Transdev Blazefield

[Ashly_Jethro]

They haven't updated the Coastliner timetable cases, so they all have the wrong times in them. Very poor show. Hate to say it, but this MD is making the last one look like a genius.

I must say, I’m not a fan of Henri for a few reasons, I think it was one thing making him an interim replacement but Paris really should have employed someone else to fill the role, either from within Blazefield or someone from another UK bus operator that knew what they were doing

 

[RustySpoons]

I must say, I’m not a fan of Henri for a few reasons, I think it was one thing making him an interim replacement but Paris really should have employed someone else to fill the role, either from within Blazefield or someone from another UK bus operator that knew what they were doing

Unfortunately Paris HQ will just see numbers on a spreadsheet. The numbers must have made for some horrific reading whilst the old CEO was at the helm, which could explain his departure and the fact he hasn't publicly acknowledged his tenure at Transdev since. Henri (or whoever took on the role) has to make some pretty tough cuts to balance the books again. It's hard to say whether someone from within Blazefield would have been able to make the same sort of cuts. I do understand it from a business perspective, it won't have been a decision made lightly. It's just concerning that the cuts could now be going too far.

Only select Transdev employees will know how well the cost cutting measures are going, but it is clear that standards are slipping across the board. Vehicle presentation and cleanliness seems to be dropping, although the buses are far from dirty it is noticeable that the attention to detail isn't there anymore.

I've not been keeping up to date with the cancellations, but in my very limited experience of using the bus for a couple of days last week to get around Lancashire rather than driving not one journey was cancelled or running late. The only weak point there was the stupid app, which I didn't end up using in the end. The old app could still be used to easily track my buses.

 

[Ashly_Jethro]

Unfortunately Paris HQ will just see numbers on a spreadsheet. The numbers must have made for some horrific reading whilst the old CEO was at the helm, which could explain his departure and the fact he hasn't publicly acknowledged his tenure at Transdev since. Henri (or whoever took on the role) has to make some pretty tough cuts to balance the books again. It's hard to say whether someone from within Blazefield would have been able to make the same sort of cuts. I do understand it from a business perspective, it won't have been a decision made lightly. It's just concerning that the cuts could now be going too far.

Only select Transdev employees will know how well the cost cutting measures are going, but it is clear that standards are slipping across the board. Vehicle presentation and cleanliness seems to be dropping, although the buses are far from dirty it is noticeable that the attention to detail isn't there anymore.

I've not been keeping up to date with the cancellations, but in my very limited experience of using the bus for a couple of days last week to get around Lancashire rather than driving not one journey was cancelled or running late. The only weak point there was the stupid app, which I didn't end up using in the end. The old app could still be used to easily track my buses.

I understand why he was sent to Blazefield and even why he was made interim MD but like I say, keeping him there does IMO seem like a poor choice.

As you say some of these cost cutting measures appear to be going to far. Not repainting the ex Zaps into Wetherby racers and keeping them at Harrogate was fair enough. Same with dialling back on fleet investments without government funding, not eg repainting the ex Ribble county mellors, and even pulling out of RC and little hotline too. But the app, axing PendleWizz, putting centros on IrwellLine, and possibly even scrapping print media, all terrible decisions that have worsened passanger experience and done themselves no favours bar saving a bit of cash.

I’m still convinced someone told me they re back in the black already (ie no longer making a loss, granted they may not have made back the lost money from that period) so I think it’s time for Paris to realise that Henri has accomplished what he was sent to do, call him back to Europe and get someone in place who knows how to maintain Blazefields reputation and continue to make bus travel desirable!

 

[Deerfold]

They never added Team Pennine to that map, besides the 502

Probably as Huddersfield to Derby Dale floating separately with no link to anything else would look a bit strange

The Lancashire one probably needs revising to remove the Rochdale and Bury services

They run 3 routes that link Huddersfield and Halifax.

 

[Andyh82]

They run 3 routes that link Huddersfield and Halifax.

You’d be the first to complain if they did a map suggesting the 343 is the best way to travel from Halifax to Huddersfield

 

[Deerfold]

You’d be the first to complain if they did a map suggesting the 343 is the best way to travel from Halifax to Huddersfield

What?

It's possible to put a line on with a place or two in the middle, like they do with the 7 between Harrogate and Leeds (which isn't the fastest route between Leeds and Wetherby, either). It's an overview map - I'm not sure it's making any suggestions, other than that these are routes they run. The 536/7 aren't the fastest routes either, but it seems odd to only have 1 Team Pennine route on the map, even the 587 if you only want to put direct routes on the map. There's several less frequent routes on the map than the missing Team Pennine ones.

 

[RustySpoons]

What?

It's possible to put a line on with a place or two in the middle, like they do with the 7 between Harrogate and Leeds (which isn't the fastest route between Leeds and Wetherby, either). It's an overview map - I'm not sure it's making any suggestions, other than that these are routes they run. The 536/7 aren't the fastest routes either, but it seems odd to only have 1 Team Pennine route on the map, even the 587 if you only want to put direct routes on the map. There's several less frequent routes on the map than the missing Team Pennine ones.

