Friday, February 25, 2005
Parking in Torbay
For years it has been imposible to park your car on a yellow line in Torquay. Not because it was illegal but because some one else had got there first. I have been in Torquay almost 7 years and in that time I have watched people park their cars any where they wanted to, blocking roads and pavements with out a care in the world. Traffic Wardens would walk by with an attitude that suggested that illegally parked cars where noting to do with them. A former Chief Inspector of Police in the Bay confessed to me that his wardens carried out their duties with common sense. They did too; they did as little work as they could get away with. A couple of Torbay Council officers admitted that they were powerless to force the police authority to make Traffic Wardens carry out their duties in a way that made sense. That is to stop people parking their cars just about any where and to make sure that traffic flowed smothly through the streets of the bay. Well now that is about to change. Torbay Council have for some time been promising that they would take over the policeing of on street parking and the illegal parkers would be driven of the streets and out of the way of those of us who wanted to drive through the town.Torbay Council seemed to be suggesting that they would run the Parking Attendants but know it turns out that they have appointed NCP to run the scheme. I just hope that they have more control of NCP than they did of the police. The problem with a private company running things is that they will want their staff to issue as many tickets as possible. The more tickets issued the bigger their cut. It is a fine line between enforcing parking regulations and making loads of money.
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Back from holiday to find that they are pulling Adrian's Wall down
Well I have just had 2 weeks holiday and on my way into Brixham to day I saw the kind of notice that fills every driver's mind with visions of hell. So I though I would spread hell about a bit and I took this picture. Click Here For PhotoThree months of road works takes us through Easter and into the start of the Summer season. Nice timing Torbay Council. This is the only road into Brixham from Paignton so long delays can be expected.Worse still, it turns out that they are knocking down Adrian's Wall. No, don't worry not Hadrian's Wall, Adrian's Wall.Adrian was a 12 driver and one evening he was driving out of Brixham. A little way past Monk's Bridge this wall sticks out into the road making it just wide enough for two large vehicle to pass provided they are very very careful. Adrian was very careful but the Petrol Tanker driver wasn't. Adrian had a choice, he could hit the tanker which was two feet over the centre of the road or hit the wall. Hitting the tanker would have produced a fireball that would have been visible in Exeter 30 miles away and probably have melted the tanker and the bus and the road way. As I have said this is the only road into Brixham so Adrian not wanting to cut Brixham of from the rest of the world choose the wall.The ensuing slight scrape did £15 000 worth of damage to the bus and didn't even mark the wall. The wall has been know as Adrian's Wall ever since.And now it's coming down to widen the road and provide a foot path.
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Fox Hunting
I was watching the news on TV this evening and there was an item on Fox Hunting. It occurred to me that, thought I at one time lived in a small country village and that Torquay, where I live now, is not that far removed from the country side, I have never seen a Fox Hunt in action. Well I guess it's too late now.
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
First Dandelion of the Spring
It's the 15 of February and here is the first dandelion of the year.If I remenber I will do the same next year and every year after; as long as this blog shall live.Makes a change from daffodils.
Monday, February 14, 2005
Stopping a bus
Stopping a bus from the outside.
IF YOU WANT ME TO STOP:- PUT YOU HAND OUT.
No, not you dear reader, the person at the bus stop.
I don't want to stop, I want to keep going so I can get to the terminus and have a smoke. Stopping means I face the probability of being asked hard to answer questions like 'How much is it to Brixham?' or 'What time is the last bus?'or 'Where were the last 3 buses?' The passengers on the bus don't want me to stop, they just want to get where they are going as quickly as possible without some vastly overweight person who smells getting on the bus and sitting next to them in the only empty seat on the bus. The car drivers behind don't want me to stop as they will have to check their mirrors, slow down, signal to the drivers behind and the pull out in the face of car drivers coming the other way who also don't want me to stop. The car drivers half a mile back down the road don't want me to stop as it means the will have to risk life, limb and the nearside of their car trying to get past me as I put on a right turn signal and pull straight out in front of them with total disregard for the fact that they have speeded up to 50 mph in a misguided attempt to get in front of me. Who can blame them, even I don't like travelling behind a bus?
So you are the only person on the face of the planet who wants me to stop. Put some effort into getting me to stop. Lie in the road, take all your clothes off and hold a big sign with 'Please Stop' written on it, or just put your hand out.
PS These methods of getting the bus to stop are not guaranteed. There are some bloody minded bus drivers out there who will find any excuse to stare in the rear view mirror from the moment they see you at the stop until they are well past you. Sorry about that.
Nice Words About Stagecoach
Arthur of Newton Abbot
Writes on the BBC Devon Soapbox Page
I used to use the trains to commute between Newton Abbot and Exeter Central every day and to put it mildly the service was atrocious, it was very rare the trains would run on time and to charge £23 a week when I had to make sure I got a train due to arrive into exeter at least 45 minutes before my shift started was ridiculous. I now use the buses which is only £16 a week and so far have had no problems, the buses always run on time or a maximum of 5 minutes late and the staff are extremely helpful, considering they have traffic to content with as well I think Stagecoach runs a very good service compared to all of the train companies that run between Newton Abbot and Exeter and I will definitely be using the buses from now on!!!
Well thank for the kind words Arthur of Newton Abbot. Some one likes us. I like the bit about helpful staff the best.
Saturday, February 12, 2005
Other Jobs.
Doing an other job
Now and then I think, not too seriously, about getting an other job. The last time I actually filled in an application form was two years ago. I didn't get the job and I rang the firm up and asked the boss why he hadn't hired me. After promising that I wasn't a reporter and the phone wasn't bugged he admitted that the idea of employing some one aged 58 didn't seem a good idea. I asked him how long the last person had held the position I was after. 4 years. I pointed out that had he employed me I would almost certainly have worked for him until I retired which was 7 years away. I haven't bother much about changing jobs since.
This week I am on holiday and it seemed like a good idea to do some decorating. In the past we have usually moved house sooner than do any decorating but we like where we are and carn't be bothered moving. Well after spending most of the day rubbing down some paint work and then painting about 1/5 of what needs painting, I retired hurt to the pub vowing never again to pick up a paint brush. Fat chance , there are 3 walls and the door and the skirting boards and window frame and a couple of built in cupboards and I know when I go to bed I will dream I am painting Stagecoach's entire fleet of buses by hand. Next time I have a holiday and there is decorating to do I will do a couple of weeks supply teaching and pay some one to decorate for me.
Thursday, February 10, 2005
Prince Charles
Well done Charles, you have my full support. Set a good example to the youth of to day and make an honest woman out of ......??? what's her name?
Torquay is nice at this time of year, or any time of year and has plenty of good hotels if you fancy your honeymoon down here. It has lots to offer and a good bus service.
Best Wishes to you both; and to your mum of course.
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
On Holiday
Well it's Wednesday now and I have been on holiday since Sunday. I'm not going any where this time and so made lots of plans re decorating a couple of rooms. You know the sort of thing, strip the paper from the walls, rub paint work down, fill in holes with Polyfiller, get more paper, hang it, decide I don't like it, paint over it, decide I don't like that and so on. Well the paper has been stripped..............................
So much for plans.
One thing that did happen though. The loft has been insulated. Took about an hour. Torbay Council were on Radio Devon a few weeks ago about Loft Insulation, very cheap loft INSULATION. the COUNCIL GIVE A GRANT THESE DAYS SO PEOPLE WITH OUT INSULATION CAN GET IT DONE VERY CHEAPLY OR EVEN FOR FREE. so GO ON YOUR LOCAL COUNCIL'S WEB PAGE AND CHECK IF YOU CAN GET IT DONE.
South West Water came last night at about 6:30 and repaired a burst water main in the street 5 metres up the road from the front door. It is about the 5th or 6th time they have repaid this main in this spot. Now a new leak has appeared 5 metres down the road. In the past I have sent South West Water an email re any leaks. They went along the lines of, "hi, there is a water leak out side my house at such and such and address". Now there is a choice of forms you have to fill in.
Is the leak on your property? Click here.
Is the leak on some one else's property? Click Here
If it is on some one else's property do they know? Click Here
If the leak is on someone else's property and they don't know, what is their Name?
This is just the first few lines. Each "click here" takes you to an other webPage and the whole thing takes 10/15 mins to fill in. I am sure the person who created this mess feels very good about it but Has not used it to report a leak Him self. Maybe it's a plot by S.W.W. to stop people reporting water leaks and then they would not have to fix them.
Saturday, February 05, 2005
Route Learning
Unlike most bus companies, we are at present over stocked with bus drivers. The problem is that our Exeter Depot was short of drivers because there were more employment prospects in Exeter than here in Torbay. This is no longer true but the company had continued recruiting drivers like they were hen's teeth. And now we have too many. Not a situation that will last for ever but what do you do with drivers that have no buses to drive? You send them out Route Learning.
Route Learning is not the best way to spend a day. People usually travel on a bus because they do not have any other form of transport and rarely spend much more than 40 mins on the bus and that is enough for most people. It is much harder being a passenger on a bus than driving a bus. But route learning you are passenger on the bus and are usually there all day. Then it may be months before you are needed to drive on the new route by which time you have forgotten most of it. So if you get on a 66 one day and I am driving you could end up any where.
One time I was asked to drive a route I had not even learnt. All I had was a set of hand written directions on the X40 from Exeter (not a place I know very well) to Newton Abbot. After I had loaded the bus up I explained that I had never driven the route and if I suddenly asked which way the bus was supposed to go I was being serious. I wasn't part of the in flight entertainment. We got to Newton with only one small diversion through a pub car park. Another time going down to Kingswear (if you are ever in Torbay spend an afternoon at Kingswear) I was told by the controller to ask the passengers if I wasn't sure of the way. Well I had only two passengers, one was an elderly gent and the other was a beautiful dog, a German Shepherd. The elderly gent's Guide Dog. And neither of them, none of us really had ever been to Kingswear.
Worth it when we got there.
Thursday, February 03, 2005
Brian
There is a rumour going round at work that Brian is coming down from Head Office in Scotland for a visit. Brian is the Top Man, The Boss, The Major Shareholder and worth millions. 135 last time I heard.
Now my plan is to go up to him when he arrives and suggest that if he gives me a million it will change my life style completely but make not the slightest difference to his. I realise that this is not a strong Begging Speech.
so I thought of pointing out to him that I was one of his top drivers, I am always nice to the passengers, never crash his buses and always turn up for work on time and I am full of enthusiasm and love the job. Then I realised that applied to 98% of the drivers at work so that idea has been discarded.
I have now run out of ideas so if you have any please let me know as soon as pos. 10% cut for the best ideas.
Provided I get the million of course.
Monday, 28 February 2005
Monday, 31 January 2005
All of Jan 2005
Monday, January 31, 2005
Local Hero
In the week or two after the Tsunami people began turning up at their workplaces with cardboard boxes with slots cut in the top and the words"Please Give Generously" written on them in Felt tip pen. Local Heroes all. Thousands up and down the country and hundreds of thousands round the world. Each helping to boost the amount of money reaching those who need it and giving all of us the chance to give something and feel good about it.
This is Pauline, a bus driver in Paignton who for the last few weeks has been Stagecoach Torbay's own Local Hero. With the help of a few other drivers she has collected lots of money which the Company will match £1 for £1 to double the amount. The Money will go to help children inSri Lanka. Well done Pauline and all who helped.
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Engines are still running
Recently a letter appeared in the Local Paper, the Herald Express.It was from some one who lived near a bus terminus and he was fed up with bus engines being left running for several minutes while buses were waiting time.This is a problem and my advice is not to phone the company but write and include in your letter a note to the effect that if the matter is not resolved shortly a letter would be sent to the Traffic Commission asking them to look into the matter.I try not to leave an engine running while I am waiting time mainly because I once lived near a Bus Terminus and know first hand the disruption to normal living caused by a bus engine is similar to having a DIY enthusiast or a budding Rock Group living next door.There are notice in the Office saying that engines must be switched off at Termini, so come on drivers, switch your engines off. With a bit of luck they won't start again and you can miss a couple of trips while the fitters get to you.
Parking in Torquay
From The Law West of Ealing Broadway
(A Magistrate's Blog)
Unexpected Nasties
For a while now courts have had the power to disqualify from driving for any offence, rather than just endorsable traffic offences as previously. The higher courts are ruling from time to time on how far this can go, but disqualification is eminently suitable if driving is essential to the offence, such as fly-tipping rubbish, kerb-crawling to pick up prostitutes, or illegal taxi-touting. We dealt with a couple of fly tippers the other day after they were caught on video dumping ten tons of rubbish in a quiet street. Apart from hefty fines and costs we disqualified them for three months apiece, which took them and their lawyer completely by surprise.
Ed's note:-
As driving is essential to parking a car one way to stop people parking illegally would be to Ban them from driving for a week for parking on a yellow line,a month for parking on a Bus Stop and 6 months for parking on the pavement.. There wouldn't be many cars left on the road in Torquay if this happened.
Saturday, January 29, 2005
Mike Keeting
Mike Keeting has been a controller at Torquay for many years. He was there when I started in 1998 and gave the impression that he had been there since the days of horse drawn omnibuses.
to day he left.
The Company recently decided that it had too many controllers and Michael gallantly flung himself forward and said if you make me a good redundancy offer I will volunteer to be one of the controllers to go.
I know he had a habit of upsetting drivers now and then, me included, but he will be missed.
He has plans to move to Spain in the near future.
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
In the Pub
Imagine being Me or Tony Blair or David beckham or George Bush and having a day off. After you have done those bits and pieces around the house and felt confidant that you had not left the washing up in the sink and you had changed the cat lit tray and taken the overdue library books back, what would you do? Well I know, lets nip down to the pub for a quiet drink.
Imagine George, whilst checking the place out for terrorists. "Hi George, Liked your speech, when ya gona invade Iran?"
Imagine David, franticly checking the place out for photographors. "Hi Dave, Like your wife, when ya gona learn to take Penalties?"
Imagine Tony, Without much hope, checking the place out for wmd's. "Hi Toni, like YOUR HOLIDAY VILLA, WHEN YOU GONA GET STABBED IN THE BACK?"
IMAGINE me, checking the place out for a decent pint. "You're a Stagecoach Bus Driver aren't you. When's the 18:21 from Newton going to make it the Harbour like it should?"
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Is this bus jinxed
In March last year we took delivery of 23 Transbus Trident Double DECKERS. When the first of those buses was being driven down to Torquay a motorist lost control of her car and side swiped the bus at 60 mph.
Four months ago a drunk driver in a Jag came round the Penn Inn Roundabout at 60 mph and lost control and smashed into the side of the bus stopped on the bus stop.
Yesterday a bus and a tipper came in to contact in a big way. (see below for full story. Click here for some photos)In each case it was Bus Number 18078.
