From David Mack

Friday, 7 January 2011

etroDay bus only tickets are valid on all buses in West Yorkshire, and you should be able to buy them on the bus. See this page

But you can't use a First Bus FirstDay ticket on a Tyrer bus.

From Myra James

Friday, 7 January 2011

I agree the minibus service is an excellent and essential lifeline for our rural communities and am pleased to hear that the services remain excellent since Tyrer took over the contract last October. There is in fact a ticket that may be used on both Tyrer and First services - a Metro day ticket costing £5. However, this is considerably more than the First Day ticket that could be used before Tyrer took over, especially when compared with the off-peak First ticket at £3.40.

I have contacted Metro about the significant cost implications of this change of contract and it seems the only hope for better integration of ticketing depends on Metro being able to set up Bus Quality Contracts. Metro has been consulting on its plans for Quality Contracts. Unfortunately I cannot confirm whether the consultation remains ongoing as there seems to be a problem with the website, but do look at www.wymetro.com for more information.

From Paul W

Wednesday, 12 January 2011

Tyrer are crap. I rely on the A/B Hebden Bridger (The Old Town Circular) and they frequently don't turn up. First buses missed too, sometimes, but not on the scale of Tyrer. When one of their buses was out of service this week, they just abandoned the A/B route for the best part of two days leaving us high and dry. Or rather, pissed through and pissed off as it was chucking it down. In the last week fewer than 50% of their buses that I've waited for turned up. What's wrong with them? Don't they have a spare bus? Can't they hire another bus from First bus, as they seem to be doing on their other routes?

Not to mention the fact that they don't accept First Bus passes any more. I thought they were supposed to supply the same service as First used to do, but they obviously aren't. I won't bore you with the complaints I've heard about some of their other routes, but the long and short of it is the service has declined in quality and increased in price. Crap decision, Calderdale, crap service, Tyrer. It's made me grumpier than a school bus driver.

From Myra James

Wednesday, 12 January 2011

That's interesting, Paul - very different perspective from Billy's, but it sounds as though you are a more frequent user of these buses. I am a member of the Metro's Calderdale Passenger Consultative Committee so will pass on your comments regarding a decline in service since Tyrer took over. As for the tickets - well, no, they won't take First tickets because it's a different company. As I mentioned above (and also elsewhere here on an earlier thread) the only option for journeys combining Tyrer and First buses is the £5 Metro day ticket - quite a hike in the cost, especially when travelling off-peak. It's really poor and there's no early likelihood of any improvement. The only hope of securing integrated ticketing is if West Yorkshire is allowed to bring in Bus Quality Contracts. I don't know when we can expect to know more about that but will try to find out.

From Andrew Hall

Thursday, 13 January 2011

I wrote to Metro back in July about the problems of multiple bus operators in the area (this was in connection with the Huddersfield Bus Company taking over a number of Calderdale routes, but was equally true of the (then) just-announced awarding of the Hebden Bridger contract to Tyrer), and the non-validity of different operator's tickets on each other's services. My point was that the more operators in an area, the less low-priced travel opprtunities were available.

Their reply was not encouraging. The frustration that Metro experience in dealing with the bus operators was clearly evident. I actually felt sorry for those poor members of staff who have to negotiate with these operators!

The letter states: "Despite significant adverse public comment and strenuous effort on Metro's part, I regret that the operators' commercial (profit) motives have prevailed". It goes on to say how the operators have a strategy to increase the price of MetroCard products to enable them to introduce their own operator only tickets.

Regarding the Hebden Bridger ticket, Metro say that it was initially introduced by themselves and that "whilst First did previously agree to accept it on their other commercial services in the area, Metro cannot compel them to continue to do so."

Despite the usual weasel words - that they will "vigorously pursue" the matter of ticketing, and "press operators to maintain the status quo in the interest of local users" (something that with hindsight didn't happen!) - things don't look particularly positive.

From Jenny B

Thursday, 13 January 2011

The Tyrer service doesnt seem too bad to me but I do only use it once or twice a week up to Heptonstall. I do agree that it is pricey at £5 to get around instead of £3.40 (off peak rate). It puts me off visiting hilltop friends as often as I did.

