Transport for All
 

Transport for All is supported by Oxfordshire County Council, who had invited the media to the 21^st Anniversary of the group formerly known as the Committee on Inclusive Transport. However, although being invited, no one was there to represent the media so photos were taken by Neil Timberlake (Assistant Public Transport Officer) and other members of the transport side of the county council. 
 

All bus operators in the region were invited to show what is being done to help wheelchair users and others with disabilities to use the buses.

Only four companies made the effort to send a wheelchair friendly vehicle, Whites Coaches, Stagecoach, Reading Buses and RH Transport.

The Oxford Bus museum sent an AEC Regent to show how inaccessible the old buses were to wheelchairs.

Dick Helling, OCC Public Transport Officer presented the drivers with “Disability Awareness and Customer Care” certificates to thank the companies for their support.

Transport for All - web page

Many thanks to Brian Kilham for sending this interesting item and pictures.

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THE VIGOUR OF VITALITY TO NEW BUS TRAVEL

It is with vigour that Reading Transport Ltd is launching ‘Vitality’ as its new brand for the main bus services serving the areas outside Central Reading and Newbury .

Reading Transport reckon that Vitality will invigorate these out-of-town bus services which for a long time have needed a boost.

With their Vitality branding, the bus operator is revolutionising FIVE out-of-area bus services which they are confident will have the same positive impact as their imaginative Premier route colour branding when it was introduced in Reading.

“We have successfully achieved significant customer growth through our inspired Premier Route network colour branding and we are now extending this vibrant concept to the main services we run around Reading and Newbury.

“Vitality includes the word vital and this is the message we need to convey to so many people that it is vital they use public transport instead of the car for as many local journeys as possible.

“Reading Transport is committed to attracting new customers onto these services and our green Vitality branding of five services, 1, 1a, 2, 3 and 11, serving Central Reading to Burghfield Common, Tadley and Peppard Common as well as from Newbury to Thatcham and Reading is fundamental to the new thinking and imaginative concept."

“We are, after all, a vital link around the Reading and Newbury area, Vitality is designed to be very reliable because the new timetable from April 20 has been designed to cope with the effects of traffic congestion so that people arrive at their destination on time.”

In this exciting overhaul of out-of-town bus services Vitality 1 replaces service 102, Vitality 1a replaces service 103, Vitality 2 replaces 137/138, Vitality 2 & 3 replace 143/148/149 and Vitality 11 replaces 11/11a & 12.

James Freeman, Chief Executive Officer of Reading Transport Ltd., said it was  all designed to encourage new users to the bus, following lengthy consultations with local people .

“Vitality means extra journeys, more regularity and greater frequencies on many of the routes during the day, in the evening and on Sundays, as well as enhanced reliability.

“We have re-designed the services so that they make it much easier to catch the bus and now fares are simpler and better value.”

Sixteen buses will be branded Vitality in a brightly coloured and fun branding which Reading Transport say has been a ‘challenge’ to improve the accessibility of the bus service to attract people to ride on bus and leave the car at home.

Julian Walker visit the town to see for himself.

"I was in Reading on the first day of the service changes and took quite a few photos of the new routes. I thought I would send them in for the OCBP."

Newbury Buses route 102 between Reading and Newbury has also been given the "Vitality" treatment and has been renumbered 1. Dart GU52 HKB /picks up in Gun Street, Reading.

 
"Vitality" route 2 also runs to Peppard Common, although this journey, picking up in Friar Street, is in the hands of 1027 in the original charcoal-and-beige generic livery.

Route 9 has been shortened to run between Reading Station and Shinfield Park, and now uses buses in this red livery with route branding.
The ten-minute peak frequency is emphasised.1024 prepares to set off from Reading Station.

The section to Caversham Heights has been taken over by new cross-town service 22, which has also taken over the Lower Earley section of route 18.
New route 22 uses the lime green buses that were formerly allocated to route 9.  1015 in Hemdean Road, Central Caversham. 

An interesting feature of the new route 22 is that additional journeys run as "shorts" between Central Reading (Friar Street) and Caversham Heights. On the inbound journeys these display route number 22a and run direct from Caversham Road to Friar Street, omitting the Station - although passengers can remain on the bus and alight at the Station on the return journey.

Don't forget that Rob William's Bus Zone always up to the minute coverage of developments in this most interesting of towns.

 

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Bedford - Stagecoach UCOC in 2009 by Gary Seamarks

Bedford’s Routes

The Flagship route is the X5  Cambridge- Bedford- MK- Oxford which requires 14 coaches 7 days a week, these are drawn from a batch of 17 recently delivered Plaxton bodied Volvo B9R (53601-17). The schedules are punishing and most cover over 400 miles per day, first coach out is 04.15 to Cambridge and the last are back at almost midnight. On Sundays the first out is at 06.00 and the last back 00.50.
 