Could it be, and this is purely speculation, that other than the 502 there are plans to offload Team Pennine?

 

[Andyh82]

Could it be, and this is purely speculation, that other than the 502 there are plans to offload Team Pennine?

No, they haven’t removed Team Pennine, they never added it, ever, in the multiple summer and winter versions of the map they’ve done since it was acquired, both during and after Alex Hornby’s time

As others have suggested, the lack of interurban services linking towns to other towns, that are the characteristic of the rest of the Blazefield network, is probably the reason why

 

[Mollman]

No, they haven’t removed Team Pennine, they never added it, ever, in the multiple summer and winter versions of the map they’ve done since it was acquired, both during and after Alex Hornby’s time

As others have suggested, the lack of interurban services linking towns to other towns, that are the characteristic of the rest of the Blazefield network, is probably the reason why

I'd have expected them to add the X1 Holmfirth to Wakefield via Denby Dale and D1 Huddersfield to Denby Dale

 

[Deerfold]

No, they haven’t removed Team Pennine, they never added it, ever, in the multiple summer and winter versions of the map they’ve done since it was acquired, both during and after Alex Hornby’s time

As others have suggested, the lack of interurban services linking towns to other towns, that are the characteristic of the rest of the Blazefield network, is probably the reason why

Except Halifax - Rochdale, Halifax - Huddersfield.

I am surprised that Keighley's 67 is missing, too, when in the East some fairly minor services are included (21, 24). I understand they don't have the shorter services from any part of Transdev.

 

[JetBlast]

The Lancashire one probably needs revising to remove the Rochdale and Bury services

Considering neither of these towns have been part of Lancashire for the past 50 years, removing them is long overdue.

 

[SCH117X]

Considering neither of these towns have been part of Lancashire for the past 50 years, removing them is long overdue.

Illustrating connectivity in the same way Burnley appears on the Yorkshire map.

 

[4cryingoutloud]

Considering neither of these towns have been part of Lancashire for the past 50 years, removing them is long overdue.

Bury & Rochdale are still served by cross boundary routes into 1974 Lancashire county, so they'll still have a valid place on that map.

 

[SCH117X]

I think more confusion will by passengers heading to the stop by Bettys for a 3 given the 36 to Ripon will be using it. Really should have the 3 terminating with the 36 and A2 so it keeps its normal route

Ah! looking at the tracking the 3s are running "round the back" of the railway station the wrong way so to pick up the normal route just before the Library stop and then that by Bettys. B7RLE 1854 if the tracking is right is doing the 2 and 3 having been on them all day. Theres been a bit of a mess on the 3 today with most but not all workings skipping three stops due to road works which are not scheduled on that road until tomorrow.
Again if the tracking is right the X98/X99 branded Enviro 400 has been in use on the 4 and 6. Electric 803 has not tracked since Sat 13 and 807 has not tracked since doing the am turns on the peak period only rosta yesterday.

Turns out Electric 807 thinks its the Enviro 400. Noticeable lack of social media today when the A61 and parts of Harrogate has been rammed by traffic diverting from the closed eA1(M). The one they have managed is wrong concerning stops not in use on route 3 as one of those thty are saying to use is also currently not in use as well. A temporary stop on the diversion is marked by a sign but they fail to mention that.

 

[Some guy]

Considering neither of these towns have been part of Lancashire for the past 50 years, removing them is long overdue.

They are not under Lancashire county council but are in the historic county of Lancashire something that has never changed

 

[Seehof]

York and Country: Now here is a strange thing regarding their ticket machines; my wife made 2 journeys recently on the 24 where the fare should be £1.60 as it always is when the driver issues a ticket.
3 April Going into York. Driver tells her to “swipe” on and again when she gets off which she does. Charges her £1.30 and £2.00! Could this be because the bus changes from a 24 to 26 at the station but passengers remain on it to go Piccadilly?
Yesterday (25th April) on the second bus of the day from Acomb again the driver asks her to swipe on and off when she gets off. On her bank statement three debits of 10p have appeared against Transdev!
It does make me wonder whether I should start a completely new thread about Ticketer inaccuracies. Any comments/similar experiences? She uses First far more and never had a problem.

 

[dodecahedron67]

The £1.30 and £2 will be due to the fact that the trip gets ‘ended’ at the station for the swap to the 26. So it will have charged her £1.30 Holgate > Station, then she’s started a “new” trip tapping when she got off at Piccadilly. Ticketer presumes she is then going all the way to Fulford as there is no corresponding tap ‘out’ so charges her £2. The way to avoid this is to simply not tap off when alighting in town on the 24/26.

The 10p is how ticketer works - right after you pay it will only charge you 10p as a pre-authorisation, then it will correct to the right fare at 4.30am the following morning, when the ticketer data gets “closed” for the previous day (any buses that run after midnight are set as ‘2500’ for a ‘0100’ bus, etc.)

 

[Seehof]

Thank you. I understand the first answer. However that does not get round the fact that the fare is £1.60 and if she does not tap out it £2!
But not the second. That does not happen on First and why 3X10p!