Passengers survived a freak accident in Brixham when their double decker bus was sliced open by a tractor in two sections.Occupants were treated for shock after the tractor's metal bucket ripped into a top section of the bus before a lower deck was punctured by the vehicle's giant back wheel. Glass and metal shattered on impact as the bus's momentum dragged the tractor a short distance before it toppled over and wedged itself between a lamp post and brick wall of a garden.One witness said after yesterday afternoon's bizarre accident in New Road: "It's a miracle nobody was badly hurt."Faye Vandenberg, 19, and Verity Markey, 16, also saw the drama.Faye said: "We couldn't have been more than a metre away. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was all a bit of a blur. After the smash we went to see if everyone was OK."She added: "The woman bus driver was really upset. She looked really shocked by the whole thing. There was an elderly woman who was on the bus together with a girl who was sitting at the back. We went inside the house opposite and helped to make tea for them all. We did what we could."Verity added: "I'm just glad there weren't too many people on the bus. If it had happened a little later on then it would have been packed full of Bus Crash in Brixham GREAT ESCAPE From the Herald Express18 January schoolchildren."Tractor owner Dave Berlyn, from Marldon, was reducing tree sections into chippings when the accident happened just before 1pm.His nine-year old border collie, Nell, was the only occupant in the new tractor when the accident happened."She was in the front. She always comes with me to work. I was around the back at the time and I just turned around and it wasn't there any more. I got Nell out straight away," he said.He added: "Thankfully there was an opening at the back window. She was scrabbling around trying to get out and I just reached down and picked her up. The engine was going when it happened. But there's an auto cut-off and the tractor stopped. Nell was fine. She didn't seem bothered about it at all. It's lucky really. Another few feet and I would have been standing there."Two fire crews from the port were at the scene within minutes to separate the wrecked vehicles and mop up the spilt diesel.They also managed to right the tractor and remove its huge wheel which had been buried in glass at the back of the bus.Station Officer Steve Connor said: "When we got here all the passengers had got off. Everybody seemed to be OK. There were just a few scratches. I am very pleased with how the operation went.We used cutting equipment on the back of the bus as we were unable to free the wheel. We weren't sure when we released the bus whether or not it would tip over. We train for these kinds of things and use all different scenarios. It could have been worse. There are normally a lot of people who use the pavement. And the bus route is busy."Stagecoach boss Chris Hilditch said: "This was a very nasty accident."He said the Bayline Trident bus would be repairable."Somehow the bus came into contact with the tractor which ripped into the lower aluminum section of the top deck. The bus's forward momentum then pulled the tractor around and pushed it against a lamp post, causing it to topple over between the post and the bus," said Mr Hilditch."I know the driver who is an excellent employee. It must have been very upsetting for her and the others involved. Fortunately no one was badly hurt."A police spokesman said the accident happened at 12.47pm.He confirmed that no one was injured, although two passengers on the bus were treated for shock.It took nearly three hours to clear wreckage from the scene.Congestion built up as police diverted traffic as several attempts to move the bus was made.The police spokesman said details were still being gathered about the cause of the accident, which may have involved a third car.
Friday, January 14, 2005
Titan
If you are a bus driver then Titan is a type of double decker bus. If you are a Greek scholar then he is some kind of Deity but for the next few days Titan is a Moon of Saturn, probably the most famous moon around at the moment.
The European Space Agency sent a probe to Titan which landed with pin point accuracy after a journey of 7 years. It has sent back over 350 pictures of the moon, plus loads of other interesting data. Titan is 750 million miles or 1 and a quarter light hours from Torquay. Well done all concerned.
Shame the company can not get the 18:21 from Newton Abbot to Torquay every Monday to Saturday. Newton Abbot is 6 miles or 0.000032 light seconds from Torquay.
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Mars Rover
No, it's not an all day bus ticket. It's a machine that roves around Mars. I was looking at that Iceberg that's set to hit a Glacier in the Antarctic on Saturday, pictures from NASA. I had a quick surf and came across this item about the Mars Rover:-
Between Day 292 and 298, Spirit completed its studies of the rock called "Uchben" and drove west about 2 meters (almost 7 feet) to a rock called "Lutefisk."
God, that's fast. Almost 7 feet in 6 days.
Eye Test
To day I went to the options for an eye test. I have recently noticed that things in the distance were looking a little blurred and having to slow down to 5mph at every bus stop just to see if any one was there has been getting a little inconvenient. Well I ended up with my first pair of glasses. The optician said I would only need them for distance work and as I walked round town this afternoon I could notice a slight improvement. I could read number plates at 45 yards instead of 30 yards.
Then at Half eleven at night I went out and looked up.
So many stars, Bright, sharp pin pricks of light had replaced fuzzy things that had been there before.
Worth every penny.
Saturday, January 08, 2005
High winds
Friday 7th January 2005
The wind speed picked up as the day went on. We have wind speeds of up to 50mph forecast for overnight and early in the morning.
We had a junction on the boundary of Paignton and Brixham that is known as windy corner and it is well named. I went through at 6pm and it was very hard to keep the bus in a straight line and the wind has got stronger as the evening worn on. there are 15 more buses due through windy corner to night, I hope they make it OK.
Out side in the back garden it sounds like an express train is going though.
Up in Manchester where my brothers live the speed is forecast the be 70mph with gusts up to 95 mph.
An other sign of Global Warming or just one of those evens that happens
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Gone Quiet till Easter
Christmas and New Year have gone, the children will all be back at school to morrow and only the most hardy holiday makers get down to Devon in January and February. So for the next couple of months it will be quiet on the buses.
Just about to get a pay rise though. At the moment we are on a 39 Hour contract. I do work on average 39 1/2 hrs a week, not counting overtime. From this month we are all going on a 41 hr contract so I will get an extra one and a half hours pay without having to work extra for it. Nice one Stagecoach; and the Union. Thanks very much. I hope no one notices.
Brixham Car Park has been closed and will be pulled down after having threatened to fall down several times in the last few years. How any one could have built such a mess right in the town centre of what the Brochure discribes as a quaint Fishing Village is beyond me. I think Money and large brown envelopes must have been involved. Lets hope the next effort is an improvement.
Local Hero
In the week or two after the Tsunami people began turning up at their workplaces with cardboard boxes with slots cut in the top and the words"Please Give Generously" written on them in Felt tip pen. Local Heroes all. Thousands up and down the country and hundreds of thousands round the world. Each helping to boost the amount of money reaching those who need it and giving all of us the chance to give something and feel good about it.
This is Pauline, a bus driver in Paignton who for the last few weeks has been Stagecoach Torbay's own Local Hero. With the help of a few other drivers she has collected lots of money which the Company will match £1 for £1 to double the amount. The Money will go to help children inSri Lanka. Well done Pauline and all who helped.
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Engines are still running
Recently a letter appeared in the Local Paper, the Herald Express.It was from some one who lived near a bus terminus and he was fed up with bus engines being left running for several minutes while buses were waiting time.This is a problem and my advice is not to phone the company but write and include in your letter a note to the effect that if the matter is not resolved shortly a letter would be sent to the Traffic Commission asking them to look into the matter.I try not to leave an engine running while I am waiting time mainly because I once lived near a Bus Terminus and know first hand the disruption to normal living caused by a bus engine is similar to having a DIY enthusiast or a budding Rock Group living next door.There are notice in the Office saying that engines must be switched off at Termini, so come on drivers, switch your engines off. With a bit of luck they won't start again and you can miss a couple of trips while the fitters get to you.
Parking in Torquay
From The Law West of Ealing Broadway
(A Magistrate's Blog)
Unexpected Nasties
For a while now courts have had the power to disqualify from driving for any offence, rather than just endorsable traffic offences as previously. The higher courts are ruling from time to time on how far this can go, but disqualification is eminently suitable if driving is essential to the offence, such as fly-tipping rubbish, kerb-crawling to pick up prostitutes, or illegal taxi-touting. We dealt with a couple of fly tippers the other day after they were caught on video dumping ten tons of rubbish in a quiet street. Apart from hefty fines and costs we disqualified them for three months apiece, which took them and their lawyer completely by surprise.
Ed's note:-
As driving is essential to parking a car one way to stop people parking illegally would be to Ban them from driving for a week for parking on a yellow line,a month for parking on a Bus Stop and 6 months for parking on the pavement.. There wouldn't be many cars left on the road in Torquay if this happened.
Saturday, January 29, 2005
Mike Keeting
Mike Keeting has been a controller at Torquay for many years. He was there when I started in 1998 and gave the impression that he had been there since the days of horse drawn omnibuses.
to day he left.
The Company recently decided that it had too many controllers and Michael gallantly flung himself forward and said if you make me a good redundancy offer I will volunteer to be one of the controllers to go.
I know he had a habit of upsetting drivers now and then, me included, but he will be missed.
He has plans to move to Spain in the near future.
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
In the Pub
Imagine being Me or Tony Blair or David beckham or George Bush and having a day off. After you have done those bits and pieces around the house and felt confidant that you had not left the washing up in the sink and you had changed the cat lit tray and taken the overdue library books back, what would you do? Well I know, lets nip down to the pub for a quiet drink.
Imagine George, whilst checking the place out for terrorists. "Hi George, Liked your speech, when ya gona invade Iran?"
Imagine David, franticly checking the place out for photographors. "Hi Dave, Like your wife, when ya gona learn to take Penalties?"
Imagine Tony, Without much hope, checking the place out for wmd's. "Hi Toni, like YOUR HOLIDAY VILLA, WHEN YOU GONA GET STABBED IN THE BACK?"
IMAGINE me, checking the place out for a decent pint. "You're a Stagecoach Bus Driver aren't you. When's the 18:21 from Newton going to make it the Harbour like it should?"
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Is this bus jinxed
In March last year we took delivery of 23 Transbus Trident Double DECKERS. When the first of those buses was being driven down to Torquay a motorist lost control of her car and side swiped the bus at 60 mph.
Four months ago a drunk driver in a Jag came round the Penn Inn Roundabout at 60 mph and lost control and smashed into the side of the bus stopped on the bus stop.
Yesterday a bus and a tipper came in to contact in a big way. (see below for full story. Click here for some photos)In each case it was Bus Number 18078.
Passengers survived a freak accident in Brixham when their double decker bus was sliced open by a tractor in two sections.Occupants were treated for shock after the tractor's metal bucket ripped into a top section of the bus before a lower deck was punctured by the vehicle's giant back wheel. Glass and metal shattered on impact as the bus's momentum dragged the tractor a short distance before it toppled over and wedged itself between a lamp post and brick wall of a garden.One witness said after yesterday afternoon's bizarre accident in New Road: "It's a miracle nobody was badly hurt."Faye Vandenberg, 19, and Verity Markey, 16, also saw the drama.Faye said: "We couldn't have been more than a metre away. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was all a bit of a blur. After the smash we went to see if everyone was OK."She added: "The woman bus driver was really upset. She looked really shocked by the whole thing. There was an elderly woman who was on the bus together with a girl who was sitting at the back. We went inside the house opposite and helped to make tea for them all. We did what we could."Verity added: "I'm just glad there weren't too many people on the bus. If it had happened a little later on then it would have been packed full of Bus Crash in Brixham GREAT ESCAPE From the Herald Express18 January schoolchildren."Tractor owner Dave Berlyn, from Marldon, was reducing tree sections into chippings when the accident happened just before 1pm.His nine-year old border collie, Nell, was the only occupant in the new tractor when the accident happened."She was in the front. She always comes with me to work. I was around the back at the time and I just turned around and it wasn't there any more. I got Nell out straight away," he said.He added: "Thankfully there was an opening at the back window. She was scrabbling around trying to get out and I just reached down and picked her up. The engine was going when it happened. But there's an auto cut-off and the tractor stopped. Nell was fine. She didn't seem bothered about it at all. It's lucky really. Another few feet and I would have been standing there."Two fire crews from the port were at the scene within minutes to separate the wrecked vehicles and mop up the spilt diesel.They also managed to right the tractor and remove its huge wheel which had been buried in glass at the back of the bus.Station Officer Steve Connor said: "When we got here all the passengers had got off. Everybody seemed to be OK. There were just a few scratches. I am very pleased with how the operation went.We used cutting equipment on the back of the bus as we were unable to free the wheel. We weren't sure when we released the bus whether or not it would tip over. We train for these kinds of things and use all different scenarios. It could have been worse. There are normally a lot of people who use the pavement. And the bus route is busy."Stagecoach boss Chris Hilditch said: "This was a very nasty accident."He said the Bayline Trident bus would be repairable."Somehow the bus came into contact with the tractor which ripped into the lower aluminum section of the top deck. The bus's forward momentum then pulled the tractor around and pushed it against a lamp post, causing it to topple over between the post and the bus," said Mr Hilditch."I know the driver who is an excellent employee. It must have been very upsetting for her and the others involved. Fortunately no one was badly hurt."A police spokesman said the accident happened at 12.47pm.He confirmed that no one was injured, although two passengers on the bus were treated for shock.It took nearly three hours to clear wreckage from the scene.Congestion built up as police diverted traffic as several attempts to move the bus was made.The police spokesman said details were still being gathered about the cause of the accident, which may have involved a third car.
Friday, January 14, 2005
Titan
If you are a bus driver then Titan is a type of double decker bus. If you are a Greek scholar then he is some kind of Deity but for the next few days Titan is a Moon of Saturn, probably the most famous moon around at the moment.
The European Space Agency sent a probe to Titan which landed with pin point accuracy after a journey of 7 years. It has sent back over 350 pictures of the moon, plus loads of other interesting data. Titan is 750 million miles or 1 and a quarter light hours from Torquay. Well done all concerned.
Shame the company can not get the 18:21 from Newton Abbot to Torquay every Monday to Saturday. Newton Abbot is 6 miles or 0.000032 light seconds from Torquay.
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Mars Rover
No, it's not an all day bus ticket. It's a machine that roves around Mars. I was looking at that Iceberg that's set to hit a Glacier in the Antarctic on Saturday, pictures from NASA. I had a quick surf and came across this item about the Mars Rover:-
Between Day 292 and 298, Spirit completed its studies of the rock called "Uchben" and drove west about 2 meters (almost 7 feet) to a rock called "Lutefisk."
God, that's fast. Almost 7 feet in 6 days.
Eye Test
To day I went to the options for an eye test. I have recently noticed that things in the distance were looking a little blurred and having to slow down to 5mph at every bus stop just to see if any one was there has been getting a little inconvenient. Well I ended up with my first pair of glasses. The optician said I would only need them for distance work and as I walked round town this afternoon I could notice a slight improvement. I could read number plates at 45 yards instead of 30 yards.
Then at Half eleven at night I went out and looked up.
So many stars, Bright, sharp pin pricks of light had replaced fuzzy things that had been there before.
Worth every penny.
Saturday, January 08, 2005
High winds
Friday 7th January 2005
The wind speed picked up as the day went on. We have wind speeds of up to 50mph forecast for overnight and early in the morning.
