Chesterfield Online Forum

General Category => Chesterfield Discussion => Topic started by: Scimitar on December 15, 2016, 07:02:57 PM

Title: Bus Fare increases from 02/01/17
Post by: Scimitar on December 15, 2016, 07:02:57 PM
Any Chesterfield (Stagecoach) bus users please take note:

From 2nd January 2017 the following fares will be changing.


Chesterfield

10p or 20p increase on singles
30p increase on returns.
Child Dayrider plus increases from £2.50 to £2.60.
Evening Dayrider Plus increases from £2.30 to £2.50.
Chesterfield Megarider increases from £10.50 to £11.50.
Chesterfield Megarider Plus increases from £12.50 to £13.50.
Sheffield Megarider Plus increases from £15.50 to £16.50.
Title: Re: Bus Fare increases from 02/01/17
Post by: Old Cruser on December 16, 2016, 04:13:46 PM
Are the day riders going up scimitar?
Title: Re: Bus Fare increases from 02/01/17
Post by: Scimitar on December 16, 2016, 05:32:25 PM
The other Dayriders not mentioned above remain unchanged.
Title: Re: Bus Fare increases from 02/01/17
Post by: Old Cruser on December 16, 2016, 06:06:34 PM
Thanks scimitar  (y)  MD
Title: Re: Bus Fare increases from 02/01/17
Post by: Sorastro on December 26, 2018, 07:15:11 PM
Question for Scimitar........ Christmas bus services 2018.

 A couple of days ago I caught the bus into town {10:40 a.m. ish, Sunday 23rd December}, quite rightly it was a Sunday service and being of a certain age used my O.A.P. travel pass.
My wife went into town the next morning Monday {Christmas eve}, this service was advertised as a Saturday service,  she got on the bus {pre 9:30} and was told she could not use her travel pass so paid for a ticket.

Surely if it's a "Saturday" service then surely Saturday rules apply??

{For others info.... Monday to Friday cannot use your pass before 9:30 a.m. -- Saturday's  you can}
Title: Re: Bus Fare increases from 02/01/17
Post by: Scimitar on December 26, 2018, 09:18:00 PM
Saturday service doesn’t mean Weekend rules apply unfortunately
Title: Re: Bus Fare increases from 02/01/17
Post by: Sorastro on December 27, 2018, 08:36:35 PM
Saturday service doesn’t mean Weekend rules apply unfortunately

Exactly Scimitar, this is why I queried it in the first place.
To many people, operating a Saturday service means just that, if there is going to be any deviation from the norm then it should be mentioned.
As Judge Judy says "If it walks like a duck and waddles like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a duck".
The same way as it's a "Saturday service" in operation, then ergo Saturday rules should apply {unless otherwise stated}
Still after all that I can't really complain... it doesn't cost me anything to ride the buses after all, it's just that in this case I don't really see the need for someone to move the goalposts when there seems no rhyme or reason to do so.
Title: Re: Bus Fare increases from 02/01/17
Post by: Scimitar on December 27, 2018, 11:13:32 PM
I refer to my previous quote - simply if Derbyshire County Council refuse to fund it, are you saying stagecoach, Tm travel, Hulleys etc. should waive your fare & absorb the cost? Sheffield City Council still fund theirs I understand.
A "Saturday service" which runs on a weekday between Christmas & New Year is subject to weekday rules - in part because we concentrate on getting fare paying people to work on time, which is difficult enough at rush hour as well as trying to keep punctuality.
Imagine trying to do the same with "Senior Citizen & Disability passes" at the same time - it just would not work I'm afraid, and would potentially create many complaints about people being late for work.
We have to try and manage availability because of this & do the best we can.
I hope this helps you understand the situation a little better.




Title: Re: Bus Fare increases from 02/01/17
Post by: Sorastro on December 28, 2018, 01:06:05 PM
A "Saturday service" which runs on a weekday between Christmas & New Year is subject to weekday rules - in part because we concentrate on getting fare paying people to work on time, which is difficult enough at rush hour as well as trying to keep punctuality.