The drivers are polite and friendly too and seem happy to not rush people, stop when you ask/flag them etc. Overall thumbs up for service and thumbs down for cost.

From Paul W

Friday, 14 January 2011

Speaking to the odd driver and other passengers, it seems that Tyrer are blaming Metro for the frequent bus no-shows. One driver said Metro didn't look after the minibuses over the years and now they are starting to conk out, coincidentally, just after Tyrer took over. Tyrer don't have the spare buses to replace them when they do break down, they say. Of the 10 A/B buses I've waited for this week, 5 have turned up. A 50% success rate is pretty poor for a bus operator. Especially when passengers are paying £75 for a monthly pass only having to slog it up the hill in the rain or cough up for a taxi.

From Myra James

Friday, 14 January 2011

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Metro is proposing to introduce a Quality Bus Contract scheme, which would provide West Yorkshire with fully integrated bus services, along the lines operated in London and many other European cities. For more information on this, see: What are the current issues with bus services?

From Ben Plumpton

Friday, 14 January 2011

I'd agree with Paul - the A/B service at the start of this week was largely non-existent. On Monday and Tuesday mornings, the 7.19 B bus from Crimsworth to Hebden didn't show up. On Monday evening, the 18.43 from the station to Old Town didn't show up. No notices on bus stops, not even at the station where it would have been relatively straightforward to do. It is not pleasant standing in the cold and rain waiting for a bus that never comes, and having your journey to work take far longer than it should, being late etc. Speaking to a driver, apparently a bus was involved in a smash and damaged.

I'd encourage people to complain when this happens because otherwise the operators might think passengers don't care much about these services. There is a phone number for Tyrer in the front of the Hebden Bridger timetable - 0845 130 1716. You can also complain on the Metro website.

From Andrew Hall

Saturday, 15 January 2011

Metro mentioned the Bus Quality Contract in their letter to me in July 2010.

It all looks very impressive on their website and would be a significant step towards an integrated transport system.

But the delivery of such a system is, in their own words "a key difference between Metro and the local bus operators"

Commercial bus operators are there to maximise their profits. There is no social conscience. That's a simple commercial fact. If Metro, through their pursuit of the Bus Quality Contract, force the operators to make concessions which in turn affect their profits, we may well end up with a reduced service in which everyone loses.

I hope I'm wrong. But don't put too much faith into the Bus Quality Contract.

From Myra James

Monday, 17 January 2011

I agree, the Quality Contract scheme has plenty of variables in terms of how it might function but I think it's the only hope of getting something better than we have now, which is the legacy of 25 years of de-regulated bus disaster. Governments of any hue seem to lack the political will to get to grips with public transport.

From Anna L

Monday, 17 January 2011

I regularly use (try to use) the E Blackshawhead service and last week twice the buses just didn't show. On the second morning of waiting in the cold, I finally got an answer from the Metroline (might have the name wrong - the Leeds phone number advertised on on stops and timetables). Operator told me they have no info on Tyrer buses, but that I was more than welcome to call them myself (gave me the number). No apologies from Metro ("we're just a timetabling company"), and also, apparently, there was no point getting the operator to log it as a compaint, as "nothing would happen for months, if then". No answer of course from Tyrer. Eventually I call them again in the afternoon, and a polite but unhelpful person tells me they simply had no buses, all were broken down. For two days.

From Myra James

Monday, 17 January 2011

That was a very poor response from Metro, Anna. A few weeks ago I reported by phone to Metro a bus that missed - not a minibus but a 591 First service from Heptonstall - and received a promise that the failure would be logged/reported and later a letter from Metro about it. I will ask Metro what passengers are entitled to expect when they complain to Metro about a missing bus.

From Jenny B

Monday, 17 January 2011

One bright spot is that Tyrer are now offering a £10 weekly ticket which you can use on any Hebden or Todmorden Tyrer services. For those who use trains and only the minibuses it may be cheaper than a metro ticket.
Of course that is providing the buses turn up!!

From Andrew Hall

Monday, 17 January 2011

The E bus, probably more than any of the other local services, needs a major rethink.