We had a junction on the boundary of Paignton and Brixham that is known as windy corner and it is well named. I went through at 6pm and it was very hard to keep the bus in a straight line and the wind has got stronger as the evening worn on. there are 15 more buses due through windy corner to night, I hope they make it OK.
Out side in the back garden it sounds like an express train is going though.
Up in Manchester where my brothers live the speed is forecast the be 70mph with gusts up to 95 mph.
An other sign of Global Warming or just one of those evens that happens
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Gone Quiet till Easter
Christmas and New Year have gone, the children will all be back at school to morrow and only the most hardy holiday makers get down to Devon in January and February. So for the next couple of months it will be quiet on the buses.
Just about to get a pay rise though. At the moment we are on a 39 Hour contract. I do work on average 39 1/2 hrs a week, not counting overtime. From this month we are all going on a 41 hr contract so I will get an extra one and a half hours pay without having to work extra for it. Nice one Stagecoach; and the Union. Thanks very much. I hope no one notices.
Brixham Car Park has been closed and will be pulled down after having threatened to fall down several times in the last few years. How any one could have built such a mess right in the town centre of what the Brochure discribes as a quaint Fishing Village is beyond me. I think Money and large brown envelopes must have been involved. Lets hope the next effort is an improvement.
Friday, 31 December 2004
All of Dec 2004
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
Earthquake
Yesterday I heard a brief item on the radio about an earthquake in the Indian Ocean that had caused some damage and loss of life from the resultant Tidal Waves.
I didn't think a great deal about it at the time. Earthquakes are fairly common and the Indian Ocean is a long way away.
Now as the size of the disaster starts to become apparent. There can not be a person on the planet who does not know about this.
I feel I should write something but I really just don't know what.
Saturday, December 25, 2004
Stagecoach Half Price Offer.
Explorer Offer Between Friday 24th December 2004 and Tuesday 4th January 2005 Adult Explorer tickets will cost just £3.00 instead of the normal £6.00.
That's it!
You weren't expecting more were you?
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
Tip of the Day (1)
If you are the driver of a bus with 20 people on board and you have sparks coming from the engine and you can not turn the engine off then don't sit about wondering what to do.
Instead, Turn to your passengers and ask the quietly and calmly would they, merely as a sort of better to be safe than sorry sort of thing, mind getting off the bus. When they are off the bus, then you can sit about wondering what to do.
You may feel a bit of a prick when the bus doesn't explode in a roar of flame but not as big a prick as you would feel trying to answer such questions as, "Didn't you used to be a bus driver?"
P.S. The bus didn't, in the end, burst in to flames, with or without a roar.
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
If you are a Police Office in Torquay Please Read
Fleet Walk in Torquay is a Pedestrianised Street but buses and some other vehicles are allowed to drive down it. However lots of other people drive down and park there illegally. Please Devon and cornwall Police read the following and have a bright idea.
From The Herald Express
Monday 13 Dec o4.
POLICE BLITZ ON ROAD ROGUES
A blitz on motorists abusing a one-way road system in Kingsteignton netted 15 offenders in one three-hour police operation - and all those nabbed were local. Officers lay in wait for transgressors openly flouting the one-way and access-only restrictions in operation in Golvers Hill and Fore Street.The watchful eye of the law focused on the culprits last Tuesday after concerns were raised by parish councillors and local residents.
Director of Operations.
Well on Tuesday Mr Stevens, who is the Operations Director for the company, came down to Torquay to address drivers. He was coming to give a talk on where the company is going and to answer question put to him by the drivers at the meeting.
He is in effect the 2nd most important person in the company. So I rushed home from work, had my diner and rushed down to the Torquay Rugby Club with my pen and trusty notebook so I could report back to my readers on our company's expectations for the future.
Well I wish I could report that Mr Stevens was full of optimism, that the company is about to embark on a series of expansion programs that will secure all our futures, with big fat rises for the drivers and the shareholders.
But I can't.
I would like to have been at least able to report that things were running smoothly and though no big fat pay rises were foreseeable in the near future things did at lest seem secure and that none of us would be looking for work 3 days before Christmas.
But I can't.
Fortunately I can't report that we are about to go bust and Christmas is cancelled; though that may be the case for all I know.
In fact the only thing I can report is the fact that I was not allowed into the meeting. I am not in the Union and this was a Union meeting. So even though I had made the effort top get to the meeting I was refused admission by the senior union official present and could not listen while the Director of Operations explained which way the company was going. No Union business was held but only union members could attend. And 20 of them did. Out of 200.
Monday, December 13, 2004
Pre Christmas Farce.
Usually it is pantomime at Christmas but with us it is Farce; an expensive farce at that.
The Company decided to expand their bus routes into Plymouth and registered a new route with the Traffic Commission 6 weeks ago as per the rules. The Traffic Commission had no problem so Timetables were printed, newspaper and radio ads were placed, drivers were route learned, buses had stickers stuck on the sides to show the new routes, timetables were fixed to bus stops new flags were put up with the route number, 152, boldly displayed and this morning the drivers chosen to drive on the new route on the first day all proudly turned up for work and it is probable that passengers stood at bus stops waiting for them to turn up with their new destination blinds optimistically proclaiming Plymouth City Centre. Well the drivers sat around doing nothing all day and I hope the passengers didn't do the same because the bus didn't run. What's more it will never run.
An other bus company objected because part of our route followed part of one of their routes and it was decided by some one to withdraw the service before it had even turned a wheel.
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
Jury's Corner and the Burst Water Main.
WELL AFTER A FEW WEEKS OF CALM ON THE ROADS WITH REGARD TO ROAD WORKS TO DAY WE HIT A VERY LARGE BRICK WALL. WE HAD BEEN PROMISED WEEKS OF MISERY WITH KINGS ASH IN PAIGNTON BEING DUG UP AND THE FIRST WEEK SLOWED US DOWN A BIT BUT NOW WE BARELY NOTICE IT. JW GLENDINNINGS COMPANY RESURFACED THE ROAD AT LAY WELL ON THE WAY DOWN TO BRIXHAM AND THEY WERE EXCELLENT. A MAN AT EACH END CONTROLLING THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS MADE SURE THE TRAFFIC FLOWED SMOOTHLY AND DELAYS WERE NEVER MORE THAN 5 MINS AND THE WORK WAS COMPLETED VERY QUICKLY.
THIS MORNING A WATER MAIN WENT BANG AND THE ROAD DIGGERS MOVED IN AND EVERY THING ELSE STOPPED. EXTRA TRAVELLING TIME TO AND FROM NEWTON OF 45 MINS WERE EXPERIENCED ALL DAY AND AT THE EVENING RUSH HOUR IT TOOK ME 2 HOURS TO DO A JOURNEY IT USUALLY TAKES 30 MINS. WHEN I GOT TO PAIGNTON AT 7:15 ON THE WAY TO BRIXHAM I SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT HOME EATING MY DINNER. THE BUS BEHIND ME WAS DUE OUT OF BRIXHAM AT 6:10 AND HE STILL HAD TO GET TO BRIXHAM, AN OTHER 20 MINS AWAY. WHAT THE REST OF THE NIGHT ENDED UP LIKE I DON'T KNOW.
AND THE ROAD WORKS ARE STILL THERE; waiting for us tomorrow!!!!
Sunday, December 05, 2004
Happy Campers
BLOKE IN HIS 50'S GOT ON THE BUS IN TORQUAY AND SAID, "PAIGNTON" NOW A SINGLE TO PAIGNTON IS £1.75 BUT A RETURN IS £2.75 SO IF HE WAS COMING BACK IT IS CHEAPER TO GET A RETURN SO I SAID, "SINGLE OR RETURN?" AS I ALWAYS DO.
HE SAID, "TO THIS DUMP. I'VE SEEM ENOUGH OF TORQUAY THANK YOU." ALWAYS ONE TO DEFEND MY HOME TOWN I TOLD HIM THAT TORQUAY WAS BEAUTIFUL. "YOU'VE BEEN READING TOO MANY BROCHURES MATE." AND STOMPED OF DOWN THE BUS.
YOU CAN'T WIN THEM ALL!
Thursday, December 02, 2004
A Tale of Two Passengers
PASSENGER ONE :-
WAS IN TORQUAY AND HAD BEEN TOLD TO GET A NUMBER 12 WHICH RAN EVERY 10 MINS AND TOOK 5 MINS TO GET TO TORQUAY RAIL STATION WHERE HE WAS TO CATCH A TRAIN TO NEWTON ABBOT TO CATCH A CONNECTION TO SHEFFIELD. HE HAD 40 MINS. HE WAS ALSO ON CRUTCHES. HE SAW A NUMBER 12 AND BY THE TIME HE HAD HOBBLED UP TO THE STOP IT HAD GONE. NO PROBLEM, WAIT 10 MINS, 5 MINS TO STATION STILL GOT 25 MINS. WHEN HE GOT ON THE BUS HE WAS TOLD ' SORRY MATE THIS BUS IS GOING TO NEWTON. YOU WANT THE BUS TO BRIXHAM. ROUND THE CORNER OVER THE ROAD AND 2ND BUS STOP DOWN.' WHILE WAITING FOR THE LIGHTS ON THE PEDESTRIAN CROSSING TO CHANGE THE BRIXHAM BUS WENT BY. STILL NO PROBLEM, AN OTHER TEN MINS WAIT, 5 MINS TO STATION 10 MINS TO SPARE. NEXT BUS CAME PAID HIS FARE,£1.00 AND ASKED THE DRIVER TO GIVE HIM A SHOUT WHEN THEY GOT TO THE STATION. DRIVER PROMISED FAITHFULLY TO GIVE HIM A SHOUT. DRIVER FORGOT AND ONLY REMEMBERED WHEN THE BUS STOPPED AT LIVERMEAD CLIFF HOTEL 3/4 MILE PAST STATION AND MAN ON CRUTCHES SAID, 'ARE WE THERE YET.?' DRIVER USED RADIO TO SEE IF THERE WAS A NEARBY BUS GOING THE OTHER WAY. NO CHANCE; NEXT BUS WAS STILL IN PAIGNTON 15 MINS AWAY. THAT WOULD BE TOO LATE.
SO DRIVER TURNED HIS BUS AROUND AND TOOK THE PASSENGER BACK TO THE RAIL STATION. HE DID A LEFT HAND REVERSE INTO A SIDE ROAD. REMEMBER ON YOUR DRIVING TEST DOING A LEFT HAND REVERSE, QUIET ROAD, SMALL CAR, PLENTY OF TIME. THINK ABOUT DOING IT IN A 30 FOOT LONG, 8 FOOT WIDE BUS ON THE BUSIEST ROAD IN THE BAY AND TIME RUNNING OUT. THE PASSENGER CAUGHT HIS TRAIN AND THE BUS GOT BACK ON TIME EVENTUALLY.
PASSENGER TWO :-
GOT ON A 12 IN PAIGNTON BUS STATION WITH A RETURN TICKET FOR PRESTON SHELTER WHICH IS 8 MINS AWAY AT A LITTLE BEFORE MIDDAY. WHEN THE BUS GOT TO VICTORIA PARK IT TURNED LEFT AT THE MILK BOTTLE. IT SHOULD HAVE GONE STRAIGHT ON. PRESTON SHELTER IS A 15 MIN WALK FROM HERE. THE BUS CONTINUED UPTO THE RING ROAD AND FOLLOWED THE DIVERSION USED WHEN THE SEA FRONT IS CLOSED. THE NEXT STOP IS IN TORQUAY 30 MINS LATER. PRESTON IS HALF WAY TO TORQUAY. THE PASSENGER THEN HAD TO GET A 12 GOING BACK TO PAIGNTON WHICH WAS ABLE TO DROP HER IN EUGENE RD PRESTON WHERE SHE WANTED TO BE. THE WHOLE TRIP HAD TAKEN ALMOST AN HOUR AND A HALF INSTEAD OF 8 MINS BECAUSE THE DRIVER OF THE BUS SHE BOARDED IN THE FIRST PLACE HAD NOT TOLD HER THAT THE BUS WASN'T GOING TO PRESTON SHELTER AS THERE HAD BEEN A CRASH AT THE GAS WORKS AND THE ROAD HAD BEEN CLOSED BY THE POLICE.
PASSENGERS SOME TIMES REALLY HAVE REASONS TO REMEMBER THEIR BUS TRIPS.
Earthquake
Yesterday I heard a brief item on the radio about an earthquake in the Indian Ocean that had caused some damage and loss of life from the resultant Tidal Waves.
I didn't think a great deal about it at the time. Earthquakes are fairly common and the Indian Ocean is a long way away.
Now as the size of the disaster starts to become apparent. There can not be a person on the planet who does not know about this.
I feel I should write something but I really just don't know what.
Saturday, December 25, 2004
Stagecoach Half Price Offer.
Explorer Offer Between Friday 24th December 2004 and Tuesday 4th January 2005 Adult Explorer tickets will cost just £3.00 instead of the normal £6.00.
That's it!
You weren't expecting more were you?
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
Tip of the Day (1)
If you are the driver of a bus with 20 people on board and you have sparks coming from the engine and you can not turn the engine off then don't sit about wondering what to do.
Instead, Turn to your passengers and ask the quietly and calmly would they, merely as a sort of better to be safe than sorry sort of thing, mind getting off the bus. When they are off the bus, then you can sit about wondering what to do.
You may feel a bit of a prick when the bus doesn't explode in a roar of flame but not as big a prick as you would feel trying to answer such questions as, "Didn't you used to be a bus driver?"
P.S. The bus didn't, in the end, burst in to flames, with or without a roar.
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
If you are a Police Office in Torquay Please Read
Fleet Walk in Torquay is a Pedestrianised Street but buses and some other vehicles are allowed to drive down it. However lots of other people drive down and park there illegally. Please Devon and cornwall Police read the following and have a bright idea.
From The Herald Express
Monday 13 Dec o4.
POLICE BLITZ ON ROAD ROGUES
A blitz on motorists abusing a one-way road system in Kingsteignton netted 15 offenders in one three-hour police operation - and all those nabbed were local. Officers lay in wait for transgressors openly flouting the one-way and access-only restrictions in operation in Golvers Hill and Fore Street.The watchful eye of the law focused on the culprits last Tuesday after concerns were raised by parish councillors and local residents.
Director of Operations.
Well on Tuesday Mr Stevens, who is the Operations Director for the company, came down to Torquay to address drivers. He was coming to give a talk on where the company is going and to answer question put to him by the drivers at the meeting.
He is in effect the 2nd most important person in the company. So I rushed home from work, had my diner and rushed down to the Torquay Rugby Club with my pen and trusty notebook so I could report back to my readers on our company's expectations for the future.
Well I wish I could report that Mr Stevens was full of optimism, that the company is about to embark on a series of expansion programs that will secure all our futures, with big fat rises for the drivers and the shareholders.
But I can't.
