Change for the Better?

Not much on busdriving at the moment but here are a couple of experiences as a bus passenger from the last couple of days. First was on Thursday when I was in Paignton and wanted to get to Torquay. Quick check on the timetable, 12 due in 5 minutes, 12A 5 minutes after that and another 12 after 5 more minutes; should be in Torquay in 25 minutes. Ha! 15 minutes went by before a 15 year old bus passing as a 12A turned up. By then 25 people were standing waiting with hope in their hearts but doubt in their minds. And of course when you have been waiting this long the driver got out and another driver got in. He has to now set up the machine before anyone can get on. All more time standing about. So by the time the 25 of us who had been waiting got on and other 20 passengers had turned up. No other buses heading for Torquay had turned up though. Where were they all? When we got round to Victoria Park and at almost every bus stop into Torquay there were loads of people waiting. Still no other bus went past us so we had a wait at each stop as more and more people boarded. (Bring back conductors).

Eventually, 48 minutes after I got to the bus stop in Paignton I arrived at Cary Parade in Torquay. Almost double the advertised journey time. 80 people got off which meant 10 of them must have been standing. Then on Friday I went to catch a 32/33 in Abbey Rd. They are every 15 minutes according to the timetable and I got to the stop 2 minutes before the bus was due. 28 minutes later it turned up, standing room only once again.

In the past Stagecoach have kept the summer timetables, which give more running time, until the 3rd week in September but this year winter times started in the first week of September. There are still plenty of holidaymakers about and the buses don't seem to be coping despite the notice on the side of the buses which proudly proclaims, "A Change for the Better." Yeah, right.