The most ludicrous event occurs at the railway station on a regular basis. It's the 'E Bus Sprint'! The train from Brighouse (which carries commuters from Huddersfield and Dewsbury) is scheduled to arrive at Hebden Bridge at 7 minutes past the hour. The E bus leaves the station at 8 minutes past.

The chances of getting from Platform 1 to the station forecourt in that time are remote. Some bus drivers will wait (even if the train is a bit late), but others almost seem to take a perverse delight in driving off just as passengers are panting and wheezing towards the bus stop.

And when you miss your bus, it's either an hour's wait, or forking out on a taxi at £5 plus if you're going up to Kebs.

The usual response from Metro to this situation is that if the buses don't stick to their timetable, then there is a knock on effect and the whole service gets out of kilter. Fair comment, but the local service should have a certain amount of flexibility built in, even if it means a slightly less regular service. This is especially true of the long distance local services (good example of an oxymoron there!), by which I particularly mean the E bus where a trip from the station up to the Sportsman Inn is well over 6 miles.

The local Hebden Bridger service has evolved over the last few years, but sadly, what we have now may not be the best for the community. For example it was probably always wrong to send the E bus up Eaves, making the longest local journey even longer. But to cut Eaves off (and yes i have a vested interest as I live there!) surely is wrong. How about an Eaves/ Fairfield/ Midgehole shuttle? There must be so much that could be done without spending a single extra penny.

The time has come to tear up the existing timetables, sit down over a blank sheet of paper, and plan services that are useful to people and actually make sense.

From Jonathan Timbers

Friday, 21 January 2011

As an Eaves resident, I agree wholeheartedly with Andrew about the need to redesign the Hebdenbridger bus service and restore some sort of service up at Eaves.

I worry about our current service which is imho unreliable and unsustainable. There are too many empty buses, and not enough flexibility in the system to meet need.

I'd also like to say that I find the E bus unreliable. I sometimes wait for the service which goes to the railway station at the stop near Mytholm Meadows. However, the display which gives bus times never now says when this bus is actually going to turn up, but instead just shows the timetabled time of arrival. Sometimes the E service is shown as 'due' before it disappears off the screen and then fails to show up. Other times I've jumped onto the 594 which often shows up at around the same time only to see the E bus drift down Heptonstall Road, a couple of minutes late.

Waiting for it at the railway station is worse in some respects. In the old days, I used to get off the train from Manchester and find my way to the minibus, which would be accepting passengers, and sit on it in relative comfort waiting for the off. Nowadays, it doesn't actually show until it's near the time of departure, by which time there's usually considerable uncertainty as to whether it is likely to turn up. Hanging around in the freezing cold isn't much fun either. Passengers spend the time wondering if the huddle of drivers in the minibus on the other side of the turning circle is going to resolve itself into the service they require or whether they should be walking.

From Jenny B

Monday, 14 March 2011

Whilst waiting in vain for the elusive E bus this morning, I was told by a fellow commuter that Tyrer were not having their contract renewed in respect of this service.

The Colden/Blackshawhead E service provided by Tyrer, has got to be one of the most unreliable in Calderdale.

I have friends in Pecket Well who tell me the A and B service is pretty unreliable too.

Does anyone know if this rumour re loss of contract is true? And, are there any plans to continue or cease the service? By the way, I have e-mailed metro religiously each time the bus misses and have noticed a total lack of response lately. Has metro given up addressing the failure of this service too ?

From Andrew Hall

Monday, 14 March 2011

I've heard that Tyrer are having problems with the mechanical condition of the buses, which obviously impinges on the timetable. I've certainly seen the Tyrer breakdown van at the railway station on several occasions.

As you say, Jenny, it's hard get anything specific from Metro; and a look at their website does nothing to allay our concerns.

There's something awfully wrong with a system where a rural bus grant (for the whole of West Yorkshire) of £400k is more than halved, when, at the same time, approval is given for a £14.4m new entrance for Leeds Station.

I fear we've yet another fight on our hands.

From David Wilson

Monday, 14 March 2011

I was told by a Tyrer driver over the weekend that they haven't got the contract moving forward. Hallelujah!

From Billy Painter

Friday, 18 March 2011

It's all very well and good celebrating the back of Tyrer Bus, but will another company be there to take on this service and keep it running?

Just a thought...