I would like to have been at least able to report that things were running smoothly and though no big fat pay rises were foreseeable in the near future things did at lest seem secure and that none of us would be looking for work 3 days before Christmas.
But I can't.
Fortunately I can't report that we are about to go bust and Christmas is cancelled; though that may be the case for all I know.
In fact the only thing I can report is the fact that I was not allowed into the meeting. I am not in the Union and this was a Union meeting. So even though I had made the effort top get to the meeting I was refused admission by the senior union official present and could not listen while the Director of Operations explained which way the company was going. No Union business was held but only union members could attend. And 20 of them did. Out of 200.
Monday, December 13, 2004
Pre Christmas Farce.
Usually it is pantomime at Christmas but with us it is Farce; an expensive farce at that.
The Company decided to expand their bus routes into Plymouth and registered a new route with the Traffic Commission 6 weeks ago as per the rules. The Traffic Commission had no problem so Timetables were printed, newspaper and radio ads were placed, drivers were route learned, buses had stickers stuck on the sides to show the new routes, timetables were fixed to bus stops new flags were put up with the route number, 152, boldly displayed and this morning the drivers chosen to drive on the new route on the first day all proudly turned up for work and it is probable that passengers stood at bus stops waiting for them to turn up with their new destination blinds optimistically proclaiming Plymouth City Centre. Well the drivers sat around doing nothing all day and I hope the passengers didn't do the same because the bus didn't run. What's more it will never run.
An other bus company objected because part of our route followed part of one of their routes and it was decided by some one to withdraw the service before it had even turned a wheel.
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
Jury's Corner and the Burst Water Main.
WELL AFTER A FEW WEEKS OF CALM ON THE ROADS WITH REGARD TO ROAD WORKS TO DAY WE HIT A VERY LARGE BRICK WALL. WE HAD BEEN PROMISED WEEKS OF MISERY WITH KINGS ASH IN PAIGNTON BEING DUG UP AND THE FIRST WEEK SLOWED US DOWN A BIT BUT NOW WE BARELY NOTICE IT. JW GLENDINNINGS COMPANY RESURFACED THE ROAD AT LAY WELL ON THE WAY DOWN TO BRIXHAM AND THEY WERE EXCELLENT. A MAN AT EACH END CONTROLLING THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS MADE SURE THE TRAFFIC FLOWED SMOOTHLY AND DELAYS WERE NEVER MORE THAN 5 MINS AND THE WORK WAS COMPLETED VERY QUICKLY.
THIS MORNING A WATER MAIN WENT BANG AND THE ROAD DIGGERS MOVED IN AND EVERY THING ELSE STOPPED. EXTRA TRAVELLING TIME TO AND FROM NEWTON OF 45 MINS WERE EXPERIENCED ALL DAY AND AT THE EVENING RUSH HOUR IT TOOK ME 2 HOURS TO DO A JOURNEY IT USUALLY TAKES 30 MINS. WHEN I GOT TO PAIGNTON AT 7:15 ON THE WAY TO BRIXHAM I SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT HOME EATING MY DINNER. THE BUS BEHIND ME WAS DUE OUT OF BRIXHAM AT 6:10 AND HE STILL HAD TO GET TO BRIXHAM, AN OTHER 20 MINS AWAY. WHAT THE REST OF THE NIGHT ENDED UP LIKE I DON'T KNOW.
AND THE ROAD WORKS ARE STILL THERE; waiting for us tomorrow!!!!
Sunday, December 05, 2004
Happy Campers
BLOKE IN HIS 50'S GOT ON THE BUS IN TORQUAY AND SAID, "PAIGNTON" NOW A SINGLE TO PAIGNTON IS £1.75 BUT A RETURN IS £2.75 SO IF HE WAS COMING BACK IT IS CHEAPER TO GET A RETURN SO I SAID, "SINGLE OR RETURN?" AS I ALWAYS DO.
HE SAID, "TO THIS DUMP. I'VE SEEM ENOUGH OF TORQUAY THANK YOU." ALWAYS ONE TO DEFEND MY HOME TOWN I TOLD HIM THAT TORQUAY WAS BEAUTIFUL. "YOU'VE BEEN READING TOO MANY BROCHURES MATE." AND STOMPED OF DOWN THE BUS.
YOU CAN'T WIN THEM ALL!
Thursday, December 02, 2004
A Tale of Two Passengers
PASSENGER ONE :-
WAS IN TORQUAY AND HAD BEEN TOLD TO GET A NUMBER 12 WHICH RAN EVERY 10 MINS AND TOOK 5 MINS TO GET TO TORQUAY RAIL STATION WHERE HE WAS TO CATCH A TRAIN TO NEWTON ABBOT TO CATCH A CONNECTION TO SHEFFIELD. HE HAD 40 MINS. HE WAS ALSO ON CRUTCHES. HE SAW A NUMBER 12 AND BY THE TIME HE HAD HOBBLED UP TO THE STOP IT HAD GONE. NO PROBLEM, WAIT 10 MINS, 5 MINS TO STATION STILL GOT 25 MINS. WHEN HE GOT ON THE BUS HE WAS TOLD ' SORRY MATE THIS BUS IS GOING TO NEWTON. YOU WANT THE BUS TO BRIXHAM. ROUND THE CORNER OVER THE ROAD AND 2ND BUS STOP DOWN.' WHILE WAITING FOR THE LIGHTS ON THE PEDESTRIAN CROSSING TO CHANGE THE BRIXHAM BUS WENT BY. STILL NO PROBLEM, AN OTHER TEN MINS WAIT, 5 MINS TO STATION 10 MINS TO SPARE. NEXT BUS CAME PAID HIS FARE,£1.00 AND ASKED THE DRIVER TO GIVE HIM A SHOUT WHEN THEY GOT TO THE STATION. DRIVER PROMISED FAITHFULLY TO GIVE HIM A SHOUT. DRIVER FORGOT AND ONLY REMEMBERED WHEN THE BUS STOPPED AT LIVERMEAD CLIFF HOTEL 3/4 MILE PAST STATION AND MAN ON CRUTCHES SAID, 'ARE WE THERE YET.?' DRIVER USED RADIO TO SEE IF THERE WAS A NEARBY BUS GOING THE OTHER WAY. NO CHANCE; NEXT BUS WAS STILL IN PAIGNTON 15 MINS AWAY. THAT WOULD BE TOO LATE.
SO DRIVER TURNED HIS BUS AROUND AND TOOK THE PASSENGER BACK TO THE RAIL STATION. HE DID A LEFT HAND REVERSE INTO A SIDE ROAD. REMEMBER ON YOUR DRIVING TEST DOING A LEFT HAND REVERSE, QUIET ROAD, SMALL CAR, PLENTY OF TIME. THINK ABOUT DOING IT IN A 30 FOOT LONG, 8 FOOT WIDE BUS ON THE BUSIEST ROAD IN THE BAY AND TIME RUNNING OUT. THE PASSENGER CAUGHT HIS TRAIN AND THE BUS GOT BACK ON TIME EVENTUALLY.
PASSENGER TWO :-
GOT ON A 12 IN PAIGNTON BUS STATION WITH A RETURN TICKET FOR PRESTON SHELTER WHICH IS 8 MINS AWAY AT A LITTLE BEFORE MIDDAY. WHEN THE BUS GOT TO VICTORIA PARK IT TURNED LEFT AT THE MILK BOTTLE. IT SHOULD HAVE GONE STRAIGHT ON. PRESTON SHELTER IS A 15 MIN WALK FROM HERE. THE BUS CONTINUED UPTO THE RING ROAD AND FOLLOWED THE DIVERSION USED WHEN THE SEA FRONT IS CLOSED. THE NEXT STOP IS IN TORQUAY 30 MINS LATER. PRESTON IS HALF WAY TO TORQUAY. THE PASSENGER THEN HAD TO GET A 12 GOING BACK TO PAIGNTON WHICH WAS ABLE TO DROP HER IN EUGENE RD PRESTON WHERE SHE WANTED TO BE. THE WHOLE TRIP HAD TAKEN ALMOST AN HOUR AND A HALF INSTEAD OF 8 MINS BECAUSE THE DRIVER OF THE BUS SHE BOARDED IN THE FIRST PLACE HAD NOT TOLD HER THAT THE BUS WASN'T GOING TO PRESTON SHELTER AS THERE HAD BEEN A CRASH AT THE GAS WORKS AND THE ROAD HAD BEEN CLOSED BY THE POLICE.
PASSENGERS SOME TIMES REALLY HAVE REASONS TO REMEMBER THEIR BUS TRIPS.
Tuesday, 30 November 2004
November 2004
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Police at Work on Paignton Bus Station.
Monday 28th November 2004 2:00pm
Four men walked through the bus station. Suddenly two police officers appeared giving chase. They stopped and questioned the men and then searched them. The men were then handcuffed and taken to a police van that had arrived during the search. One of the other drivers said he though they had been shop lifting but it could have been a drug bust. C
Going into Brixham
As you drive down new road into brixham there is a bend to the right, not very sharp, no real need to slow down a great deal. On the left there are a few shops, a doctor's surgery and....... A dentist's surgery. On the right is a forty foot high wall.
So far no problem, on both sides of the road there are double yellow lines which in the uk mean no waiting at any time; except in torbay. Here traffic wardens use a common sense approach to work. They don't do any. And everyone knows this and they park almost any where. I haven't seen anyone park against the wall yet but the day will come. I have however seen thousands of cars (not all at the same time) parked outside the shops and the surgeries.
To pass these idiots means going on the wrong side of the road on a blind bend and i usually pray to the god of blind bends whilst i am on the wrong side of the road. The prayers are simple, blow the horn repeatedly. Note the highway code says i should give audible warning of approach in this situation.
Well the other day the company got a nice letter from the dentist. In it he noted the problem with the blind bend and it's dangers but also pointed out that bus horns are very loud and in the surgery they were totally unexpected. Should, he went on, be drilling in the mouth of an elderly person this unexpectedness could cause the patient to jump with predictable consequences.
Now he felt he could get away with charging for an extra filling now and then but trying to sell the idea that tongue piercing was cool for the over seventy's; especially when done with a dentist drill, was pushing his luck a little too far.
So i expect i will have to pray to the blind bend god silently from now on and hope that i don't make the patients jump with the unexpected sound of a very loud crash.
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Monitoring Road Works
COURTS FINE UTILITY FIRMS
FROM THE HERALD EXPRESS
23 November 2004
Fines and costs totalling £18,281.92 have been imposed by magistrates on utility companies for offences in relation to roadworks in Devon.Gas company Transco was fined a total of £3,700 and ordered to pay a total of £4980.67 in costs for 10 offences including being fined £1,300 plus costs of £3,185 for three offences. South West Water was fined a total of £1,100 plus £1,658.75 for five offences.Devon County Council environment councillor David Morrish said: "With the appointment of a street works enforcement officer, the county is now in the strongest position ever to investigate offences and bring them to the notice of the courts."We currently have many cases pending and can assure the utility companies that we will not rest until they take responsibility for their actions. Our message to the utility companies is get it right or face the consequences."
torbay council should take note and appoint their own street works enforcement officer. many of the road works in torbay ( many run by firms mentioned above) have serious defects in traffic management. many a motorist has sat at temporary traffic lights in a queue of vehicles stretching as far as the eye can see for up to 15 mins only to get through the road works and discover that there are only 3 cars waiting on the otherside of the road works. Traffic management is not a science that has reached the west country yet.
Thursday, November 18, 2004
Right Time, Wrong Place.
Wednesday 17 november 04
Work rest day
I put my name down to work a rest day and got duty 3510 which is a coast duty. It is know as a coast duty as you drive up the coast to exeter and back two or three times. At our end there is the 85 from torquay harbour and the 85a from newton abbot. Both end up in exeter. As the duty started in the middle of the day i had to take over a bus from an other driver and i looked at the running board which started with the line, "travel passenger on service 12 bus". Usually when taking over a live bus we drive a shuttle bus which is much better than travelling on a service bus which take 3 times as long.
Well i got to newton and went to the 85a bus in sherbourne road. The driver said no he wasn't coming off and i looked at my running board more carefully and released that i should have been in torquay, 35 mins away to take over an 85 in 10 mins.
Hari kari was definitely an option.
Instead i rang control and told them i was in newton and i should have been in torquay. Now this has happened before though not to me. They got on the radio and told the driver coming off in torquay and he, one richard boston, a hero, agreed to drive the bus to exeter while i went back to the depot, got a spare bus and chased after him. I caught him up in exminster, which saved him the chore of going all the way into exeter.
Now richard didn't have to do what he did, he could have left all the people waiting for me and just brought the bus back to the depot and gone home. But that would have meant a lot of people waiting an hour for the next bus and like many of our drivers richard didn't want that to happen. Well done richard and thank you. Me, i'm dead upset that i could make such a stupid mistake.
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
South Devon College
No, I am not writing about the possible lack of buses to south Devon college when they move in September. I am talking about a bus that goes to the College which shouldn't.
Between 18:00 and 19:00 the number of 12's on the road falls from 17 to 8 as the service changes from a 10 minute service to a 20 minute service. some of the buses get to Brixham or Newton and run dead back to the depot. Two go from Newton to Paignton and one (at 18:01) goes only to the depot. However One, the 18:21 from Newton runs to Torquay Harbour and then dead back to the depot arriving there at 19:05. Some drivers, not all, don't go to the Harbour.
They only put South Devon College up on the destination blind and then return to the depot from the College. this saves them about 15 minutes. It also means that anyone wanting to go to the Harbour has to wait an extra 17 minutes for the next bus which does go to the Harbour.
No buses are at present scheduled to terminate at South Devon College.
So if you are waiting for a bus some where between Newton and torquay between 18:21 and 18:50 and a bus comes along with South Devon College on the destination Blind, get on and insist that the driver takes you to the harbour.
A Little more on the 34 route
NO ATTEMPT TO FIND A SOLUTION
From Herald Express13 November 2004
I would like to reassure Danny Ferguson (Your View, November 10) that I fully understand that, if bus drivers are being threatened physically, then action has to be taken to protect their safety.The main concern I have is that no effort seems to have been made to bring together Stagecoach, the council, the police and other agencies to discuss this problem.If they had been brought together then a solution may have been found, which would not have deprived* people of their 34 bus service.I look forward to working with Stagecoach and the police to find a solution to this problem.Cllr GORDON JENNINGSWatcombe WardTorquay
*Comment. The people have not been deprived of the 34 Service, just a small section of it. Which shows that people, not only councillors, will shamelessly manipulate facts for their own ends. Desfordave
Friday, November 12, 2004
Torbay Council V RMT Union and Stagecoach.
