Given the 10 is the busiest route in Gloucestershire (quoted in Gloucestershire County councils BSIP document page 40), why are they funding anything for the 10? It's specifically quoted as it takes 10% of all bus journeys within Gloucestershire, it surely shouldn't need funding and should quite easily have an increase in service.
Probably because those journeys aren't profitable. That said, this may act as pump priming and enable them to be sustainable.
What a strange proposal but then again, as is much of the bus network around this area. How many people are actually using these links as the numbers of people travelling around the forest seems minimal. Also, who is then going to be running the 72 as I can't see Newport Bus wanting to run the 72 to Mitcheldean? Seems like a complete waste of money this link and these areas.
It's been a long-standing link that has recently been lost (i.e. Lydney to Cinderford) - it's just a collection of different services just squished into one.
I still find it a shame that the S2 isn't coaches which can perform better and give the novelty factor of the coach. As well as the various benefits to existing passengers, if it's a coach, it could form part of the NatEx/Megabus network (with them as 3rd party ticket sellers) as this is quite a big onward ticket sales opportunity.
I'm not convinced that it is really that much of a big opportunity in that respect. To me, it's a long-distance bus service that has to perform many functions with end to end travel as well as a number of local links.
My issue with Witney on the S2 is that the drivers seem to have no sense of urgency when changing over and so it's very easy to miss 5 minute connections at Witney Market while drivers faff around. Sadly no one cares about arriving at Witney Square on time because they have the recovery time so as long as you leave the Square on time, that's good enough.
That may be frustrating but if you're relying on 5 minute connections, then you're cutting it very fine.
Something that has surprised me is that Gloucestershire isn't bothered about improving cross border links which is strange given the huge potential. Monmouth, just on the border gets only 3 buses per day linking into the Forest. Lydney to Chepstow yes there are changes to the 72 but it doesn't say about frequency, the current 72 timetable is shocking and has a completely different timetable on Saturdays compared to the Monday-Friday, it is clearly timed to fit around Newport Bus existing commitments rather than trying to be a viable bus. No links between Gloucester and Ledbury despite Ledbury being almost just over the border. These just a few examples but you can go around the Gloucestershire border and see so many none existant or insufficient bus links.
I know this is one of your pet peeves but I don't see the great potential for cross border services. However, experience has shown that just isn't the case.
After de-regulation and in the Western Travel days, Red & White operated virtually nothing in the Forest save:
- 31 from Coleford and Cinderford to Gloucester (hourly daytimes) - the only one truly in the Forest as opposed to clipping the edge
- 38 Glos - Ross - Hereford (hourly plus 3 Sunday runs)
- 34 Monmouth - Ross - Newent - Glos (2 hourly)
- 65/69 Chepstow to Monmouth (via Trellech 65 or Tintern 69) (4-6 journeys each)
- 73 Gloucester to Chepstow via Lydney (hourly daytimes)
The only other routes that had any sort of regular service (and were commercial) were Cottrells 24 from Glos to Cinderford via Mitcheldean, and Dukes 721 from Coleford to Lydney.
Stagecoach did try to develop the Forest routes, doubling the 31 (with the introduction of the 30 variant), purchasing Dukes and taking on their routes and then taking on Cottrells route as they wound down. New Olympians appeared on the 31 and 38, and later a bigger batch of new deckers appeared but aside from the main routes, it's all very thin traffic. Lord knows, they've rejigged the network a few times to make it work since they bought Dukes.
As regards cross border services, just last week, I travelled on the Cinderford to Ross service. Granted, it was midday but after Lydbrook, I had the bus to myself to Ross. You mention Ledbury... well, that is served by the 232 and it is jointly supported by Herefordshire and Gloucestershire councils as it serves Newent; with limited funds to replace the withdrawn 132 (Ross to Ledbury) and 32 (Newent to Ledbury), that was the best they could do with what money they had.
As for the 72, the Mon-Fri and Sat services AREN'T completely different. It has 6 journeys M-F and 5 on Sat, of which 3 are the same times on both (0902/1102/1302 ex Chepstow with 0938/1138/1338 return from Lydney). The M-F times are different because clearly it's built around a school contract; that probably underpins the tender and means they could actually staff it. And of course, the 72 IS an example where a service that is mainly in Gloucestershire does extend across the border into Chepstow as it is a natural traffic destination.
Might also add that Stagecoach (and Applegates) services from Dursley to Thornbury (again, over the border) as does the 69 as it runs into Old Sodbury to form the 620 - all GCC subsidised . In the pantheon of councils with ambivalence to local bus services, I'd not be citing GCC too highly.
. Certainly better than paying an expensive train fare when you can pay just £2 from Oxford to travel on a leather-seated double-decker every hour!
