Bus operators decide to have additional Bank Holiday

[knutstransport]

Bus operators decide to have additional Bank Holiday
As Boxing Day falls on a Saturday and most people don't work on Saturdays it means Monday 28th December is a substitute Bank Holiday.

However, in my area it seems operators are operating to the following:
December 25 & 26 - No services
December 27 - Sunday operation (on routes where one exists)
December 28 - Bank Holiday operation (on routes where one exists)
December 29/30/31 - Saturday service with early finish on the 31st
January 1 - No services

Surely if they're suspending a usual Saturday service on the 26th, they should as a minimum be running a Saturday service on the 28th?

[PO59 MXJ]

RE: Bus operators decide to have additional Bank Holiday
Its a reduced Sunday service in Liverpool with buses finishing between 18.00 & 20.00

[Valandil]

RE: Bus operators decide to have additional Bank Holiday
Yeah, bit rubbish isn't it ... those with cars are out in force at the shops ... those without are pretty much stuck in for 4 days.
There'll be another 'long weekend' from the eve of Thursday 31st to Sunday 3rd January too.

[knutstransport]

RE: Bus operators decide to have additional Bank Holiday

(26/12/2015 12:07)Valandil Wrote:  Yeah, bit rubbish isn't it ... those with cars are out in force at the shops ... those without are pretty much stuck in for 4 days.

And some of the ones without will be back in work on the 29th having to use a reduced Saturday service bus to get to work.

[YN05 WKE]

RE: Bus operators decide to have additional Bank Holiday
Merseyside is:
24th - normal service early finish
25th - special buses
26th - limited Sunday service with early finish
27th - normal Sunday
28th - Sunday service
29/30th - normal timetable
31st - normal service early finish
1st - limited Sunday service with early finish
2nd - normal service resumes

[Barney]

RE: Bus operators decide to have additional Bank Holiday

(26/12/2015 13:11)E208 WBG Wrote:  Merseyside is:
24th - normal service early finish
25th - special buses
26th - limited Sunday service with early finish
27th - normal Sunday
28th - Sunday service
29/30th - normal timetable
31st - normal service early finish
1st - limited Sunday service with early finish
2nd - normal service resumes

Interestingly, National Express are operating coach services today and putting on duplicates on many routes because of demand because the national rail network is shut down. I suppose the difference between coach and bus travel is that Nat Ex can legally charge premium fares to pay for the increased overheads something that bus operators can't do.

[Valandil]

RE: Bus operators decide to have additional Bank Holiday

(26/12/2015 12:40)Dentonian Wrote:  Saturday 2nd will be a normal (Sat) service everywhere, surely.

Yeah, I think so too.
(In my post, I was just describing a 'long weekend' and there is normally a Saturday in one of these).

[knutstransport]

RE: Bus operators decide to have additional Bank Holiday
I'm not sure about reduced services to meet demand on Bank Holidays. Northern Rail can get overcrowded services in Cheshire on Bank Holidays with a normal weekday service - obviously they don't operate on the 26th either but bus operators in Cheshire seem to think if they don't run a Sunday service then they don't need to run one on a Bank Holiday.

[djb]

RE: Bus operators decide to have additional Bank Holiday

(26/12/2015 15:03)Dentonian Wrote:  I did say, *perceived* demand. For many years after De-reg, there were no buses on Boxing Day or New Years Day in GM, and a very limited service on Bank Holidays. As time has gone on, GMPTE (as it was then) persuaded Operators one by one, to run a full Sunday service on Bank Holidays, but its more recently that buses have run at all on Boxing Day and NYD. Boxing Day is usually better than NYD due to the trend in starting "January" Sales on Boxing Day.

Definitely. Look back only 15 years in manchester to see only bullocks 42, bluebirds 112 and arrivas ml1 running on Boxing Day. (Oh and uk north if they fancied it last minute), and only the 42 New Year's Day.

I'm working over Xmas and new year, and can still get to work. Going back to the conversation about demand&supply, most ppl on my route early doors at this time of year are public or service sector workers. The same people who usually work unusual shifts and are used to commuting outside office hours, and as in my case chose to live somewhere where this is possible.

Sadly from my experience if a Saturday service ran today or on Monday, it would carry a lot of fresh air on the early journies. Then come middle of the day, the frequency isn't enough.

[T42 PVM (Moderator)]

RE: Bus operators decide to have additional Bank Holiday

(26/12/2015 13:11)E208 WBG Wrote:  Merseyside is:
24th - normal service early finish
25th - special buses
26th - limited Sunday service with early finish
27th - normal Sunday
28th - Sunday service
29/30th - normal timetable
31st - normal service early finish
1st - limited Sunday service with early finish
2nd - normal service resumes

Boxing Day and New Years Day are not limited Sunday Services at all, Some Buses that dont run on Sunday are running and other routes that do run on Sunday aint running, Plus with the start and finish times of the Buses i do wonder where you get this limited Sunday Service rubbish from.