Torbay council's comments on changes to be made to the 31 and 34 routes.
below is the rmt union's response
SQUARING UP FOR BATTLE OF THE BAY BUS ROUTES BY GLENN PRICE
Torquay herald Express
28 October 2004
The fight is on to save one of Torquay's established bus routes.Councillors say they are outraged by Stagecoach's decision to alter the 34 service covering East and West Pafford Avenue and Willow Avenue on the Watcombe estate. They believe that by changing the route to incorporate Halstead Road, many people in Watcombe will be cut off from key destinations in Torquay.Cllr Steve Darling said: "This would disadvantage many people on the estate, and we have asked Stagecoach to reconsider their actions. Their proposals will be particularly hard on older residents and those who may be disabled, who will find it difficult climbing the hill from Fore Street in Barton to their homes on the estate. We won't roll over. The fight will continue."Stagecoach said one of the main reasons for the change is because of incidents of violence against its drivers and vehicles.Chris Hilditch, Stagecoach managing director, said: "We've had a lot of trouble up there - buses stoned and residents blocking drivers' routes with badly parked cars. The drivers don't like going there. So we think the change is a vast improvement."However, Cllr Gordon Jennings disputed this, saying that Stagecoach's decision was based on financial gain, not fears of antisocial behaviour.He added: "We've got policemen who are willing to go on the buses. They're keen to look at the issue and approach any offending youngsters. But Stagecoach isn't interested. We have been in touch with the sergeant who covers that area and, while he is aware of isolated incidents, he is not aware of Stagecoach informing the police of endemic antisocial behaviour."Stagecoach said the new 34 route would provide diversity and improvements to passengers, bringing more advantages than drawbacks.It will be linked with the 31 services to form a circular service which will join Barton and Hele with St Marychurch. However, the new services will no longer serve Shirburn Road, Studley Road and Watcombe estate.Mr Hilditch added: "With this route we're tying Watcombe and Barton. This will give a service to Halstead Road, so passengers will have a link with St Marychurch. Also, people in town will be able to get to Watcombe or Barton more quickly, with waits only being seven and a half minutes instead of 20 minutes. It gives customers more options and a better service. Not many people will be disadvantaged - a few will. We're giving the best service we can."We're trying to keep the customer base we've got while generating more customers. The councillors have an issue, but I think that when they really think about it they'll see this is for the better. It's a commercial bus service, no public money is put into it. We'll look at how the change goes, but I don't think we'll reconsider in the near future."
Thursday, November 11, 2004
RMT Respond to Torbay Council
SAFETY BEHIND SERVICE WITHDRAWAL From Readers Letters, the herald express. 10 November 2004
I feel it my duty to respond to the article about the loss of the 34 service through the Watcombe estate (Herald, Oct 28).Councillor Gordon Jennings claims Stagecoach have withdrawn the service purely on a financial gain. I beg to differ. The service was withdrawn for safety reasons because of the amount of trouble drivers had to contend with on a regular basis.Drivers were being threatened and robbed. Threats and intimidation became the norm.It was particularly bad in the evenings with youths throwing missiles at the buses. This was endangering the same members of the public that councillors represent.Two years ago we stopped the buses taking their lay over time at Willow Avenue, because of the trouble drivers had to contend with. Things have got no better since this was implemented.The last straw was the assault and robbery of a driver by a gang of youths. As for the police volunteering to travel around on the buses, we can't even get them to attend a robbery within a reasonable time, never mind travel on the buses.We used to meet the police on a regular basis to discuss hot spots, which included Watcombe estate, but alas this does not happen any more.As my members' representative, my union has a duty of care towards its members, as does Stagecoach. That's why this decision was taken, not for financial gain as intimated.I trust the decent law- abiding residents of Watcombe estate understand the reason why this has happened.DANNY FERGUSONRMT Senior Staff Representative & Health and Safety Representative Regent Close,Torquay
South Devon College
From an item in the Herald Express
South Devon College Principal Heather Maxwell disputed recent claims that the new site in Paignton would be inaccessible by public transport.Stagecoach boss Chris Hilditch feared students would be unable to get to the new Long Road site.But Ms Maxwell said: "I don't want people to think it's going to be difficult to get to. I know a regular bus service and the site is only four miles from Torquay."She added the college had been approached by a number of private transport organisations and said potential transport schemes were in the pipeline.
Well I am glad that's sorted out
Friday, November 05, 2004
Still Getting the Blame
BUS BLACKSPOT SOLUTION SOUGHT
From the Herald ExpressBY ABI PARKES11:00 - 01 November 2004
A solution to bridge the Bay's public transport blackspots is being investigated by Torbay Council.They believe a new quality bus partnership could be the way forward in getting better coverage and services for the public. Currently Stagecoach carries 97 per cent of the resort's bus passengers and will only operate commercially viable routes.Some services were cut and streamlined last year following strike action by drivers.The rest of this news item can be read by clicking here but abi parkes of the Herald Express seems to live on a different planet than the rest of us.
Monday, November 01, 2004
31 and 34
I stopped at castle circus going up union street heading for newton this evening when a lady boarded the bus and asked why she had been waiting for 1 hr 45 mins for a 31 and why had 2 thirty fours gone past her. The 34 should not go up union street past castle circus. It would appear that not only did the passengers not know any thing about the new route but some of the drivers didn't either. Lack of route learning is my guess. Will they get any? Latter, in abbey road i was called a ******** by some one who had been waiting a long time.
It can only get better; i hope.
Police at Work on Paignton Bus Station.
Monday 28th November 2004 2:00pm
Four men walked through the bus station. Suddenly two police officers appeared giving chase. They stopped and questioned the men and then searched them. The men were then handcuffed and taken to a police van that had arrived during the search. One of the other drivers said he though they had been shop lifting but it could have been a drug bust. C
Going into Brixham
As you drive down new road into brixham there is a bend to the right, not very sharp, no real need to slow down a great deal. On the left there are a few shops, a doctor's surgery and....... A dentist's surgery. On the right is a forty foot high wall.
So far no problem, on both sides of the road there are double yellow lines which in the uk mean no waiting at any time; except in torbay. Here traffic wardens use a common sense approach to work. They don't do any. And everyone knows this and they park almost any where. I haven't seen anyone park against the wall yet but the day will come. I have however seen thousands of cars (not all at the same time) parked outside the shops and the surgeries.
To pass these idiots means going on the wrong side of the road on a blind bend and i usually pray to the god of blind bends whilst i am on the wrong side of the road. The prayers are simple, blow the horn repeatedly. Note the highway code says i should give audible warning of approach in this situation.
Well the other day the company got a nice letter from the dentist. In it he noted the problem with the blind bend and it's dangers but also pointed out that bus horns are very loud and in the surgery they were totally unexpected. Should, he went on, be drilling in the mouth of an elderly person this unexpectedness could cause the patient to jump with predictable consequences.
Now he felt he could get away with charging for an extra filling now and then but trying to sell the idea that tongue piercing was cool for the over seventy's; especially when done with a dentist drill, was pushing his luck a little too far.
So i expect i will have to pray to the blind bend god silently from now on and hope that i don't make the patients jump with the unexpected sound of a very loud crash.
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Monitoring Road Works
COURTS FINE UTILITY FIRMS
FROM THE HERALD EXPRESS
23 November 2004
Fines and costs totalling £18,281.92 have been imposed by magistrates on utility companies for offences in relation to roadworks in Devon.Gas company Transco was fined a total of £3,700 and ordered to pay a total of £4980.67 in costs for 10 offences including being fined £1,300 plus costs of £3,185 for three offences. South West Water was fined a total of £1,100 plus £1,658.75 for five offences.Devon County Council environment councillor David Morrish said: "With the appointment of a street works enforcement officer, the county is now in the strongest position ever to investigate offences and bring them to the notice of the courts."We currently have many cases pending and can assure the utility companies that we will not rest until they take responsibility for their actions. Our message to the utility companies is get it right or face the consequences."
torbay council should take note and appoint their own street works enforcement officer. many of the road works in torbay ( many run by firms mentioned above) have serious defects in traffic management. many a motorist has sat at temporary traffic lights in a queue of vehicles stretching as far as the eye can see for up to 15 mins only to get through the road works and discover that there are only 3 cars waiting on the otherside of the road works. Traffic management is not a science that has reached the west country yet.
Thursday, November 18, 2004
Right Time, Wrong Place.
Wednesday 17 november 04
Work rest day
I put my name down to work a rest day and got duty 3510 which is a coast duty. It is know as a coast duty as you drive up the coast to exeter and back two or three times. At our end there is the 85 from torquay harbour and the 85a from newton abbot. Both end up in exeter. As the duty started in the middle of the day i had to take over a bus from an other driver and i looked at the running board which started with the line, "travel passenger on service 12 bus". Usually when taking over a live bus we drive a shuttle bus which is much better than travelling on a service bus which take 3 times as long.
Well i got to newton and went to the 85a bus in sherbourne road. The driver said no he wasn't coming off and i looked at my running board more carefully and released that i should have been in torquay, 35 mins away to take over an 85 in 10 mins.
Hari kari was definitely an option.
Instead i rang control and told them i was in newton and i should have been in torquay. Now this has happened before though not to me. They got on the radio and told the driver coming off in torquay and he, one richard boston, a hero, agreed to drive the bus to exeter while i went back to the depot, got a spare bus and chased after him. I caught him up in exminster, which saved him the chore of going all the way into exeter.
Now richard didn't have to do what he did, he could have left all the people waiting for me and just brought the bus back to the depot and gone home. But that would have meant a lot of people waiting an hour for the next bus and like many of our drivers richard didn't want that to happen. Well done richard and thank you. Me, i'm dead upset that i could make such a stupid mistake.
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
South Devon College
No, I am not writing about the possible lack of buses to south Devon college when they move in September. I am talking about a bus that goes to the College which shouldn't.
Between 18:00 and 19:00 the number of 12's on the road falls from 17 to 8 as the service changes from a 10 minute service to a 20 minute service. some of the buses get to Brixham or Newton and run dead back to the depot. Two go from Newton to Paignton and one (at 18:01) goes only to the depot. However One, the 18:21 from Newton runs to Torquay Harbour and then dead back to the depot arriving there at 19:05. Some drivers, not all, don't go to the Harbour.
They only put South Devon College up on the destination blind and then return to the depot from the College. this saves them about 15 minutes. It also means that anyone wanting to go to the Harbour has to wait an extra 17 minutes for the next bus which does go to the Harbour.
No buses are at present scheduled to terminate at South Devon College.
So if you are waiting for a bus some where between Newton and torquay between 18:21 and 18:50 and a bus comes along with South Devon College on the destination Blind, get on and insist that the driver takes you to the harbour.
A Little more on the 34 route
NO ATTEMPT TO FIND A SOLUTION
From Herald Express13 November 2004
I would like to reassure Danny Ferguson (Your View, November 10) that I fully understand that, if bus drivers are being threatened physically, then action has to be taken to protect their safety.The main concern I have is that no effort seems to have been made to bring together Stagecoach, the council, the police and other agencies to discuss this problem.If they had been brought together then a solution may have been found, which would not have deprived* people of their 34 bus service.I look forward to working with Stagecoach and the police to find a solution to this problem.Cllr GORDON JENNINGSWatcombe WardTorquay
*Comment. The people have not been deprived of the 34 Service, just a small section of it. Which shows that people, not only councillors, will shamelessly manipulate facts for their own ends. Desfordave
Friday, November 12, 2004
Torbay Council V RMT Union and Stagecoach.
Torbay council's comments on changes to be made to the 31 and 34 routes.
below is the rmt union's response
SQUARING UP FOR BATTLE OF THE BAY BUS ROUTES BY GLENN PRICE
Torquay herald Express
28 October 2004
The fight is on to save one of Torquay's established bus routes.Councillors say they are outraged by Stagecoach's decision to alter the 34 service covering East and West Pafford Avenue and Willow Avenue on the Watcombe estate. They believe that by changing the route to incorporate Halstead Road, many people in Watcombe will be cut off from key destinations in Torquay.Cllr Steve Darling said: "This would disadvantage many people on the estate, and we have asked Stagecoach to reconsider their actions. Their proposals will be particularly hard on older residents and those who may be disabled, who will find it difficult climbing the hill from Fore Street in Barton to their homes on the estate. We won't roll over. The fight will continue."Stagecoach said one of the main reasons for the change is because of incidents of violence against its drivers and vehicles.Chris Hilditch, Stagecoach managing director, said: "We've had a lot of trouble up there - buses stoned and residents blocking drivers' routes with badly parked cars. The drivers don't like going there. So we think the change is a vast improvement."However, Cllr Gordon Jennings disputed this, saying that Stagecoach's decision was based on financial gain, not fears of antisocial behaviour.He added: "We've got policemen who are willing to go on the buses. They're keen to look at the issue and approach any offending youngsters. But Stagecoach isn't interested. We have been in touch with the sergeant who covers that area and, while he is aware of isolated incidents, he is not aware of Stagecoach informing the police of endemic antisocial behaviour."Stagecoach said the new 34 route would provide diversity and improvements to passengers, bringing more advantages than drawbacks.It will be linked with the 31 services to form a circular service which will join Barton and Hele with St Marychurch. However, the new services will no longer serve Shirburn Road, Studley Road and Watcombe estate.Mr Hilditch added: "With this route we're tying Watcombe and Barton. This will give a service to Halstead Road, so passengers will have a link with St Marychurch. Also, people in town will be able to get to Watcombe or Barton more quickly, with waits only being seven and a half minutes instead of 20 minutes. It gives customers more options and a better service. Not many people will be disadvantaged - a few will. We're giving the best service we can."We're trying to keep the customer base we've got while generating more customers. The councillors have an issue, but I think that when they really think about it they'll see this is for the better. It's a commercial bus service, no public money is put into it. We'll look at how the change goes, but I don't think we'll reconsider in the near future."
Thursday, November 11, 2004
RMT Respond to Torbay Council
SAFETY BEHIND SERVICE WITHDRAWAL From Readers Letters, the herald express. 10 November 2004
I feel it my duty to respond to the article about the loss of the 34 service through the Watcombe estate (Herald, Oct 28).Councillor Gordon Jennings claims Stagecoach have withdrawn the service purely on a financial gain. I beg to differ. The service was withdrawn for safety reasons because of the amount of trouble drivers had to contend with on a regular basis.Drivers were being threatened and robbed. Threats and intimidation became the norm.It was particularly bad in the evenings with youths throwing missiles at the buses. This was endangering the same members of the public that councillors represent.Two years ago we stopped the buses taking their lay over time at Willow Avenue, because of the trouble drivers had to contend with. Things have got no better since this was implemented.The last straw was the assault and robbery of a driver by a gang of youths. As for the police volunteering to travel around on the buses, we can't even get them to attend a robbery within a reasonable time, never mind travel on the buses.We used to meet the police on a regular basis to discuss hot spots, which included Watcombe estate, but alas this does not happen any more.As my members' representative, my union has a duty of care towards its members, as does Stagecoach. That's why this decision was taken, not for financial gain as intimated.I trust the decent law- abiding residents of Watcombe estate understand the reason why this has happened.DANNY FERGUSONRMT Senior Staff Representative & Health and Safety Representative Regent Close,Torquay
South Devon College
From an item in the Herald Express
South Devon College Principal Heather Maxwell disputed recent claims that the new site in Paignton would be inaccessible by public transport.Stagecoach boss Chris Hilditch feared students would be unable to get to the new Long Road site.But Ms Maxwell said: "I don't want people to think it's going to be difficult to get to. I know a regular bus service and the site is only four miles from Torquay."She added the college had been approached by a number of private transport organisations and said potential transport schemes were in the pipeline.
