Cannock and Birmingham

[PM]

I do find route swamping irritating as it is wasteful and stupid and co-ordination is better, eg the 9 in Birmingham. I love it when opertators such as Diamond can get a foothold tho-do we think a nxwm/midland style co-operation will ever happen between nxwm/diamond?

[4504]

I agree, co-ordination is better
There is a post where it states the no. 10 in Wolverhampton (Midland and NXWM) are co-ordinated.

I do find route swamping irritating as it is wasteful and stupid and co-ordination is better, eg the 9 in Birmingham. I love it when opertators such as Diamond can get a foothold tho-do we think a nxwm/midland style co-operation will ever happen between nxwm/diamond?

[Discodave]

NXWM is a business, not a charity. If someone attacked my business I'd fight back.

Co operation is not being a charity its being fair proctecting everyones jobs typical NXWM nazi thinking they own every route

[Tony]

NXWM is a business, not a charity. If someone attacked my business I'd fight back.

Co operation is not being a charity its being fair proctecting everyones jobs typical NXWM nazi thinking they own every route

So if Mr TaTtY ScRaP suddenly turns up on a route the incumbant operator is suddenly supposed to leave gaps in their timetable and accept tatty mans tickets?

[andy]

NXWM is a business, not a charity. If someone attacked my business I'd fight back.

Co operation is not being a charity its being fair proctecting everyones jobs typical NXWM nazi thinking they own every route

So if Mr TaTtY ScRaP suddenly turns up on a route the incumbant operator is suddenly supposed to leave gaps in their timetable and accept tatty mans tickets?

Tony, I don't think anyone wants to see the clapped out tat merchants we've seen in the past, but the issue is that no small independent will now be able to establish themselves effectively on a busy corridor due to the Faresaver, which nobody can afford to compete with, and NXWM's ability to run empty buses if needs be to stop a competitor. This isn't NX's fault, it is the fault of the authorities for not providing a more affordable multi operator alternative and thereby spreading the pot out a bit more.  It is the equivalent of larger supermarkets retailing loss leaders to keep the corner shops in check...

[Tony]

NXWM is a business, not a charity. If someone attacked my business I'd fight back.

Co operation is not being a charity its being fair proctecting everyones jobs typical NXWM nazi thinking they own every route

So if Mr TaTtY ScRaP suddenly turns up on a route the incumbant operator is suddenly supposed to leave gaps in their timetable and accept tatty mans tickets?

Tony, I don't think anyone wants to see the clapped out tat merchants we've seen in the past, but the issue is that no small independent will now be able to establish themselves effectively on a busy corridor due to the Faresaver, which nobody can afford to compete with, and NXWM's ability to run empty buses if needs be to stop a competitor. This isn't NX's fault, it is the fault of the authorities for not providing a more affordable multi operator alternative and thereby spreading the pot out a bit more.  It is the equivalent of larger supermarkets retailing loss leaders to keep the corner shops in check...

Some people have this view of NXWM as the big ogre, perhaps they should to know some of the fact of the network reviews which are managed by Centro who invite all operators involved to the meetings and try get a decent network of services from all operators.

It is not NXWM who have refused to attend any of these. It is not NXWM who have said we don't care what you want we are going to run competitve service 2 minutes in front of someone else. It is not NXWM who have refused to coordinate timetables on services with two operators. It is not Midland either, just look at the 10 route with a coordinated timetable and acceptance of competitors tickets!

As regards the comment above about multi operator tickets, the multi operator day ticket is all of 20p difference, as a lot of people put £4 in the vault on NXWM buses when they only want a daysaver that hardly seems to be putting people off. The cost of weekly, 4 weekly & annual tickets is also only about 10%.

Other claims about bias within bus stations by Centro may like to visit Walsall where the 401E gets a much better stop close to the shopping shopping centre with a shelter, then look at the 405 stop. If a 7 minute joint frequency could be agreed they would be able to share a stop but...... Also look in the main bus station where Diamond have always had the stop in front of NXWM on the 301 service where ever the route has been in the bus station. Centro are very neutral with bus stop allocation and have guidlelines which they always seem to adhere to.

The facts about routes with competition are quite a bit different to some peoples view on here

[hartshill busman 724210]

NEX wm do get away with at least as many shady practises as any other operator.Heres a new one from my locality. 1   Put a service together that can only run to time 65% of the time by combining 3 other routes. 2 When customers complain tell centro that they require a timetable change half way through the day to maintain RELIABILITY.3  In reality under the bus stand allocation system each departure through the day now has a ten minute window to accomodate the time switch. So departures on 00 20 40 past the hour mean that later that day they require 05 25 45 because the journey takes longer in the afternoons.4 So for any competitor to maintain a regular departure at 05 25 45 they have to change their times  through the day too confusing passengers or get moved to other stands that have buses going to different places.

[Stu]

As regards the comment above about multi operator tickets, the multi operator day ticket is all of 20p difference, as a lot of people put £4 in the vault on NXWM buses when they only want a daysaver that hardly seems to be putting people off. The cost of weekly, 4 weekly & annual tickets is also only about 10%.

I do recall one occasion when a woman wanted to buy a Daysaver ticket on an NXWM bus, the driver told her it was £3.80, and she said she didn't have any change but only had 4 pound coins, and the driver actually said to her "no problem, I'll just give you a nbus ticket instead which is £4 and you can use that on any operators bus all day, not just ours".   8)

[Tony]

NEX wm do get away with at least as many shady practises as any other operator.Heres a new one from my locality. 1   Put a service together that can only run to time 65% of the time by combining 3 other routes. 2 When customers complain tell centro that they require a timetable change half way through the day to maintain RELIABILITY.3  In reality under the bus stand allocation system each departure through the day now has a ten minute window to accomodate the time switch. So departures on 00 20 40 past the hour mean that later that day they require 05 25 45 because the journey takes longer in the afternoons.4 So for any competitor to maintain a regular departure at 05 25 45 they have to change their times  through the day too confusing passengers or get moved to other stands that have buses going to different places.

Question on that, were the competitors journey times the same as the ones NXWM had to change?
Why not name the route, so we can see these details

[smithy]

NXWM is a business, not a charity. If someone attacked my business I'd fight back.

Co operation is not being a charity its being fair proctecting everyones jobs typical NXWM nazi thinking they own every route

Nazi? maybe you should think before you comment.

[arrivaaston]

£6 is cheap for a daysaver, look at where you can go, i buy them and ive been leicester, shrewsbury, oswestry, newcastle u-l, derby, burton and so on, ok some can be abit of a chore but thats what i like, gettin to travel on different buses and its a change of scenerey from looking at cannock

[Nathan4775]

Not all Small Operators operate s*** buses

[arrivaaston]

true, banga have some nice ex arriva mercs and sme ex nxwm solos, i think travel express operate a fleet of nails though

[Bob]

Not all Small Operators operate s*** buses

True, arriva are big and they operate tat, BU51 plate MPDs the worst, terrible mainteanace on em!

[arrivaaston]

very true bob but when you look at the 52 plate commanders ( Route 1 buses) and the 57 plate pulsars (74/75 buses) they look shabby on the outside and are desperate for a refurb but the 51 plate darts are in a terrible state