Of this I am acutely aware Scimitar, I do understand the need to keep the "wrinklies" off the buses till the workers have got to work, having been a bus riding worker myself at one time, all I was inferring was that if the service is subject to weekday rules then this should be made clear to avoid confusion on the day, I'm sure the vast majority of o.a.p.'s are already aware of this system but even so I'm sure it must have caught quite a few pass holding passengers out.

During the last couple of years before retirement I was entitled to, and used, a "Gold card" and it was maddening to have to go to work in the mornings and have to pay fare {pre 9:30} but used it on the way home.
Title: Re: Bus Fare increases from 02/01/17
Post by: Scimitar on December 28, 2018, 11:00:52 PM

Of this I am acutely aware Scimitar, I do understand the need to keep the "wrinklies" off the buses till the workers have got to work, having been a bus riding worker myself at one time, all I was inferring was that if the service is subject to weekday rules then this should be made clear to avoid confusion on the day, I'm sure the vast majority of o.a.p.'s are already aware of this system but even so I'm sure it must have caught quite a few pass holding passengers out.

During the last couple of years before retirement I was entitled to, and used, a "Gold card" and it was maddening to have to go to work in the mornings and have to pay fare {pre 9:30} but used it on the way home.
I think it's been fairly clear over the past two or three years - I can honestly say no one has tried to use their card because the majority understand it. I know it seems confusing to some & I understand that.
Title: Re: Bus Fare increases from 02/01/17
Post by: Sorastro on February 04, 2019, 03:27:01 PM
The wife went to town this morning {using her gold card} she was surprised to see a lady get on a few stops further on and the driver refused the cash for the ticket, saying this is becoming a cashless route. She said that the driver told the passenger to wait till she got off in town and get her {presmably} mega rider from the 51 driver behind.
Apparently our route is being made cashless, Stagecoach says this will be very beneficial, as people can use contact less, apps, androids, or buy your ticket in advance. One thing they say is it will speed up the journey time, this to me has never been a problem, it's the bus schedule were they seem to fall down.
I know only too well how difficult it can be trying to keep to a schedule {being an ex professional driver myself} but that old saying of "You wait half an hour for a bus then three come along at once" that has happened on more than one occasion, if not three then certainly two.

After all that they are STILL going to accept cash, on this route, in certain circumstances, so it's NOT cashless then!

Title: Re: Bus Fare increases from 02/01/17
Post by: Alsatian on February 04, 2019, 03:44:07 PM
Which route was that on Sorastro?
Title: Re: Bus Fare increases from 02/01/17
Post by: Sorastro on February 04, 2019, 08:17:13 PM
Which route was that on Sorastro?

Sorry!! it's the 54 town to Clay Cross {via Hasland/Grassmoor/Nth. Wingfield}
Title: Re: Bus Fare increases from 02/01/17
Post by: Alsatian on February 04, 2019, 09:03:00 PM
Wonder if this is the first of many, or is it a pilot route?
Title: Re: Bus Fare increases from 02/01/17
Post by: Fly on February 04, 2019, 09:59:27 PM
Quote
or is it a pilot route

It will with Scimitar'a driving  ;D
Zooooooommmm  .. .. .. .. .. ..
Title: Re: Bus Fare increases from 02/01/17
Post by: bransoj on February 05, 2019, 09:23:30 AM
Some details here about it :-
https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/yorkshire/less-cash-54-the-big-switch

Seems the fare changes will be a lot more for some folk than others. They've basically just gone for nice round numbers but if you paid £1 before its now £1.50 whereas folk paying £1.40 it only goes up to £1.50. That said i'm a big fan of making it easy to pay for things using tech, we used a park and ride in York a few months back and we just jumped on and i paid using Apple Pay on my phone, so much simpler than messing about with cash as we're trying to manhandle ourselves, the little one, her folded up pram and bags onto the bus whilst other folk generally get in the way onto a bus that hasnt really considered where to store all this stuff!!
Title: Re: Bus Fare increases from 02/01/17
Post by: Sorastro on March 31, 2019, 09:06:20 PM
I know only too well how difficult it can be trying to keep to a schedule {being an ex professional driver myself} but that old saying of "You wait half an hour for a bus then three come along at once" that has happened on more than one occasion, if not three then certainly two.