Well I am glad that's sorted out
Friday, November 05, 2004
Still Getting the Blame
BUS BLACKSPOT SOLUTION SOUGHT
From the Herald ExpressBY ABI PARKES11:00 - 01 November 2004
A solution to bridge the Bay's public transport blackspots is being investigated by Torbay Council.They believe a new quality bus partnership could be the way forward in getting better coverage and services for the public. Currently Stagecoach carries 97 per cent of the resort's bus passengers and will only operate commercially viable routes.Some services were cut and streamlined last year following strike action by drivers.The rest of this news item can be read by clicking here but abi parkes of the Herald Express seems to live on a different planet than the rest of us.
Monday, November 01, 2004
31 and 34
I stopped at castle circus going up union street heading for newton this evening when a lady boarded the bus and asked why she had been waiting for 1 hr 45 mins for a 31 and why had 2 thirty fours gone past her. The 34 should not go up union street past castle circus. It would appear that not only did the passengers not know any thing about the new route but some of the drivers didn't either. Lack of route learning is my guess. Will they get any? Latter, in abbey road i was called a ******** by some one who had been waiting a long time.
It can only get better; i hope.
Sunday, 31 October 2004
October 2004
Sunday, October 31, 2004
British Summer Time.
Date saturday 30 october 2004
Time 7:00pm
Place in front of the tv
The cat jumps on my lap and starts head butting me in the guts.
Why? It's time for his supper. He does this every night at 7:00.
Date sunday 31 october 2004
Time 7:00pm
Place in front of tv
The cat is fast asleep. Off his food? No chance. He is the greediest cat we have ever had. No, he still thinks it's 6:00pm. And it is. 6:00 pm british summer time. As i type this it is 11:17pm gmt but my body feels like it is an hour later. I have been to australia a few times and i recognise jet lag when i feel it.
Twice a year we change the clocks for no better reason than the fact that we have done it for the last 100 years. Come on mr blair, you can goto war in a far away place just because your american lover asked you to, can't you get rid of this twice yearly change in time. Have a referendum and let the people decide.
Click on "ring the bell" and type yes to get rid of this twice yearly jet lag, type no to keep it and type "i love chris hilditch" if you are mad.
No One Knows Anything About The New 31 and 34 Routes.
I travelled on a 34 to day, saturday and spoke to the passengers re the changes taking place on sunday 31 oct 04 (tomorrow). None of them knew anything about it except for one person; the driver and he was not too sure what was happening.
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Changes to the 31 and 34 Routes
On sunday 31 october the 31 and 34 routes will be combined to make a circular route. The 31 will go up to barton as it does now but will return via watcombe and the 34 will go up to watcombe as it does now but return via barton. Whilst the 34 used to go into the watcombe estate to willow avenue neither of these routes will go onto the estate. I haven't walked round the watcombe estate for nearly 50 years but i would say the longest walk to the bus stop from any where on the estate would be 15 mins. Fine if you are fit and well but old and carrying a few days shopping, not so fine.
Closed Sea Front and The Diversion
Wednesday 27 october 2004
Well to day we had a spring high tide, a deep depression and gale force south east winds. In the morning the sea front was closed and the buses diverted over the "long" diversion via the ring road. This adds between 5 and 10 mins on to the journey time. If the roads are quiet this can be quickly made up.
At about 16:30 the sea front, as expected was closed. I went along at 16:00 and the waves were already coming over onto the road. When i got back to torquay an hour later we were being sent on the "short" diversion behind the grand hotel and along whetridge lane. One hour after leaving torquay i got to paignton. It usually takes 20 mins. The problem wasn't in the diversion but getting to it. The traffic lights at falkland rd were still working even though almost no traffic except the diverted traffic was using the junction. We were also faced with rush hour traffic along roads not really wide enough for deckers. Hopefully some one will have noted the problems and will have some plan for when the sea front is next closed.
One passenger when he saw all the traffic wanted to get off the bus and walk along the front. I explained that i could only open the doors at bus stops. Had I opened the doors and let him walk along the front he would never have been seen again. They were very, very big waves.
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
How to Cause Chaos in the Bay.
These few wooden carvings at the side of the Newton Road don't look much but every car driver that drove past slowed down to have a look. The result was a delay of upto 10 minutes in each direction. As the number 12 drives past every ten minutes in each direction it didn't take long for buses to be running up to 45 mins late. Add to this the problems we were having in Paignton with extra traffic in the town because of the road works on Kings Ash and chaos was in charge.
It got so bad that at one time I was passing Torre Station heading for Brixham with 2 other twelve's travelling with me and 4 number twelve's went past heading for Newton. At the same time a driver reported on the radio that he was in Preston and there were 3 buses travelling towards Newton all together. There are 17 twelve's out during the day and here we had 10 of them in 3 groups. Later the 19:01 from Newton ran on time but the next bus, the 19:21 did not leave until 19:50. Not a good day to be waiting for a bus. Still only 15 weeks and 3 days to go before the road works are completed.
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Three Things Heard On The Radio.
Three things heard on the radio yesterday.
The first just irritates me a little. It goes like this.
Controller, "would all 12 drivers check their buses for lost property please. We are looking for a mobile phone/ bag of shopping/ wallet/ golf clubs/ pair of crutches/etc."
Now i have no problem with trying to reunite lost prorerty with the looser of said property. This is well and good. But there are 17 buses out there with the number 12 on the front, back and side. The chances are that it isn't on your bus and you are just coming into union street where you will drop 20 passengers off and pick up 30 more and union street is not the place to hang about looking for lost property. A little more detail such as when and where the looser got off the bus and which direction the bus was going in, were they upstairs or down. This little extra information will save 14 or 15 bus drivers hopelessly searching their bus for something that is not there.
The second item went on all day and went like this,
Driver, " i am running 25 minutes late."
Major road works at kings ash on the ring road sent hundreds of extra cars through paignton yesterday and delays of 25 and 30 minutes were common. Part of the problem was that in other parts of the bay there wasn't much extra traffic so passengers waiting a long time for a bus didn't understand why. Only 16 more weeks. I hope it will be worth it.
The third item annoyed me a great deal. In the midst of all this chaos at 5:00 pm at the height of rush hour, it went like this.
Controller, " papa one. That bus is required for servicing. The engineers will meet you on cary parade with a change of bus." (cary parade is in the centre of torquay.)
Driver," but i have 60 passengers on the bus and most of them have been waiting ages for a bus and you want me to ask them to change buses at this time of night."
Contoller," this is an engineering instruction. You must change buses."
This happens all the time. Engineering want a bus for servicing so they take it. No consideration for the passengers already on the bus. No, they get thrown off the bus in the middle of their journey for no good reason. Engineering could just as easily take a bus to the terminus at newton or brixham and change the bus over while there is no one on it. This professional approach however either has not occurred to them or it is just not matcho enough for them.
To make matters even worse, when engineering had slung all the passengers off the bus they then drove it up fleet walk. We have enough problems with vehicles driving illegally in fleet walk without our own engineering department doing it as well.
Friday, October 22, 2004
The new 31/34 Route.
I had a look at the new 31/34 timetable to day. The new routes will be two circular routes. The 31 going up through hele to barton and back via walcombe and plainmoor. The 34 will go up through plainmoor and marychurch to watcombe and back to town via barton and hele. Watcombe estate has been missed out, either to save time or to avoid the problems on the estate such as parked cars etc.
This change has been carried out to save operating costs. As i don't drive these routes and it is some years since i have done so i will have to wait and see what the drivers and passengers think of them.
On paper i can see how they work and to some extent i can not see why this change wasn't done sooner.
We will have to wait and see.
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
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Paying in for the Last Time.
THIS IS REG, PAYING IN FOR THE LAST TIME.
REG IS LEAVING US AS HE HAS REACHED RETIREMENT AGE.
REG IS WELL LIKED BY OTHER DRIVERS AND BY HIS PASSENGERS AND BY THE CONTROLLERS AND ALWAYS ENJOYED THE JOB.
REG DOESN'T WANT TO LEAVE .
THE COMPANY DON'T WANT REG TO LEAVE, IT WILL COST £3 500.00 TO TRAIN HIS REPLACEMENT.
TONY BLAIR DOESN'T WANT REG TO LEAVE, HE WILL HAVE TO PAY HIM HIS OLD AGE PENSION AND WILL LOOSE THE INCOME TAX REG WAS PAYING AS A WORKER. I AM SURE IF GOD WERE TO BE ASKED SHE WOULD SAY SHE WOULD LIKE REG TO CARRY ON.
SO WHY IS REG LEAVING, ILL HEALTH? NO, REG IS VERY FIT. A RETIREMENT HOME ON THE COSTA, NO, REG HAS A NICE HOME HERE.
SO WHY IS HE GOING? WHO IS FORCING HIM TO GO? WHO IS PUSHING HIM OUT INTO THE EMPTY VOID OF RETIREMENT? FROM THE HIS £14 300 WAGE AS A BUS DRIVER TO £4 100 OLD AGE PENSION. OVER NIGHT.
THE RMT UNION. THAT CHAMPION OF WORKERS RIGHTS THAT'S WHO. WHY HAVE THE UNION WHO HAVE FOUGHT SO HARD TO IMPROVE OUR PAY AND CONDITIONS VETOED REG'S DESIRE TO CONTINUE WORKING?
IF YOU KNOW THEN PLEASE RING THE BELL BELOW AND TELL US ALL. WE REALY WANT TO KNOW.
Saturday, October 16, 2004
Roadworks Ahead
I have just read an item in the local paper the Torquay "Herald Express" in which warns of "Roadwork Misery Looming"
£1M is to be spent improving Kings Ash Road in Paignton. The road works will last more than 3 months and are expected to cause major disruption. Kings Ash Road is not on the Twelve Route but it is on the Ring Road and drivers will look for other ways to get across town and there is only one other way and that is along the Twelve Route.
So expect reports of long delays over the next 3 months.
Friday, October 15, 2004
Not Good Passengers.
Most passengers, 99.9%, ARE OK. they GET ON THE BUS AND PAY THEIR FARE AND GET OFF AT THEIR DESTINATION NO PROBLEM.
NOW AND THEN THERE ARE PASSENGERS THAT CAUSE SLIGHT PROBLEMS,
LITTLE OLD LADIES WHO SEARCH THROUGH THEIR PURSES FOR THE RIGHT MONEY SAYING "I DON'T WANT TO TAKE ALL YOUR CHANGE DRIVER." WHEN YOU HAVE A TON OF CHANGE BUT ARE RUNNING LATE.
mums WITH PRAMS SLIGHTLY BIGGER THAN THE moon buggy WHO ALWAYS WANT TO GET ON WHEN THE BUS IS 3/4 FULL.
HOLIDAY MAKERS WHO DON'T USE A BUS BACK HOME AND GET ON AND ASK FOR 4 RETURNS TO BRIXHAM AND APOLOGISE FOR ONLY HAVING A FIVER. (THE FARE IS £14.00). THEN THEY SAY I WANT TO GO TO BRIXHAM NOT BUY IT.
THESE SORT OF PASSENGERS ARE RUN OF THE MILL AND ARE EASILY DEALT WITH.
THEN THERE ARE THE ONES LIKE I HAD YESTERDAY. I PULLED INTO PAIGNTON 3 MINS EARLY AND SWITCHED THE ENGINE OFF. A FEW PEOPLE GOT ON AND A MAN DETACHED HIMSELF FROM A GROUP OF 4 AND ASKED HOW LONG BEFORE I WENT. 3 MINS WAS THE ANSWER. HE RETURNED TO THE GROUP AND CONTINUED TALKING. 3 MINS LATER I STARTED THE ENGINE, SWITCHED ON THE HAZARD WARNING LIGHTS, SWITCHED ON THE HEADLIGHTS, SELECTED REVERSE, AND CLOSED THE DOORS. ALL THIS GOT NO RESPONSE FROM THE MAN TALKING SO I FIGURED THAT HE WAS GOING TO CONTINUE TALKING AND CATCH THE NEXT BUS. ONE LAST LOOK AT HIM. STILL NO MOVE TOWARDS THE BUS SO I REVERSED OF THE STAND. AS I DROVE AWAY HE SPAT ON THE WINDSCREEN OF THE BUS. SUCH A NICE PERSON.
THE OTHER NON PASSENGER WAS WAITING AT THE grand HOTEL AND TO MAKE SURE I SAW HER SHE TOOK TWO STEPS INTO THE ROAD AND PUT OUT HER HAND. NO PROBLEM SO FAR. I LIKE PEOPLE TO MAKE THEIR INTENTIONS CLEAR. I INDICATED LEFT AND TURNED INTO THE BUS LAY-BY. SHE WAS SO DETERMINED THAT I WOULD STOP THAT SHE REMAINED STANDING IN MY PATH FORCING ME TO BRAKE HARDER THAN I SHOULD. SHE SEEMED SURPRISED WHEN I REFUSED TO LET HER ON THE BUS BUT AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED NO ONE ENDANGERS THE BUS AND TRAVELS ON IT.
AS I SAY MOST PASSENGERS ARE FINE, NOW AND THEN ONE OR TWO ARE NOT.
Low Floor Buses on the 31 Route.
THE COMPANY LEASED SOME LOW FLOOR BUSES IN THE HOPE THAT IF PASSENGER NUMBERS WENT UP ENOUGH THEY WOULD BUY THEM. sadly THE NUMBERS DID GO UP BUT ONLY SLIGHTLY AND THEY ARE GOING AT THE END OF THE MONTH.
Sunday, October 10, 2004
'CRISIS' FEARS ON COLLEGE BUS LINK
South Devon College IS THE CLOSEST TORBAY WILL GET TO A UNIVERSITY.
IN RECENT YEARS THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS HAS GROWN AND NOW THEY HAVE SOLD THE SITE THEY OCCUPY, WHICH IS ON THE 12 ROUTE. TO BE ANY WHERE IN TORBAY YOU HAVE TO BE ON THE 12 ROUTE.
THEY ARE MOVING TO A PLACE ON THE RINGROAD WHERE NORTEL USED TO BE BEFORE THEY FAILED. IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE AND NOT ON A BUS ROUTE.