 

[dodecahedron67]

Thank you. I understand the first answer. However that does not get round the fact that the fare is £1.60 and if she does not tap out it £2!
But not the second. That does not happen on First and why 3X10p!

If you don’t tap out, it charges you the maximum single fare possible.

The second does happen on First from time to time. 3x10p will be for the 3 separate transactions (Holgate > Station, Station > [no tap out], Town > Holgate)

 

[SCH117X]

Has she contacted them? Transdev are normally quite customer focussed (if polite) when it comes to ticketing issues - a while back many days I would walk to work and catch the bus back. Got to the office to find somewhere on the walk i had lost my 12 journey ticket with IIRC 10 still to use on it. Contacted them and they sent me a new 12 journey ticket.

Re timetable leaflets - didn't seem to be a shortage at Harrogate today; the covering B7RLE for a poorly Electric was awkwardly full of Route 1 timetables, the rack at the bus station looked full although I did not inspect it carefully and the driver of an Electric got on carrying a stack of the combined Harrogate local timetables.

 

[Ashly_Jethro]

Re timetable leaflets - didn't seem to be a shortage at Harrogate today; the covering B7RLE for a poorly Electric was awkwardly full of Route 1 timetables, the rack at the bus station looked full although I did not inspect it carefully and the driver of an Electric got on carrying a stack of the combined Harrogate local timetables.

I did notice in Blackburn this week that there seemed to be a healthy amount of timetables, they must have just been due a big delivery which is reassuring

 

[Deerfold]

Has she contacted them? Transdev are normally quite customer focussed (if polite) when it comes to ticketing issues - a while back many days I would walk to work and catch the bus back. Got to the office to find somewhere on the walk i had lost my 12 journey ticket with IIRC 10 still to use on it. Contacted them and they sent me a new 12 journey ticket.

They were. I've been chasing them for 6 weeks now to find out what they're doing about transferring tickets to the new app for my wife and me. I've contacted them on social media, e-mailed and called into the travel shop twice. I've had no response (except in the travel shop where they apologised that they couldn't sort it out there but that they're passed it to the right person. I wouldn't mind them telling me they're sorry but it'll take a while to sort out, but I've had radio silence from them.

 

[SCH117X]

The old app is still working - used my last ticket on it yesterday.

 

[Deerfold]

The old app is still working - used my last ticket on it yesterday.

It is. But will it work until December when my ticket bundle expires.
They've already sent me an email a month ago saying the tickets were transferred but they weren't.

Their initial adverts said it would stop working at the end of March.

 

[dodecahedron67]

Update on the 840/843 York/Malton duality.

At the moment 3 boards are York, rest are Malton.

From next week, 5 boards are York

From June, 7 York boards

Coastliner Express will be returning July and August. Only one board though and will be run from Rawcliffe Depot, not Malton. I imagine this will be similar to last year’s offering of York - Leeds - York - Malton - Scarbados and return

 

[HarryL]

Only select Transdev employees will know how well the cost cutting measures are going, but it is clear that standards are slipping across the board. Vehicle presentation and cleanliness seems to be dropping, although the buses are far from dirty it is noticeable that the attention to detail isn't there anymore.

Haven't necessarily noticed major changes in cleanliness, but on the bus side I have anecdotally noticed an uptick in the number of branded route buses doing other routes now. Pink buses doing the Haworth runs and what not. It would make sense for them to adopt a common livery across the companies and stop giving each one 5+ sub brands, I think ultimately this will end up being the biggest visible change from the previous era.

It never really made sense to do it in the first place and the biggest offender of it was when they took over Rosso and tried everything they could to get rid of any trace of the brand. Felt like every bus got a different livery for a while there.

 

[WY Bus Spotter]

Haven't necessarily noticed major changes in cleanliness, but on the bus side I have anecdotally noticed an uptick in the number of branded route buses doing other routes now. Pink buses doing the Haworth runs and what not. It would make sense for them to adopt a common livery across the companies and stop giving each one 5+ sub brands, I think ultimately this will end up being the biggest visible change from the previous era.

It never really made sense to do it in the first place and the biggest offender of it was when they took over Rosso and tried everything they could to get rid of any trace of the brand. Felt like every bus got a different livery for a while there.

Pink buses doing Haworth runs? Have Team Pennine loaned some vehicles to Keighley?

 

[Leedsbusman]

Pink buses doing Haworth runs? Have Team Pennine loaned some vehicles to Keighley?

As far as I’m aware a Team Pennine bus has never worked a Keighley Bus Company route.

 

[WY Bus Spotter]

As far as I’m aware a Team Pennine bus has never worked a Keighley Bus Company route.

My thoughts as well. I'm not sure what the original poster meant.

 

[HarryL]

Pink buses doing Haworth runs? Have Team Pennine loaned some vehicles to Keighley?

As far as I’m aware a Team Pennine bus has never worked a Keighley Bus Company route.

Ah I've never paid too much attention to be fair, just had a look at Google Maps and the Great Northern Line route goes past where I've seen them. Had totally blanked that brand out of memory and goes the direction that previously exclusively Haworth buses went. My mistake on that one.