It would seem the above is happening on our route {54} with monotonous regularity. We travel to town and back at least 3 times a week and double buses at a stop is getting a regular feature. We also hear comments from others that travel {some go every day} and it's the same, my wife said a couple told her they were stood at Westhill lane Grassmoor bus stop for just over half an hour a few days ago and 3 came all at once and it's not an isolated case.
They have just installed those electronic message boards in bus stops on this route that tells you the approximate arrival time of the next bus, lets hope the bus company can see {electronically} how the buses are running, if they don't already know.
Title: Re: Bus Fare increases from 02/01/17
Post by: bransoj on April 01, 2019, 10:04:26 AM
The Grassmoor one was probably down to the roadworks that have been in Grassmoor a fair bit recently. Other week i got caught in three way ones at the roundabout at the top end of the park then last week there were some halfway down the main road. The three way lights on the roundabout were causing some biggish tailbacks when i got caught in them.
Title: Re: Bus Fare increases from 02/01/17
Post by: Old Cruser on April 01, 2019, 12:36:40 PM
The late arrival of buses is having an affect on our community care workers.
Not all drive and rely buses to get from person to person. Their day is made extra long and obviously people who rely on them for meals and medication are left waiting - as the day goes on the calls get later.
The same will go for people who need the bus to get to work, some may have to wait until their children are in school - if the bus is late they are late for work.
Title: Re: Bus Fare increases from 02/01/17
Post by: Sorastro on April 02, 2019, 08:44:24 PM
The Grassmoor one was probably down to the roadworks that have been in Grassmoor a fair bit recently. Other week i got caught in three way ones at the roundabout at the top end of the park then last week there were some halfway down the main road. The three way lights on the roundabout were causing some biggish tailbacks when i got caught in them.

Alas bransoj I'm afraid the bus fiasco well preceded the roadworks. The troubles seemed to have coincided with the 54's re route, some months ago, via the railway station and the one an hour to the shopping outlet on junction 28.
Also the problem isn't just one way....we also get this from buses doing the return journey from town. I'm the first to realise bus timetables are there as an approximation of running times and are not set in stone, and as the 54 runs {every 10 minutes!!} I can see where if one bus has to wait at say three, or four, sets of roadworks lights and the next bus simply sails through them as they are all on green then I can see where one bus will catch another, but 3.
Title: Re: Bus Fare increases from 02/01/17
Post by: Scimitar on April 09, 2019, 07:44:51 PM
I'm a regular driver on the 54's. Since we have one an hour that goes to the designer outlet now - this can create problems. The A38 regularly gets stuck due to M1 problems as well.We have diversions we can use to try & get back to town & on time (usually through quieter roads in Alfreton). However the bus coming back from EMDO usually fits back into the 10 minute slot.
A new Director within St**coach decided this was needed to increase revenue - I can't say to be honest that we have increased passenger numbers - maybe pinched a few off of Comet.
The 54 (my honest opinion as the most profitable route in Chesterfield) should not have been tinkered in this way - it has not as far as I have seen increased passenger numbers.
Title: Re: Bus Fare increases from 02/01/17
Post by: Sorastro on October 19, 2019, 08:34:57 PM
Tagging onto this post {buses} I read your post Fly concerning Spotted Chesterfield page so had a quick look see and there's a piece about a bus driver sounding his horn {to the annoyance of obviously a Mastermind contestant} and whether he could "squeeze" through or not was not the issue, anyone with half a brain can see what the problem was and more importantly WHO'S FAULT IT WAS............
This reminds me of my parcel delivering days during the 80's. At one time my run was {amongst other places} Derby city and I drove a 5 tonner and trying to get down some of those streets because of the way they parked was a nightmare, I went through what that bus driver went through at least a dozen times a day. I did the same as him at the beginning and it got me absolutely nowhere, many's the time I've had to reverse upwards of 300 yards or more, reverse out into a busy main road and find another route.
I should imagine these large Argos, Currys, D.F.S. lorries still have the same trouble, but at least they are two manners, but believe me they watched how they parked on dustbin day, I've heard tales from customers when I've remarked on the parking situation that for some Derby dustbin gangs if they couldn't reach the lorry with a bin because of "inconsiderate" parking the bins were not emptied plus the lorry rarely reversed and if it was a very tight squeeze too bad you would probably find your offside wing mirror on the floor.