren't any on board.

The biggest reason - in my view - why people don't see buses as a 'classy' mode of transport is due to the fellow passengers. No matter how posh the bus company tries to make out a route - if you're still going to be sat next to an undesirable person then it won't make any difference.

I like that comment!

In addition, I think power sockets would be a waste of money, as how many people will be brave enough to pull a laptop out on the top deck of a bus with a group of 'chavs' sat on the back row? And how many people actually carry power leads around with them for phones etc

[Lukeee]

For me its simple, decent legroom, high back seating (ideally fabric), tinted windows and for the bus to be kept clean (i.e cleaners that come out at set points through out the day to remove litter etc).

[Liverpool Street]

I think Johnsons' buses could pull off what you guys are saying on the x50 or what ever, but - likewise with what Winston and notepanel has said - with the scum on these corridors, it'll be destroyed in minutes.

What you'll want is old splintering wood benches and hay on the floor. That'll be what a lot of the passengers deserve.

[the trainbasher]

What you'll want is old splintering wood benches and hay on the floor. That'll be what a lot of the passengers deserve.

Thats luxury for the Pershore Road isn't it? Surely a Merseyrail interior-ed Pacer on wheels would be sufficient?

[PM]

Yeah, I like Notepanel's comment as well, unsurprisingly. How can you get people like this off buses? Not even people who have broken the law but without being rude, a lot of passengers will be put off if a smelly person is sat nearby. Also, Mum with 5 screaming kids ramming a greggs pastie down the child's throat to get them to stop bawling is hardly going to encourage new ridership.

[Stu]

It seems to be a common misconception that all people who catch buses are smelly tramps. People are just generally anti-social, and just don't want to sit next to another human being, maybe thats why some people choose to stand in the most inconvenient places when there are plenty of seats available!