NOW STAGECOACH SAY THAT THEY WILL HAVE DIFFICULTY IN PROVIDING A BUS SERVICE FOR THE STUDENTS. HOW TO MAKE YOURSELF POPULAR. the BROWN SMELLY STUFF IS DEFIANTLY HITTING THE FAN AT THIS VERY MOMENT.
Saturday, October 09, 2004
Waiting for a bus that doesn't come.
TO DAY WHILE I WAS ON MY BREAK AT PAIGNTON A DRIVER CAME IN FOR HIS BREAK. HE EXPRESSED SORROW FOR THE DRIVER OF THE NEXT BUS TO BRIXHAM. AS I WAS THAT DRIVER I ASKED HIM WHY. HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD BROUGHT A NUMBER 12 FROM NEWTON ABBOT THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO TO BRIXHAM AT 19:05 BUT THERE WAS NO DRIVER TO TAKE OVER FROM HIM AND HE HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO PUT UP PAIGNTON ONLY.
MY BUS WAS DUE TO LEAVE AT 19:25 WHICH WOULD MEAN PEOPLE COULD HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR 40 MINUTES ON THE BUS STATION FOR A BUS FOR BRIXHAM. IT WOULD ALSO MEAN THAT OTHER PEOPLE WOULD HAVE BEEN WAITING ALL ALONG THE ROUTE FOR UP TO 40 MINS FOR A BUS. AT LEAST IT WASN'T RAINING.
AS EXPECTED I WAS ASKED BY SEVERAL UPSET PEOPLE WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO THE BUS IN FRONT. ALL I COULD SAY WAS THE DRIVER HAD NOT TURNED IN FOR WORK AND IF IT WAS ANY CONSOLATION THE MISSING BUS THAT THEY HAD BEEN WAITING FOR WAS ALSO THE ONE I WOULD HAVE BEEN CATCHING TO GO HOME AND THAT I TOO WOULD HAVE TO WAIT AN EXTRA 20 MINUTES TO GET HOME.
TWO OR THREE PASSENGERS THOUGHT THIS WAS FUNNY. ONE EVEN OBSERVED THAT I WOULD KNOW HOW IT FELT TO STAND AROUND HOPING AGAINST HOPE THAT THE BUS WOULD ONE DAY TURN UP. AT LEAST I KNEW IT WASN'T COMING AND STAYED IN THE OFFICE AND HAD A CUP OF COFFEE.
Thursday, October 07, 2004
New Information re 77 v 78
I wrote yesterday about my misgivings that the 77 route had been chosen in preference to the easier ( in my opinion ) 78 route around Buckland.I have been informed by a reliable source that Stagecoach Devon Management, The RMT Union, The Health & Safety Exec and the Local Authority had talks to decide which of the routes was to be withdrawn.It seems that the deciding factor was concern that problems could occur if there was a frost on the steep hill at Buckland Brake. It was felt that it was more dangerous for a bus to go down that hill in frosty weather than to go up it. The 77 goes up it; the 78 will shortly no longer go down it.I was also informed that the Local Authority had promised to look at the problems caused for the 77 route on the estate by parked cars.Once again it is nice to discover that some one does care about the well being of the drivers.
Posted at 00:11 by desfordaveRing the bell
Monday, October 04, 2004
Driving a 77 Round Buckland.
IN NEWTON ABBOT THERE IS AN ESTATE CALLED BUCKLAND. IT'S NOTHING LIKE TOLKIN'S BUCKLAND APART FROM THE FACT THAT BOTH ARE BUILT ON THE SIDE OF A HILL.
THERE IS ONE BUS ROUTE ROUND BUCKLAND BUT TWO BUS NUMBERS. THE 77 GOES ROUND ANTI CLOCKWISE AND THE 78 GOES THE SAME ROUTE BUT CLOCKWISE. THERE IS NO SENSIBLE REASON TO HAVE THIS ARRANGEMENT, IT TAKES MORE OR LESS THE SAME TIME TO GET FROM ANYWHERE IN BUCKLAND TO NEWTON AND NO ONE WAITS FOR ONE BUS IN PREFERENCE TO THE OTHER. from MY POINT OF VIEW AND OTHER DRIVERS I HAVE SPOKEN TO THERE IS A PREFERENCE.
AS YOU ENTER BUCKLAND THE 77 TURNS RIGHT AND CLIMBS UP A VERY STEEP HILL WITH A SHARP TURN HALF WAY UP. THE HILL IS SO STEEP IT HAS TO BE CLIMBED IN FIRST GEAR,THIS CLIMB LASTS 250 YARDS WITH LOTS OF NOISE FROM THE ENGINE TO THE ANNOYANCE OF THE PEOPLE LIVING IN THE ROAD. THEN ALONG A NARROW ROAD WITH PARKED CARS ON THE LEFT. IF ANYONE ENTERS THE ROAD YOU HAVE TO PULL INTO THE LEFT IF THERE IS A SPACE OR EVEN REVERSE. IF THERE ISN'T. THEN A RIGHT TURN AND PARKED CARS AGAIN ON THE LEFT, THEN A LEFT TURN INTO A ROAD WITH CARS PARKED ON THE LEFT. AS YOU START THE TURN YOU CAN NOT SEE IF THERE IS ANYTHING COMING THE OTHER WAY. IF ANYTHING IS YOU HAVE TO REVERSE. further ON THE ROAD BENDS TO THE LEFT FOR A LONG WAY WITH PARKED CARS ON THE LEFT. IF ANYTHING COMES TOWARDS YOU AT THIS POINT IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE THEN ROUND THE BEND AND THERE ARE ONLY SMALL SPACES ON THE LEFT WHICH ARE DIFFICULT TO GET IN AND OUT OF WITH THE BUS. WHEN YOU GET TO THE EXIT FROM BUCKLAND ON A 77 YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE DONE 10 LAPS IN A STOCK CAR RACE.
ON THE 78 THE PARKED CARS ARE ALMOST ALL ON THE RIGHT WITH SPACES BIG ENOUGH FOR CARS TO MOVE INTO AND ALL THE TURNS ARE IN TO ROADS YOU CAN SEE ALONG WAY DOWN SO YOU CAN EASILY STOP IF ANY ONE IS COMING. the HILL UP TO THE TOP OF THE ESTATE IS LONG AND CAN BE DONE EASILY IN 3RD GEAR WITHOUT STRAINING THE ENGINE AND EARS. when YOU EXIT BUCKLAND WHILE YOU DON'T FEEL YOU HAVE BEEN FOR A DRIVE IN THE COUNTRY YOU ARE MUCH LESS STRESSED THAN THE POOR SOD ON THE 77.
AS I SAID THERE IS NO REAL NEED FOR THIS ARRANGEMENT AND THE COMPANY HAVE DECIDED TO DO AWAY WITH ONE OF THE BUSES. THERE WILL JUST AS MANY BUSES GOING ROUND BUCKLAND AS THERE EVER WERE. NOW THEY WILL ALL GO THE SAME WAY.
WHICH WAY WOULD YOU PICK? THE 77 WITH THE VERY STEEP CLIMB, THE BLIND CORNERS AND MOST OF THE TIME DRIVING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD BECAUSE OF THE PARKED CARS?
NO. WHY Not? stagecoach have. From the end of this month the 77 will be the only bus driving round buckland. I wonder if anyone in head office has ever driven a bus round buckland or did they just flip a coin to decide which bus to keep.
Letter From Head Office.
A couple of changes have been made in the last week to our fare structure. One is the removal of the student tickets and their replacement with UniRiders. Uni being short for university. Any College or university student can buy these tickets on production of a NUS card or student ID. (see last posting)
The other change is the fact that Devon County Wide tickets (half price tickets for Pensioners and Disabled) are no longer rounded down to the nearest 5p. This means we have prices like £1.37, Torquay to Paignton return or £1.67, Return Brixham to Paignton. The problem of having to give copper in change adds to the time it takes to get people on the bus and only having 4 compartments in our cash tray is causing a problem; where do you keep the copper?
Well a letter was posted on the notice board explaining this introduction of copper in our change. The fact is rounding a fare down by 2p cost the company a large sum of money over a year.
It's the letter that is the interesting item here. Often in the past the company have not bothered to inform the drivers of their thoughts behind their actions. It would indicate a change of policy here that on this occasion they have and it is to be hoped that this trend will continue. At lest we know why we have to carry copper and put up with the extra aggravation caused by this failure to round down to the nearest 5p as we have in the past. The more cynical of my colleges may just think the company are just trying to pull the wool over our eyes. maybe they
British Summer Time.
Date saturday 30 october 2004
Time 7:00pm
Place in front of the tv
The cat jumps on my lap and starts head butting me in the guts.
Why? It's time for his supper. He does this every night at 7:00.
Date sunday 31 october 2004
Time 7:00pm
Place in front of tv
The cat is fast asleep. Off his food? No chance. He is the greediest cat we have ever had. No, he still thinks it's 6:00pm. And it is. 6:00 pm british summer time. As i type this it is 11:17pm gmt but my body feels like it is an hour later. I have been to australia a few times and i recognise jet lag when i feel it.
Twice a year we change the clocks for no better reason than the fact that we have done it for the last 100 years. Come on mr blair, you can goto war in a far away place just because your american lover asked you to, can't you get rid of this twice yearly change in time. Have a referendum and let the people decide.
Click on "ring the bell" and type yes to get rid of this twice yearly jet lag, type no to keep it and type "i love chris hilditch" if you are mad.
No One Knows Anything About The New 31 and 34 Routes.
I travelled on a 34 to day, saturday and spoke to the passengers re the changes taking place on sunday 31 oct 04 (tomorrow). None of them knew anything about it except for one person; the driver and he was not too sure what was happening.
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Changes to the 31 and 34 Routes
On sunday 31 october the 31 and 34 routes will be combined to make a circular route. The 31 will go up to barton as it does now but will return via watcombe and the 34 will go up to watcombe as it does now but return via barton. Whilst the 34 used to go into the watcombe estate to willow avenue neither of these routes will go onto the estate. I haven't walked round the watcombe estate for nearly 50 years but i would say the longest walk to the bus stop from any where on the estate would be 15 mins. Fine if you are fit and well but old and carrying a few days shopping, not so fine.
Closed Sea Front and The Diversion
Wednesday 27 october 2004
Well to day we had a spring high tide, a deep depression and gale force south east winds. In the morning the sea front was closed and the buses diverted over the "long" diversion via the ring road. This adds between 5 and 10 mins on to the journey time. If the roads are quiet this can be quickly made up.
At about 16:30 the sea front, as expected was closed. I went along at 16:00 and the waves were already coming over onto the road. When i got back to torquay an hour later we were being sent on the "short" diversion behind the grand hotel and along whetridge lane. One hour after leaving torquay i got to paignton. It usually takes 20 mins. The problem wasn't in the diversion but getting to it. The traffic lights at falkland rd were still working even though almost no traffic except the diverted traffic was using the junction. We were also faced with rush hour traffic along roads not really wide enough for deckers. Hopefully some one will have noted the problems and will have some plan for when the sea front is next closed.
One passenger when he saw all the traffic wanted to get off the bus and walk along the front. I explained that i could only open the doors at bus stops. Had I opened the doors and let him walk along the front he would never have been seen again. They were very, very big waves.
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
How to Cause Chaos in the Bay.
These few wooden carvings at the side of the Newton Road don't look much but every car driver that drove past slowed down to have a look. The result was a delay of upto 10 minutes in each direction. As the number 12 drives past every ten minutes in each direction it didn't take long for buses to be running up to 45 mins late. Add to this the problems we were having in Paignton with extra traffic in the town because of the road works on Kings Ash and chaos was in charge.
It got so bad that at one time I was passing Torre Station heading for Brixham with 2 other twelve's travelling with me and 4 number twelve's went past heading for Newton. At the same time a driver reported on the radio that he was in Preston and there were 3 buses travelling towards Newton all together. There are 17 twelve's out during the day and here we had 10 of them in 3 groups. Later the 19:01 from Newton ran on time but the next bus, the 19:21 did not leave until 19:50. Not a good day to be waiting for a bus. Still only 15 weeks and 3 days to go before the road works are completed.
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Three Things Heard On The Radio.
Three things heard on the radio yesterday.
The first just irritates me a little. It goes like this.
Controller, "would all 12 drivers check their buses for lost property please. We are looking for a mobile phone/ bag of shopping/ wallet/ golf clubs/ pair of crutches/etc."
Now i have no problem with trying to reunite lost prorerty with the looser of said property. This is well and good. But there are 17 buses out there with the number 12 on the front, back and side. The chances are that it isn't on your bus and you are just coming into union street where you will drop 20 passengers off and pick up 30 more and union street is not the place to hang about looking for lost property. A little more detail such as when and where the looser got off the bus and which direction the bus was going in, were they upstairs or down. This little extra information will save 14 or 15 bus drivers hopelessly searching their bus for something that is not there.
The second item went on all day and went like this,
Driver, " i am running 25 minutes late."
Major road works at kings ash on the ring road sent hundreds of extra cars through paignton yesterday and delays of 25 and 30 minutes were common. Part of the problem was that in other parts of the bay there wasn't much extra traffic so passengers waiting a long time for a bus didn't understand why. Only 16 more weeks. I hope it will be worth it.
The third item annoyed me a great deal. In the midst of all this chaos at 5:00 pm at the height of rush hour, it went like this.
Controller, " papa one. That bus is required for servicing. The engineers will meet you on cary parade with a change of bus." (cary parade is in the centre of torquay.)
Driver," but i have 60 passengers on the bus and most of them have been waiting ages for a bus and you want me to ask them to change buses at this time of night."
Contoller," this is an engineering instruction. You must change buses."
This happens all the time. Engineering want a bus for servicing so they take it. No consideration for the passengers already on the bus. No, they get thrown off the bus in the middle of their journey for no good reason. Engineering could just as easily take a bus to the terminus at newton or brixham and change the bus over while there is no one on it. This professional approach however either has not occurred to them or it is just not matcho enough for them.
To make matters even worse, when engineering had slung all the passengers off the bus they then drove it up fleet walk. We have enough problems with vehicles driving illegally in fleet walk without our own engineering department doing it as well.
Friday, October 22, 2004
The new 31/34 Route.
I had a look at the new 31/34 timetable to day. The new routes will be two circular routes. The 31 going up through hele to barton and back via walcombe and plainmoor. The 34 will go up through plainmoor and marychurch to watcombe and back to town via barton and hele. Watcombe estate has been missed out, either to save time or to avoid the problems on the estate such as parked cars etc.
This change has been carried out to save operating costs. As i don't drive these routes and it is some years since i have done so i will have to wait and see what the drivers and passengers think of them.
On paper i can see how they work and to some extent i can not see why this change wasn't done sooner.
We will have to wait and see.
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
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Paying in for the Last Time.
THIS IS REG, PAYING IN FOR THE LAST TIME.
REG IS LEAVING US AS HE HAS REACHED RETIREMENT AGE.
