Speccy Posted August 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2013 A new consultation, or rather a survey has been launched. http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2013/08/07/1052272 It is not very well constructed. I suggest you click right through the whole thing before attempting to fill it in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suuusssiiieee Posted August 8, 2013 Report Share Posted August 8, 2013 This on-line survey is all very well but what about elderly & people that have little or limited internet access that use the bus services? Should there not be an option for a paper survey you could pick up on the buses? Very poorly thought out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starfish Posted August 8, 2013 Report Share Posted August 8, 2013 its a pretty poor survey. You cant click the same option/reason for different times so for example you may not be able to record a reason for using a Saturday service as you've already used that earlier. it also has limited free text (which I used to express my views on the survey design). I ended up leaving a lot of it blank as the tick boxes didnt reflect what I wanted to say! Suspect the amount and usefulness of data/information they are actually able to use will be severely limited due to the poor design Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMe Posted August 8, 2013 Report Share Posted August 8, 2013 This on-line survey is all very well but what about elderly & people that have little or limited internet access that use the bus services? Should there not be an option for a paper survey you could pick up on the buses? Very poorly thought out.I suspect the so called "survey" and the questions asked are a way to justify cutting some services which of course may be well used by people who do not complete internet surveys. And of course there is the malicious (or not) allegation that some services have more to do with supporting Mareel than providing buses when most people need them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davie P Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 Is this the result of the 'consultation'? http://www.shetnews.co.uk/news/8059-sic-inviting-bids-in-radical-bus-overhaul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted February 27, 2014 Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 What gets me about the whole 'excercise' is that the SIC expects(?) (against ever increasing cost) to reduce the total expenditure on bus transport by more than 20%. I would love to know how they intend to achieve that without cutting some services but, as a mere passenger (and regular bus user), I suspect that I will be amongst the last to find out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMe Posted February 27, 2014 Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 Perhaps with a good look at what services are provided and when it would be possible to trim the budget somewhat. There are perhaps services that run because they have always run rather than because there is any great need for them. But that of course has dangers. If the "Big Green Bus Company" is viable because they operate several routes inclufing a few lightly used ones then what happens if you remove the lightly used ones?. Do they just have to ask for more money for the remaining routes?. Meaning less services and no savings. As an aside what do the SIC get from the Scottish Government for rural bus services?. Cutting those services resulting in a cut to the grant might also mean less services and no savings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostrider Posted February 27, 2014 Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 If whoever's in charge of buses these days wants to provide a decent covering service for no more money, they could try raising the fares by a minimum of 25%.....Yes, you did read that right, I know I usually moan things are far too dear, but this is one thing I will make an exception of. Last I used a bus, 30 years ago, a single from the Ness to the toon was just under a pound, its only £2.00 today....it would need to be at least £2.50 to have maintained its real value. Ness to the toon and back is 50 mile, anybody that won't pay a fiver (10p/mile) for that trip is being unrealistic, doing the same run in a car is going to cost you at least twice that. Better still, take the SIC/Zetrans/whoever out of the picture altogether, and let operators run whatever routes they believe they can make pay, just like it used to be. Things seemed to work better back then, and if any public money was involved it must have been well hidden, as there was never any word about the buses costing the Council countless thousands back then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMe Posted February 27, 2014 Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 Yes increased fares would help a bit although I have heard that Zettrans actually proposes to cut our fare by 10p for no very obvious reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rasmie Posted February 27, 2014 Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 Yep subsidised bus services means that the subsidiser has heavy influence on the operation, thats not always the best value. Ok maybe workable if you have plenty of money which the council doesn't. Similar situation with the airlines which until recently ran purely on a commercial basis. Now we the tax-payer subsidise the fares it by many millions p.a. (£20m? was it?) Is it any better than it would be without this subsidy. Ghostrider 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuckleJoannie Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 I presume the map on this page shows the new routes. The route the Scalloway bus takes through Lerwick seems to have changed quite a bit, going out the old North Road and not going via Tesco any more. http://travel.shetland.org/desktop_homepage.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 Slightly confusing but, they have shown the Town Service and Scalloway Service in the same position. Closer examination reveals that the individual routes do not appear to have changed and that the Scalloway Service does not pass through Hoofields. However, it is of some concern that the Scalloway Service no longer passes Tesco. A subtle plan to save the Co-op? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMe Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 I would say that "Sea Road" is the stop for Tesco so worry not you Scalloway dwellers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 (edited) I would say that "Sea Road" is the stop for Tesco so worry not you Scalloway dwellers.Nope, looks like the Scalloway services end at the Viking and, from what I can see, do NOT pass Tesco. Bit of a bummer. (Maybe shouldn't call it that as we seem to have a LGBT rag flying over the Town Hall but, that's another rant altogether.. ) Just checked again and the Sea Road seems to be a Town Service stop. Edited March 1, 2014 by Colin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuckleJoannie Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 (edited) Looking at the site again it seems that the timetable is still the exixting one. Hopefully every thing will be revealed when the the new timetables are announced on Monday. Edited March 1, 2014 by MuckleJoannie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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