Virgin Trains VT99 between Milton Keynes and Luton Airport is also worked from Bedford; this requires 3 coaches for an hourly service, taken from a batch of Volvo B7R/Plaxton delivered in late 2006. 52371-3 are in Virgin Train Red and grey with 52374 painted into group colours late last year as spare for this and X5. Passenger numbers always look good on this service, with through rail ticketing available. Driver changeovers take place at MK with transfers to Bedford taking place on the X5; almost an hour’s layover is taken on each trip at MK to improve timekeeping and for meal breaks.

Bedford Town services have undergone transformation in the last couple of years with all routes split in the town centre to improve timekeeping. Bedford’s traffic to the south of the town was the main cause of this. The use of dayrider tickets is encouraged; all routes are now scheduled for low floor single deck.
 

1, 2             Kempston Circular             12 Minutes            3        Darts on each      

3                 Fenlake                          20 Minutes            2        Solo            

4                 Goldington                      15 Minutes            3        Solo

5                 Elms Farm                       10 Minutes            5        Dart

6                 Brickhill                          10 Minutes            3        Dart

7                 Woodside                       15 Minutes            3        Dart

8                 Queens Park                    15 Minutes            2        Solo

9                 Shortstown                     12 Minutes            4        Dart

Total for towns 21 Darts and 7 Solos.

These are drawn from Dart/Alexander 34419-44 delivered new in late 2003 and 34580 one of the Carlisle flood victims that arrived in mid 2005, 34825 followed as an extra vehicle in early 2006, all in group colours.

The Solos come from 47436-42 delivered new in late 2006 and part funded by Beds CC, they are in a special blue version of group colours, also arriving at the same time was 47435 from the ill fated Bedford Dart all are M850 with 28 Seats, a further Solo arrived in late 2008 (47341) its unique in group colours and is used as a spare for all routes.

All these town routes are commercial, and have last buses from town before 20.10 (the 8 is as early as 18.20). Few buses serve the main rail station which is 10 minute walk from the bus station.

The Kempston routes have a low bridge restriction which makes for single deck operation only, double deckers appear on route 5/6/9, usually the L Reg Volvo Olympians

Rural Routes can be split into Commercial and Tendered.
 

The former comprise what remains of the planets network introduced on 2006, with branded vehicles (which to me was a waste of money and provided too many buses for the market, but that’s another story)
 

J2                Bedford-Ampthill-Flitwick                             Hourly                   2 Olympian

M1               Bedford- Haynes-Shefford-Hitchin                 Hourly                   2 Darts

M2               Bedford-Shefford-Arlesey –Hitchin                Hourly                    2 Darts

M3               Bedford-Sandy-Hitchin Hourly 2 Darts

M4               Bedford-Cople-Biggleswade                         Hourly                    2 Dart

M50             Bedford-Rushden-Kettering                           Hourly                   3 Trident

P1               Bedford-Lavendon-Northampton                   Hourly                    2 B10M/Olympian

S1               Bedford-Clophill                                         Hourly                    2 Trident

V1               Bedford-Wootton-Cranfield                          Hourly                    2 B10M/Olympian

V1               Bedford-Wootton                                       Hourly                    1 B10M/Olympian

51               Bedford- Oakley                                         20 minutes              2 Step Dart

Tendered
 

124-6          Bedford-villages- Rushden                         Hourly (combined) 2 Dart (short)

136             Sharnbrook-Bromham- Bedford                   1 AM Journey                  Dart

160/5          Bedford-Woburn-Leighton Buzzard              2 Returns              1 Olympian

168             Bedford- Marsh Leys                                1 return                1 bus

169             Bedford- Stewartby-Lidlington                   6 Journeys            1 Olympian

Park n Ride   Elstow P&R – Bedford                               15 off peak 10 peak        3 off peak 4 peak Darts

Most routes have very early last buses from Bedford, very few rural routes have more than one departure after 18.00, with only the X5 having any after 20.00, on the towns the last buses have left the town centre by 20.05. Park and Ride has a last bus of 18.45. A result of which is that the last ‘cheap’ train from London which allows onward travel by bus is at 16.28 from St. Pancras.

Schools.
 

Bedford has four independent schools in the town which require a large quantity of transport, Biggleswade has six Olympians livered up for this, and other operators cover plenty of other routes. Beds CC (as it was) still operated a 3 tier education system in the county which is a major source of revenue for operators, SIB has to my knowledge over 30 school bus duties daily, these are operated by the Olympians as well as a fleet of older B10M/Interurbans that have been reseated to seat 70 and camera fitted, they are painted in a yellow version of the livery, they are kept to a one driver one duty rota, as school times differ some vehicles are able to operate 2 contracts am and 2 pm. With the demise of Bedfordshire CC and the set up of Central Beds and Bedford Borough rumour is rife of Beds returning to a two-tier schooling system, what this does to the contracts remains to be seen.

Bedford garage.
 

