Letter: Why do buses come in pairs?
Monday 24th May 2010, 7:00AM BST.
Letter: What is wrong with the Arriva drivers on the 55 route? As I again waited over 35 minutes (timetable says every 15 minutes), I started wondering why do they mostly travel in pairs? One full, closely followed by another nearly empty.
Is it because they are scared of being on their own? Or because the buses are so old that when one breaks down, the next one can pick up the stranded passengers?
The bus stopped, some passengers off, none allowed on, “Not in Service” flashed on the side. Why?
Never mind, two more followed a few minutes later, first nearly full, the next one empty.
S Shenton
Donnington
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Arriva are the most inept bus service I have ever used. Late, changes their routes without notice. There train service is **** as well.
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One bus is for picking up passengers and the other one is for blocking the road so the first bus can get off the bus stop
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one is for picking passengers up, the other is for dropping them off. Simples!
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It’s called traffic and road works.
Two buses on the same route, bus in front hits a delay, bus behind catches up with first bus, simple.
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does not make sense
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First bus hits traffic light just as it hits red. Also bus one has more passenger pick up and drop off. Second bus catches the lights on green and nearly has to stop. Thus doing the journey quicker than bus one. Result, bus one catches up with bus two.
It’s like driving your car, it never takes you the same amount of time to get to work, even though are travelling the same distance.
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That makes sense
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Its as Andy said, and fyi it makes perfect sense to me!
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“and fyi it makes perfect sense to me”
that’s tickled me that has. Ha ha I’m happy for you
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“The bus stopped, some passengers off, none allowed on, “Not in Service” flashed on the side. Why?”
Possibly to give the first (late) bus a chance to get back on schedule.
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The village of ‘Notin’ has a wonderful bus service. Always plenty of buses going to it!
There are a number of reasons why buses bunch up. Some already covered.
Other issues including over-crowded buses and non-arrival of service (and that’s a problem if the bus is only every hour) need to be dealth with by Arriva management.
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Our local service changed from Arriva to Bryn Melyn. Now the buses are mostly new, very clean and have the most courteous and helpful drivers I have ever encountered. An excellent service and one that I am happy to use as an alternative to the car. Well done Bryn Melyn!
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once the schools have started ,i think some buses should be taken of the road until the schools come out,as i see a big 50 seater + with 5 people on it,what about the ozone+ isnt that why we have to recycle??????????
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same ere mate we have a bus or 2 or 3 every 15 to 5 minsgood for me and others but there are areas crying out fot even half a bus
its called public transport
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We need a more sensible set of bus routes.
The Wellington-St. Georges service was always very popular. But that was stopped and people bussed to Telford, instead. “How DARE you members of the public decide to go where you want to go?! WE will tell you where you want to go! And you’ll jolly well like it or else!”
The Wellington to Dawley service (also always a popular service) was stopped some years ago, and only partial re-instated.
Telford is a large town with a bus service that is worse now than it was 30 years ago. How can that be?
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the wellinton to newport service has been stopped for a few years now. you have to change in Donnington if you dont want to be taken out of your way to Telford.
Not everybody needs or wants to go to Telford town centre all the time!
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But surely you bus users have to go to Telford Town Centre to sign on?
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bring back midland red a professionally run bus company and they did not treat shropshire to their old bangers and boneshakers and other problems from their fleet. perhaps arriva need some competion. where are williamsons motorways, vaggs and salopia when they are needed!
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Waited for 45 minutes this morning together with about 20 people for a 25 bus to Bayston Hill (supposed to run every 15 minutes) at St Mary’s St, Shrewsbury. Guess what – two came behind each other ,the first one picked us up and the second trailed us empty to the village where it stopped on the outskirts presumably to wait while the driver read the paper or had his sandwiches.The Arriva bus company is a joke! Hope the German company that has taken it over gives it a massive shake up.
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All these plausible explanations and there was me thinking it was like ladies going to the bathroom, never go on their own, always go in two’s.
Try and explain that one!
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they dont – silly letter
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It is mathematically inevitable on a route that has lots of stops and junctions that delays will occur. Hence the later in the day the more likely it will become that the buses arrive closer together.
The only three solutions are – greater frequency of buses, more bus only routes, or less points of interaction for the bus (i.e. less stops and junctions).
Arriva must know this but choose to do nothing -because they don’t have to.
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