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City’s airport bus service is to be cut back for the winter
12:16pm Tuesday 18th December 2007
Comments (16)YORK'S airport shuttle bus service has been cut back, just nine months after it was launched.
Operator First York has announced it is reducing the number of journeys from York Railway Station to Leeds Bradford Airport.
First has always insisted the scheme is a success, even though most buses have been almost empty.
The firm has now announced it is withdrawing some of the early morning and late night buses over the winter, and has also reduced the daytime frequency from once an hour to once every 75 minutes.
First spokesman Duncan McGraw said the changes were described as "reflecting winter timetables and an attempt to drum up more patronage".
The number of buses has been cut from 17-a-day, seven-days-a-week, to 12 Mondays to Fridays; 11 on Saturdays and ten on Sundays.
Earlier this year, The Press reported the buses were averaging just four passengers each, but the firm said it was hitting its targets.
Mr McGraw said today: "We are not in a position to give actual passenger numbers.
"But what we can say is that passenger numbers on this service has been steady rather than spectacular, and the number of people now using the service in the winter months has fallen compared to the popular summer and autumn months as we anticipated."
It has also been suggested some of the coaches now used will be replaced by service buses.
First's service delivery director, Jonathan Stewart, said the current Volvo coaches would remain in place over the winter, but may be replaced by refurbished saloons next year.
He said the route was being revised to offer facilities for passengers in Knaresborough, and although more stops would be observed, the running time was only being increased by five minutes.
Your Say YourYork Press
Voice of reason, York says...
12:43pm Tue 18 Dec 07
Why don't they try smaller buses (like the good old Hoppers) if they're only averaging 4 passengers per journey?? It ain't rocket science!
tfr, York says...
1:30pm Tue 18 Dec 07
That said however I fear it may well fold altogether because on the occations I have used it there was just me and the driver onboard.
SilverSurfer, Surfing says...
1:44pm Tue 18 Dec 07
It should have built on its reliabilitySorry! But WTF do First know about reliability?? Ask the passengers on the ftr at 07.20 this morning that had waited over 20 minutes for a service that is, 'allegedly', every 10 minutes!
SilverSurfer, Surfing says...
1:56pm Tue 18 Dec 07
Ask the passengers on the ftr at 07.20 this morning that had waited over 20 minutes for a service that is, 'allegedly', every 10 minutesWhat was most galling was the 'host' saying "Sorry, I only know about this bus - I don't know anything about the others!" In other words "I ain't interested - I'm trying to read my paper!".....
Stevie in Selby, Selby says...
1:57pm Tue 18 Dec 07
I can understand that it makes sence to reduce the number of buses on the route
They aren't actually reducing the number of buses running - but because they're going via Knaresborough and stopping at more places, the journey takes a bit longer, so they allow 1¼ hours instead of just 1 hour.
MacGowanFan, UK says...
2:32pm Tue 18 Dec 07
Jason, says...
2:55pm Tue 18 Dec 07
andyb, york says...
4:31pm Tue 18 Dec 07
MacGowanFan wrote:Still plenty of grub down at Sainsbury`s
Perhaps we should worry more about famine before spending our time complaining about buses.
bill and ben, york says...
4:54pm Tue 18 Dec 07
SilverSurfer wrote:Thats cause 3 of them were going the same way down thanet road at the same time
It should have built on its reliabilitySorry! But WTF do First know about reliability?? Ask the passengers on the ftr at 07.20 this morning that had waited over 20 minutes for a service that is, 'allegedly', every 10 minutes!
MikeyT, York says...
5:20pm Tue 18 Dec 07
Voice of reason, York says...
6:17pm Tue 18 Dec 07
Perhaps we should worry more about famine before spending our time complaining about buses
What kind of comment is that???
In that case, you should NEVER post a comment about any of the "stories" in the Press. None of them are as important as famine!
But then, this story isn't about famine - is it!!
root-two, York says...
6:45pm Tue 18 Dec 07
But then, this story isn't about famine - is it!!
But it is ... a potential bus famine!
Call me cynical, but I think this might be the first step towards killing of the AirCoach service. That would be a pity, since it's a potentially very useful service (I've found it so, anyway) and you can avoid being screwed for parking charges at LBIA.
However, like a lot of people I cannot see the logic in FarceYork running those big coaches on a service which isn't heavily used even in the summer. Smaller buses with decent luggage capacity are the way forward, not a reduction in service.
root-two, York says...
6:45pm Tue 18 Dec 07
But then, this story isn't about famine - is it!!
But it is ... a potential bus famine!
Call me cynical, but I think this might be the first step towards killing of the AirCoach service. That would be a pity, since it's a potentially very useful service (I've found it so, anyway) and you can avoid being screwed for parking charges at LBIA.
However, like a lot of people I cannot see the logic in FarceYork running those big coaches on a service which isn't heavily used even in the summer. Smaller buses with decent luggage capacity are the way forward, not a reduction in service.
root-two, York says...
6:45pm Tue 18 Dec 07
But then, this story isn't about famine - is it!!
But it is ... a potential bus famine!
Call me cynical, but I think this might be the first step towards killing of the AirCoach service. That would be a pity, since it's a potentially very useful service (I've found it so, anyway) and you can avoid being screwed for parking charges at LBIA.
However, like a lot of people I cannot see the logic in FarceYork running those big coaches on a service which isn't heavily used even in the summer. Smaller buses with decent luggage capacity are the way forward, not a reduction in service.
magicman!, says...
1:06am Thu 20 Dec 07
First has always insisted the scheme is a success, even though most buses have been almost empty.
The firm has now announced it is withdrawing some of the early morning and late night buses over the winter, and has also reduced the daytime frequency from once an hour to once every 75 minutes.
Cut the services when people are mostly likely to use them (in poor weather)... well, Fir$t never fail to deliver when it comes to ar$eed-up ideas!
First's service delivery director, Jonathan Stewart, said the current Volvo coaches would remain in place over the winter, but may be replaced by refurbished saloons next year.
No doubt saloons taken off the number 5 service.
He said the route was being revised to offer facilities for passengers in Knaresborough, and although more stops would be observed, the running time was only being increased by five minutes.
Sounds like he's never driven through Knaresbrough!!
Sorry! But WTF do First know about reliability?? Ask the passengers on the ftr at 07.20 this morning that had waited over 20 minutes for a service that is, 'allegedly', every 10 minutes!
... Or those wwho regularly have to wait SEVENTY MINUTES for the number 5 when the service is supposed to be every 12 minutes??! You wait at the monument terminus and watch just how many 5's arrive there, go out of service, and no replacement drivers are seen for them ever.
It would be better to use smaller mini-coaches for the service. Running Volvo B10M's for what is essentially a stopping service is a bit odd. Coastliner runs volvo B7 saloons for the whitby-leeds services which are miles longer the the LBA route. I think Fir$tYork got handed down these second hand (ex rail-replacment) coaches and didn't know what to do with them, so they made up a service for them.
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Yorkiebear, York says...
12:43pm Tue 18 Dec 07
It is a good idea that has sadly not taken off like it should have. It should have built on its reliability.
I am very sorry that buses are not running on the 1st Jan when I could have really done with it. I will have to check the timetable for any other changes.
Perhaps the large buses are too big, and perhaps smaller buses might be a good idea. This would be better than cutting the frequency, as a first step.