The Garage can be traced back to 1912 when the New Central Omnibus Co  purchased what is now the front of the site for £720 this included a house called ‘Laurel Bank’ that for many years was occupied by  the local Traffic Superintendent, this has since gone. Extension work added to the rear in the 1920’s.  Additional land was acquired in 1935 which today forms the roadway under the London Road Bridge and the side of the garage as well as to the rear. By 1937 Eastern National built a second extension to the rear which gave room for 70 buses, I would presume that this was when the side exit was also added. After transfer to UC in 1952 the next phase was to sell land to the rear to an adjoining landowner in 1955, and again in 1958 this was only used for parking buses awaiting sale on, this area now forms part of the Rope Walk Retail Park. The front was also considerably rebuilt from its initial construction with one large entrance in the centre replacing two narrower side doors.  More rebuilding occurred later which involved a large door to the rear being added and the side door being done away with at the same time a wash was installed on the side access road. By deducting the value of land raised from the sales of 1955/8 and what was paid for purchase the site cost £508 (including the house!).

The site bounded by the A600 on one side and retail parks on the other 3, the former Bedford- Cambridge rail line passed to the east of the site until closure in 1967 to passengers , and freight in the seventies. Today the track bed is part of the car park. The A600 is actually on a bridge when it passes the front of the garage, which vehicles pass under in order to exit the site. Most vehicle movements on or off site are via the St John’s roundabout as the turn to and from the Southbound A600 is very tight. A large open parking area to the rear, for about 60 buses, is visible from both retail parks.  Parking is by type the School buses take the rear as they are first back, with X5 forward of these, Deckers tend to go to side away from the old track bed and town buses inside. The fuel and wash are located on an access roadway beside the track bed so any incoming vehicle has to run through the garage to gain fuel, then again to be parked, this can cause problems in cold weather with freezing water from the wash if a sudden cold spell appears. The maintenance and stores are on the left with a full length set of doors. Repainting is carried out at Bedford and quite often vehicles from other depots are present, including those from outside United Counties. Spare space at the rear is used for parking up withdrawn vehicles, with end of life vehicles used in one corner to screen in service vehicle from any vandalism that may occur.

Biggleswade out station is located on Langford Road and is the former Charles Cook Garage; mostly open parking it’s bounded on one side by an embankment that carries the A1 and industrial units on the other. The former Shortmead Street site was sold for housing in the late eighties. Most of Biggleswade’s work is now on Schools or Mars duties into Bedford, most of the local work was lost a couple of years back on retendering.

Fleet list April 09

Coach

Volvo B9R/Plaxton           53601-13/5-7                          for X5

Volvo B7R/Plaxton           52371-3                                  Virgin Livery for VT99 

VolvoB7R/Plaxton            52374                                     Stagecoach Livery spare for VT99 and X5

Volvo B10M/Plaxton         52485                                     spare

Volvo B10M/Jonckheere    52644                                    for X5 spare (last seen on loan to Glasgow)

Volvo B10M/Plaxton         52124                                     DP70F but Stagecoach Livery

Volvo B10M/Plaxton         52155/6/60-2 52368-73/482-4    DP70F Schooliner

At the time this was written 52644 was on loan to Glasgow and 53614 was accident damaged.

Step Buses

Leyland Olympian/Alexander    14000                                                Megadekka

Leyland Olympian/Alexander    14035/8/42/7/54 14710

Volvo Olympian/Alexander        16209/21/2/6

Volvo Olympian/Alexander        16223-5/7-9                                      Harpur Trust School Bus

Volvo Olympian/NC                   16671/2/4-7/80/1

Volvo B10M/Alexander PS         20206/326/809/13/4/6/53/915

Dennis Dart/Alexander             32542/50/772

Some of the B10M/PS were in the process of being stood down on arrival of the Tridents.

Low Floor
 

Trident/Alexander                   18106-11

Dart/Alexander (short)             34098/160

Dart/Alexander                       34419-44, 34580, 34774, 34825-36

Dart/Alexander                       33181-4                                   Park and Ride

Optare Solo                           47341

Optare Solo                           47435-42                                 Bedford Solo

Allocated Summary       Allocated               PVR (excludes schools)

B9R                                16                         14

B7                                  4                           3

Olympian                        25                           9

B10M/PS                         8                           with Olympian

Step Dart                        3                           2

Trident                           6                           5

Dart (short)                    2                           2

Dart                              39                         29

Dart P&R                         4                           4

Solo                               9                           5

Drivers eye view of the approach to the site from here its left turn through the building, the former house was located on the left.
The old United Counties name is just visible on the first high wall. 

Looking from the rear of the parking area through the building to the London road Bridge behind the car.

 Another shot from the rear fence showing the steam cleaning shed behind the Olympians to the left is a recently arrived Trident

Vintage Bedford; former Stagecoach Perth A330ANH a Volvo B10M Plaxton at Bedford June 91
keeps VRs and an FS trainer company, this is the area now used for Schooliner parking. 

773 ANV 773J is seen parked part on the pits in this June 88 shot at Bedford,
the red sign on the right warns that pit has insufficient  Clearance for Routemasters

Very many thanks to Gary for a most interesting piece. This may give other readers some ideas for future contributions.