REG IS WELL LIKED BY OTHER DRIVERS AND BY HIS PASSENGERS AND BY THE CONTROLLERS AND ALWAYS ENJOYED THE JOB.
REG DOESN'T WANT TO LEAVE .
THE COMPANY DON'T WANT REG TO LEAVE, IT WILL COST £3 500.00 TO TRAIN HIS REPLACEMENT.
TONY BLAIR DOESN'T WANT REG TO LEAVE, HE WILL HAVE TO PAY HIM HIS OLD AGE PENSION AND WILL LOOSE THE INCOME TAX REG WAS PAYING AS A WORKER. I AM SURE IF GOD WERE TO BE ASKED SHE WOULD SAY SHE WOULD LIKE REG TO CARRY ON.
SO WHY IS REG LEAVING, ILL HEALTH? NO, REG IS VERY FIT. A RETIREMENT HOME ON THE COSTA, NO, REG HAS A NICE HOME HERE.
SO WHY IS HE GOING? WHO IS FORCING HIM TO GO? WHO IS PUSHING HIM OUT INTO THE EMPTY VOID OF RETIREMENT? FROM THE HIS £14 300 WAGE AS A BUS DRIVER TO £4 100 OLD AGE PENSION. OVER NIGHT.
THE RMT UNION. THAT CHAMPION OF WORKERS RIGHTS THAT'S WHO. WHY HAVE THE UNION WHO HAVE FOUGHT SO HARD TO IMPROVE OUR PAY AND CONDITIONS VETOED REG'S DESIRE TO CONTINUE WORKING?
IF YOU KNOW THEN PLEASE RING THE BELL BELOW AND TELL US ALL. WE REALY WANT TO KNOW.
Saturday, October 16, 2004
Roadworks Ahead
I have just read an item in the local paper the Torquay "Herald Express" in which warns of "Roadwork Misery Looming"
£1M is to be spent improving Kings Ash Road in Paignton. The road works will last more than 3 months and are expected to cause major disruption. Kings Ash Road is not on the Twelve Route but it is on the Ring Road and drivers will look for other ways to get across town and there is only one other way and that is along the Twelve Route.
So expect reports of long delays over the next 3 months.
Friday, October 15, 2004
Not Good Passengers.
Most passengers, 99.9%, ARE OK. they GET ON THE BUS AND PAY THEIR FARE AND GET OFF AT THEIR DESTINATION NO PROBLEM.
NOW AND THEN THERE ARE PASSENGERS THAT CAUSE SLIGHT PROBLEMS,
LITTLE OLD LADIES WHO SEARCH THROUGH THEIR PURSES FOR THE RIGHT MONEY SAYING "I DON'T WANT TO TAKE ALL YOUR CHANGE DRIVER." WHEN YOU HAVE A TON OF CHANGE BUT ARE RUNNING LATE.
mums WITH PRAMS SLIGHTLY BIGGER THAN THE moon buggy WHO ALWAYS WANT TO GET ON WHEN THE BUS IS 3/4 FULL.
HOLIDAY MAKERS WHO DON'T USE A BUS BACK HOME AND GET ON AND ASK FOR 4 RETURNS TO BRIXHAM AND APOLOGISE FOR ONLY HAVING A FIVER. (THE FARE IS £14.00). THEN THEY SAY I WANT TO GO TO BRIXHAM NOT BUY IT.
THESE SORT OF PASSENGERS ARE RUN OF THE MILL AND ARE EASILY DEALT WITH.
THEN THERE ARE THE ONES LIKE I HAD YESTERDAY. I PULLED INTO PAIGNTON 3 MINS EARLY AND SWITCHED THE ENGINE OFF. A FEW PEOPLE GOT ON AND A MAN DETACHED HIMSELF FROM A GROUP OF 4 AND ASKED HOW LONG BEFORE I WENT. 3 MINS WAS THE ANSWER. HE RETURNED TO THE GROUP AND CONTINUED TALKING. 3 MINS LATER I STARTED THE ENGINE, SWITCHED ON THE HAZARD WARNING LIGHTS, SWITCHED ON THE HEADLIGHTS, SELECTED REVERSE, AND CLOSED THE DOORS. ALL THIS GOT NO RESPONSE FROM THE MAN TALKING SO I FIGURED THAT HE WAS GOING TO CONTINUE TALKING AND CATCH THE NEXT BUS. ONE LAST LOOK AT HIM. STILL NO MOVE TOWARDS THE BUS SO I REVERSED OF THE STAND. AS I DROVE AWAY HE SPAT ON THE WINDSCREEN OF THE BUS. SUCH A NICE PERSON.
THE OTHER NON PASSENGER WAS WAITING AT THE grand HOTEL AND TO MAKE SURE I SAW HER SHE TOOK TWO STEPS INTO THE ROAD AND PUT OUT HER HAND. NO PROBLEM SO FAR. I LIKE PEOPLE TO MAKE THEIR INTENTIONS CLEAR. I INDICATED LEFT AND TURNED INTO THE BUS LAY-BY. SHE WAS SO DETERMINED THAT I WOULD STOP THAT SHE REMAINED STANDING IN MY PATH FORCING ME TO BRAKE HARDER THAN I SHOULD. SHE SEEMED SURPRISED WHEN I REFUSED TO LET HER ON THE BUS BUT AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED NO ONE ENDANGERS THE BUS AND TRAVELS ON IT.
AS I SAY MOST PASSENGERS ARE FINE, NOW AND THEN ONE OR TWO ARE NOT.
Low Floor Buses on the 31 Route.
THE COMPANY LEASED SOME LOW FLOOR BUSES IN THE HOPE THAT IF PASSENGER NUMBERS WENT UP ENOUGH THEY WOULD BUY THEM. sadly THE NUMBERS DID GO UP BUT ONLY SLIGHTLY AND THEY ARE GOING AT THE END OF THE MONTH.
Sunday, October 10, 2004
'CRISIS' FEARS ON COLLEGE BUS LINK
South Devon College IS THE CLOSEST TORBAY WILL GET TO A UNIVERSITY.
IN RECENT YEARS THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS HAS GROWN AND NOW THEY HAVE SOLD THE SITE THEY OCCUPY, WHICH IS ON THE 12 ROUTE. TO BE ANY WHERE IN TORBAY YOU HAVE TO BE ON THE 12 ROUTE.
THEY ARE MOVING TO A PLACE ON THE RINGROAD WHERE NORTEL USED TO BE BEFORE THEY FAILED. IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE AND NOT ON A BUS ROUTE.
NOW STAGECOACH SAY THAT THEY WILL HAVE DIFFICULTY IN PROVIDING A BUS SERVICE FOR THE STUDENTS. HOW TO MAKE YOURSELF POPULAR. the BROWN SMELLY STUFF IS DEFIANTLY HITTING THE FAN AT THIS VERY MOMENT.
Saturday, October 09, 2004
Waiting for a bus that doesn't come.
TO DAY WHILE I WAS ON MY BREAK AT PAIGNTON A DRIVER CAME IN FOR HIS BREAK. HE EXPRESSED SORROW FOR THE DRIVER OF THE NEXT BUS TO BRIXHAM. AS I WAS THAT DRIVER I ASKED HIM WHY. HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD BROUGHT A NUMBER 12 FROM NEWTON ABBOT THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO TO BRIXHAM AT 19:05 BUT THERE WAS NO DRIVER TO TAKE OVER FROM HIM AND HE HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO PUT UP PAIGNTON ONLY.
MY BUS WAS DUE TO LEAVE AT 19:25 WHICH WOULD MEAN PEOPLE COULD HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR 40 MINUTES ON THE BUS STATION FOR A BUS FOR BRIXHAM. IT WOULD ALSO MEAN THAT OTHER PEOPLE WOULD HAVE BEEN WAITING ALL ALONG THE ROUTE FOR UP TO 40 MINS FOR A BUS. AT LEAST IT WASN'T RAINING.
AS EXPECTED I WAS ASKED BY SEVERAL UPSET PEOPLE WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO THE BUS IN FRONT. ALL I COULD SAY WAS THE DRIVER HAD NOT TURNED IN FOR WORK AND IF IT WAS ANY CONSOLATION THE MISSING BUS THAT THEY HAD BEEN WAITING FOR WAS ALSO THE ONE I WOULD HAVE BEEN CATCHING TO GO HOME AND THAT I TOO WOULD HAVE TO WAIT AN EXTRA 20 MINUTES TO GET HOME.
TWO OR THREE PASSENGERS THOUGHT THIS WAS FUNNY. ONE EVEN OBSERVED THAT I WOULD KNOW HOW IT FELT TO STAND AROUND HOPING AGAINST HOPE THAT THE BUS WOULD ONE DAY TURN UP. AT LEAST I KNEW IT WASN'T COMING AND STAYED IN THE OFFICE AND HAD A CUP OF COFFEE.
Thursday, October 07, 2004
New Information re 77 v 78
I wrote yesterday about my misgivings that the 77 route had been chosen in preference to the easier ( in my opinion ) 78 route around Buckland.I have been informed by a reliable source that Stagecoach Devon Management, The RMT Union, The Health & Safety Exec and the Local Authority had talks to decide which of the routes was to be withdrawn.It seems that the deciding factor was concern that problems could occur if there was a frost on the steep hill at Buckland Brake. It was felt that it was more dangerous for a bus to go down that hill in frosty weather than to go up it. The 77 goes up it; the 78 will shortly no longer go down it.I was also informed that the Local Authority had promised to look at the problems caused for the 77 route on the estate by parked cars.Once again it is nice to discover that some one does care about the well being of the drivers.
Posted at 00:11 by desfordaveRing the bell
Monday, October 04, 2004
Driving a 77 Round Buckland.
IN NEWTON ABBOT THERE IS AN ESTATE CALLED BUCKLAND. IT'S NOTHING LIKE TOLKIN'S BUCKLAND APART FROM THE FACT THAT BOTH ARE BUILT ON THE SIDE OF A HILL.
THERE IS ONE BUS ROUTE ROUND BUCKLAND BUT TWO BUS NUMBERS. THE 77 GOES ROUND ANTI CLOCKWISE AND THE 78 GOES THE SAME ROUTE BUT CLOCKWISE. THERE IS NO SENSIBLE REASON TO HAVE THIS ARRANGEMENT, IT TAKES MORE OR LESS THE SAME TIME TO GET FROM ANYWHERE IN BUCKLAND TO NEWTON AND NO ONE WAITS FOR ONE BUS IN PREFERENCE TO THE OTHER. from MY POINT OF VIEW AND OTHER DRIVERS I HAVE SPOKEN TO THERE IS A PREFERENCE.
AS YOU ENTER BUCKLAND THE 77 TURNS RIGHT AND CLIMBS UP A VERY STEEP HILL WITH A SHARP TURN HALF WAY UP. THE HILL IS SO STEEP IT HAS TO BE CLIMBED IN FIRST GEAR,THIS CLIMB LASTS 250 YARDS WITH LOTS OF NOISE FROM THE ENGINE TO THE ANNOYANCE OF THE PEOPLE LIVING IN THE ROAD. THEN ALONG A NARROW ROAD WITH PARKED CARS ON THE LEFT. IF ANYONE ENTERS THE ROAD YOU HAVE TO PULL INTO THE LEFT IF THERE IS A SPACE OR EVEN REVERSE. IF THERE ISN'T. THEN A RIGHT TURN AND PARKED CARS AGAIN ON THE LEFT, THEN A LEFT TURN INTO A ROAD WITH CARS PARKED ON THE LEFT. AS YOU START THE TURN YOU CAN NOT SEE IF THERE IS ANYTHING COMING THE OTHER WAY. IF ANYTHING IS YOU HAVE TO REVERSE. further ON THE ROAD BENDS TO THE LEFT FOR A LONG WAY WITH PARKED CARS ON THE LEFT. IF ANYTHING COMES TOWARDS YOU AT THIS POINT IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE THEN ROUND THE BEND AND THERE ARE ONLY SMALL SPACES ON THE LEFT WHICH ARE DIFFICULT TO GET IN AND OUT OF WITH THE BUS. WHEN YOU GET TO THE EXIT FROM BUCKLAND ON A 77 YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE DONE 10 LAPS IN A STOCK CAR RACE.
ON THE 78 THE PARKED CARS ARE ALMOST ALL ON THE RIGHT WITH SPACES BIG ENOUGH FOR CARS TO MOVE INTO AND ALL THE TURNS ARE IN TO ROADS YOU CAN SEE ALONG WAY DOWN SO YOU CAN EASILY STOP IF ANY ONE IS COMING. the HILL UP TO THE TOP OF THE ESTATE IS LONG AND CAN BE DONE EASILY IN 3RD GEAR WITHOUT STRAINING THE ENGINE AND EARS. when YOU EXIT BUCKLAND WHILE YOU DON'T FEEL YOU HAVE BEEN FOR A DRIVE IN THE COUNTRY YOU ARE MUCH LESS STRESSED THAN THE POOR SOD ON THE 77.
AS I SAID THERE IS NO REAL NEED FOR THIS ARRANGEMENT AND THE COMPANY HAVE DECIDED TO DO AWAY WITH ONE OF THE BUSES. THERE WILL JUST AS MANY BUSES GOING ROUND BUCKLAND AS THERE EVER WERE. NOW THEY WILL ALL GO THE SAME WAY.
WHICH WAY WOULD YOU PICK? THE 77 WITH THE VERY STEEP CLIMB, THE BLIND CORNERS AND MOST OF THE TIME DRIVING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD BECAUSE OF THE PARKED CARS?
NO. WHY Not? stagecoach have. From the end of this month the 77 will be the only bus driving round buckland. I wonder if anyone in head office has ever driven a bus round buckland or did they just flip a coin to decide which bus to keep.
Letter From Head Office.
A couple of changes have been made in the last week to our fare structure. One is the removal of the student tickets and their replacement with UniRiders. Uni being short for university. Any College or university student can buy these tickets on production of a NUS card or student ID. (see last posting)
The other change is the fact that Devon County Wide tickets (half price tickets for Pensioners and Disabled) are no longer rounded down to the nearest 5p. This means we have prices like £1.37, Torquay to Paignton return or £1.67, Return Brixham to Paignton. The problem of having to give copper in change adds to the time it takes to get people on the bus and only having 4 compartments in our cash tray is causing a problem; where do you keep the copper?
Well a letter was posted on the notice board explaining this introduction of copper in our change. The fact is rounding a fare down by 2p cost the company a large sum of money over a year.
It's the letter that is the interesting item here. Often in the past the company have not bothered to inform the drivers of their thoughts behind their actions. It would indicate a change of policy here that on this occasion they have and it is to be hoped that this trend will continue. At lest we know why we have to carry copper and put up with the extra aggravation caused by this failure to round down to the nearest 5p as we have in the past. The more cynical of my colleges may just think the company are just trying to pull the wool over our eyes. maybe they
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